Pulled Pork Smoke Amount Question

[OldHoss]

I am getting ready to do my first Pork Butt and am a little concerned about smoke amount.  I have a 6 pound bone in butt and figure I will be cooking it for 12 hours or so.  I plan to use hickory wood.  I like a healthy amount of smoke in my meat but am pretty sure 12 hours of smoke in the Bradley is too much.  I have read a few recipies here and one calls for 4 hours of smoke for a pork butt.  Can I get some input here folks?   Also give me opinions on wood to use for pork butts....I have apple and Jim Beam bisqettes on hand as wll.  I have read apple is good to use for butts.....I love hickory and this is my first attempt at smoking pulled pork so I figured I'd stick with what I like.  12 hours of hickory smoke in anything kinda scares me though.

[KyNola]

4 hours of smoke should be plenty.  12 hours of smoke in the Bradley is overkill.  There is a theory that once meat reaches an IT of 140 that it will no longer accept smoke.  Whether it is true or not, who knows?

[Smokin Soon]

4 hours of hickory here.

[beefmann]

4 hours of smoke max

[mikecorn.1]

I also do four.


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[rexster]

Depends on how big your butt is. 4 hrs minimum, but since I like a lot of smoke flavor, I'll go 5 to 6 if it's a big one.

[OldHoss]

Depends on how big your butt is. 4 hrs minimum, but since I like a lot of smoke flavor, I'll go 5 to 6 if it's a big one.

My butt is 6 pounds. 

Thanks for the feedback guys - I appreciate it.  I think I am going to go with 4 hours of Hickory and 1 hour of Apple.  I have never used Apple before but I think? it is mild so going with an hour should be okay on a bigger butt.  I have also come across alot of references on the net to folks using a Hickory/Apple combo.

EDIT 1:

I have decided to go with a Hickory/Cherry combo.   4 Cherry briquettes and the rest Hickory with a total time for smoke being 6 hours.  This is a 6+ pound butt and Cherry is milder so I am uping the smoke time from 5 to 6 hours.  I will report back.

[pokermeister]

I have smoked about 10 butts, and find that 4 hours is plenty of smoke time. The shoulders have ranged from 5.5 to 11.2 pounds. If you take the IT to 200, it will just fall apart, and make pulling exceptionally easy.

[Consooger]

I normally do my butts with hickory, or recently I have been using pecan and have liked the results. I don't go above 5 hours on the smoke. As everyone else said anything above that for a butt is overkill. It's all about preference my friend, once you toy around with it you will find what you like!

[TedEbear]

3-4 hours max smoke should be plenty.  I just got done with two 7 lb butts.  Smoked them 4 hours, alternating each hour between apple and cherry. Wife says the smoke flavor is perfect.  Total cook time was 16-17 hours.

I save the hickory bisquettes for beef.  It is a rather strong flavor.  I use sweet flavors when I smoke pork.

[OldHoss]

I am in the midst of cooking this butt now.   I started at 1am and it is now a little after 9am.  I went with 5 hours of smoke with 4 Cherry bisqettes and the rest Hickory.   Internal temp on the butt is now about 146f and it is looking amazing.  I went with the Bob Gibson method for the injection and the rub:

http://www.bbqjunkie.com/bbq-recipe/big-bob-gibsons-pork-butt/

I am not going to go with the foil wrap at 165-170f as I had planned to as I read a discussion somewhere yesterday that this only ruins the crust by streaming and moistening it.  I do like a good crust so I am letting my butt be naked till it hits 195 internal.  I have read some spots that indicate a lower temp and some that say higher but this 195f mark is one a majority of folks go by.  I am going to wrap it in some towels and put it in a cooler for a hour or so.....or as long as I can stand.

Got some sweet mustard Cole Slaw dressing and some of that Budweiser barbeque sauce to Tex this baby up when it comes time.   I am thinking chibata bread rather than some bun/bread that is less substantial.

Again thanks for the comments guys.

EDIT:  I say crust but "bark" is a better term.   I used paprika from McCormicks and this particular one from their Gourmet line is a brilliant shade of red/burgandy......look here for a good image......click for larger image to get an idea of the depth of colour here....WOW....and that picture is but a representation.......

http://www.soap.com/p/mccormick-gourmet-paprika-fancy-162-oz-290263

I picked up a plastic container that is 3 times the size of the one in the image at Costco for 3 dollars!!!   I currently have 4 different kinds of paprika in the house.  I almost always include some of this stuff just for colour.  What this paprika does to meat when included in rubs is spectacular indeed.  Right now the bark on the butt is shades of brown, red, burgandy and black.   The smell is amazing.  I am basting with apple juice every time I open the door.  I really want to carve off a corner with a knife and eat it right now.  Damn.

That Budweiser sauce is the origianal I guess?  I tried the smoke flavoured one and the original at a costco a couple months ago and was very impressed with the original but not the smoke one.  The smoke flavoured one was far too smoky - to the point of being one dimensional.  I liked the original enough to go out and get me 2 bottles yesterday for this special project.   My sauces that I go back to again and again are Presidents Choice Gourmet and Bullseye Guiness.  I have a few different sauces I can make up myself but those are the store bought ones I use over and over.  I also use the Bullseye Garlic one for the women in my house......I like it too though.....otherwise it would not be used.

[squirtthecat]

Sounds like a plan!

[TedEbear]

I do like a good crust so I am letting my butt be naked till it hits 195 internal. 

For a thick bark you might try using molasses as a base before adding the rub.  I've done it that way the last few times and it works pretty well. 

I am going to wrap it in some towels and put it in a cooler for a hour or so.....or as long as I can stand.

Wrap it in foil first and then the towel and cooler (FTC).

Looks like everything is coming along well.  Don't open the door and spritz too often.  "If you're lookin' you ain't cookin'."  ;)  Don't forget to take some pics and post them later.   :)

[viper125]

Done quite a few butts as their one of my favorite. First few was 6-8 hours then 4-5 hours but now found hardly any difference in smoke after three. So mine are alway 3-4 and everybody still loves them. I agree that it seems like more hours just dont produce more smoke flavor no matter how much meat their is.

[OldHoss]

I just got done with two 7 lb butts.  Smoked them 4 hours, alternating each hour between apple and cherry. Wife says the smoke flavor is perfect.  Total cook time was 16-17 hours.

Right on.  I am currently at an internal temp of 188 with temp on the unit set at 220f, at hour 16.  I went with 5 HOURS of smoke total with 1.25 hours Cherry and the rest Hickory.  I am rotating the rack set on the second from the bottom shelf every 2 hours or so.  I am now basting with dark rum mixed with the apple juice.  I am opening the door only to rotate and baste while at it.  It smells amazing.  I know that setting the temp at 220f means that the high side of the 28f swing in temperature will put the high side at 253f on the shelf I am using.   So I cannot increase my temperature.  The urge to open the door and cut off a piece is strong indeed.

I will try this alternating of apple and cherry in the future.   Thanks for the advice guys.  This board is impressive.