# First time smoking a pork shoulder



## ckelly02 (Mar 28, 2015)

I'm smoking a pork shoulder today for some tasty pulled pork. 4 pound roast, hickory chips, Memphis rub and low and slow at 225 deg. Should be a good day!! Any tips or tricks on time or anything else. Please feel free to post!!!












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__ ckelly02
__ Mar 28, 2015


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## ckelly02 (Mar 28, 2015)

That's the before photo. I'll get a couple good ones when it's all said and done later tonight


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## griff (Mar 28, 2015)

Sounds like you've already got a good plan. Take your time and enjoy the ride. You can foil it when it hits the stall or you can just ride it out.  Take it off when it hits 205 internal temp. Have fun.


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## themule69 (Mar 28, 2015)

Glad you joined the group. The search bar at the top of any page is your best friend.
About anything you wanna know about smoking/grilling/curing/brining/cutting or slicing
and the list goes on has probably been posted. Remember to post a QVIEW of your smokes.
We are all smoke junkies here and we have to get our fix. If you have questions
Post it and you will probably get 10 replies with 11 different answers. That is
because their are so many different ways to make great Q...
Happy smoken.
David


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## falconblack1 (Mar 28, 2015)

Looks good can't wait to see finished picks


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## rmmurray (Mar 28, 2015)

Welcome CKellyO2! :welcome:
That's some mighty fine looking grub you got there!


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## gary s (Mar 28, 2015)

*Good afternoon and welcome to the forum, from a sunny and warm day here in East Texas. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything.*

*Gary*


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## timberjet (Mar 28, 2015)

Welcome to the site from just a little bit south of you. If you have any questions fire away. Someone will be along to help shortly. You guys getting the wind like I am here in south east wa. today?


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## ckelly02 (Mar 28, 2015)

Timberjet, Yeah it's pretty windy here today. good thing I've got a covered porch that is sheltering me from the wind.


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## ckelly02 (Mar 28, 2015)

Just hit the stall at about 160deg. Is it best to wait it out or wrap? Time isn't really an issue. Just curious what preferences people have?


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## timberjet (Mar 28, 2015)

That is totally up to you Butt, pun intended. That chunk of hog leg looks pretty darn dense to me. I have had a 4 pounder take 16 hours before without foiling. If you have the time and like the bark just ride it out. I pretty much foil all the time now days with the occasional planned naked butt that takes 20 plus hours to cook. It's all about if you want to get some sleep or not. Foiling will shave a couple hours off and you will end up with a little mushier bark but that is how I like mine most of the time. I do change it up now and then just for kicks. The general rule is 2 hours per pound with a 2 hour rest but Butts can't tell time so you just never know weather it will take 8 hours or 16. I personally don't ever rush it because I think the stall is where the magic happens and all the collagen breaks down into pure moisture and flavor. Can't wait to see how it progresses. I would recommend if you are using the factory thermometers in your unit you test them for accuracy. I am just guessing you have an electric smoker?


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## ckelly02 (Mar 28, 2015)

Yes I've got an electric Smoky Mountain Series


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## timberjet (Mar 28, 2015)

How's it going with that hogleg sir? Kinda itching for a picture. tee hee.


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## ckelly02 (Mar 28, 2015)

Still stalled at 169. Trying to wait it out. What temp would you say it would be safe to pull and then wrap for an hour?


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## timberjet (Mar 28, 2015)

anytime. now if you want. I foil at 165 usually. Oh now wait. No you are no where close to being done. Don't even think it will be good to eat until after 200 degrees. I like 205 but you could foil it now and it will get though the stall in a lot less time. double wrap it in heavy duty foil with a little apple juice or beer. Stick the probe right through the foil and take it to the oven for a 250 degree finish. It still might take several more hours though.


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## timberjet (Mar 28, 2015)

Wow I really called it huh? anytime I see a stalky super dense football of a Butt now I think of that 17 hour four pounder that kicked my butt.


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## ckelly02 (Mar 28, 2015)

Yep lol. Looks like I'm getting takeout for now and having one delicious midnight snack :drool


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## timberjet (Mar 28, 2015)

ckelly02 said:


> Yep lol. Looks like I'm getting takeout for now and having one delicious midnight snack


In the future you might think about plan b everytime you do a butt. That's what the other racks are for. Hahaha..... I always have some abt's or sausages or something in there too just in case. You will make the pizza guy happy anyway.


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## ckelly02 (Mar 28, 2015)

Yeah that's true. Thought about throwing some chicken legs on that were in the freezer but forgot to take them out.


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## ckelly02 (Mar 29, 2015)

Ok here's the finished product after 13 hours of smoking and 2 hours rest. Fall apart tender and so delicious!!












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__ ckelly02
__ Mar 29, 2015





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__ ckelly02
__ Mar 29, 2015


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## gary s (Mar 29, 2015)

Nice job. It this was your first, I'm quite sure it won't be your last     
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Gary


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## b-one (Mar 29, 2015)

Meow that's a great looking butt way to go!


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## joe black (Mar 29, 2015)

Welcome Kelly.  I know what your problem is with the stall.  You had that butcher twine around the butt and it couldn't  breathe.  You have been given some excellent advice and that's something you can count on.  Folks on this site far great.

The only other tip that I would give you is to always cook 2 at the time so you can share with all of us.  That butt looked delicious.   Joe


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## falconblack1 (Mar 29, 2015)

That sure does look great


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## rmmurray (Mar 29, 2015)

Joe Black said:


> The only other tip that I would give you is to always cook 2 at the time so you can share with all of us.


THIS!
:points1:


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## frosty (Mar 30, 2015)

Pure perfection!  Total success!


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## timberjet (Mar 30, 2015)

I love it when a plan comes together. Great looking Pork there!


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## scooter260 (Apr 18, 2015)

Question.....just finished a pork shoulder in the smoker (10 hours).  Placed in a foil tin and covered when it reached IT of 165.  IT ramped up to 205 a few hours later.  So, I took it out and now she's resting for the 2 hours.....question: does the shoulder rest while still wrapped in the foil tin or do I uncover?  Thanks!


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## gary s (Apr 18, 2015)

Leave it covered,,  You are going to have all kinds of good !!!

Gary


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## mummel (Apr 20, 2015)

Griff said:


> Sounds like you've already got a good plan. Take your time and enjoy the ride. You can foil it when it hits the stall or you can just ride it out. Take it off when it hits 205 internal temp. Have fun.


I keep reading about the stall and when to foil but for a new guy, what does "the stall" really mean?


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## mummel (Apr 20, 2015)

Edit: found this cool article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-goldwyn/physicist-cracks-bbq-mystery_b_987719.html


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## timberjet (Apr 22, 2015)

mummel said:


> I keep reading about the stall and when to foil but for a new guy, what does "the stall" really mean?


I am guessing you already figured it out but the meat stalls as the tough tissues like gristle and sinew break down. Butts, chuck roasts, briskets all can stall. Rarely you get no stall or very little. Most of the time the stall will last a few hours. Sometimes the stall may last for hours and hours and the temp may even drop during the stall. It's all part of the mystery of large muscle meats. The stall is natural and you can foil your way through it or crank up the heat but I never do the latter. I just allow lots of extra time just in case. Low and slow for me.


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## mummel (Apr 22, 2015)

timberjet said:


> I am guessing you already figured it out but the meat stalls as the tough tissues like gristle and sinew break down. Butts, chuck roasts, briskets all can stall. Rarely you get no stall or very little. Most of the time the stall will last a few hours. Sometimes the stall may last for hours and hours and the temp may even drop during the stall. It's all part of the mystery of large muscle meats. The stall is natural and you can foil your way through it or crank up the heat but I never do the latter. I just allow lots of extra time just in case. Low and slow for me.


Funny you just replied to this.  I posted this question in another thread: _How do you know when the stall hits?  With a chart its easy, but what if you arent looking at your thermometer every 10 minutes?  Do you go by timing, or do you check the temps regularly?_


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## mummel (Apr 22, 2015)

And whats better, to foil or not to foil?  If you have the time (i.e. start the smoke the night before), does it matter if you just leave the meat and let it cook for however long it takes?  Or is it better to foil and not let it dry out?


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## timberjet (Apr 22, 2015)

mummel said:


> And whats better, to foil or not to foil?  If you have the time (i.e. start the smoke the night before), does it matter if you just leave the meat and let it cook for however long it takes?  Or is it better to foil and not let it dry out?


foiling does not add any moisture to the meat. It just cooks faster. When you get a smoker and start experimenting you will find out if you like lots of crispy bark or a softer thinner bark. It is personal choice. I like my bark a little softer than some do so I usually foil. Actually I attend to my smoker when I am smoking food. Even though my UDS will run 225 degrees for 12 or more hours easy without monitoring it. I still feel the need to be around it when it's going. So yes, I do pay attention to the temps. Even when in the house since I have a wireless Maverick probe setup. I don't need any graphing software for cooking. Been doing it a long long time.


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## mummel (Apr 22, 2015)

timberjet said:


> foiling does not add any moisture to the meat. It just cooks faster. When you get a smoker and start experimenting you will find out if you like lots of crispy bark or a softer thinner bark. It is personal choice. I like my bark a little softer than some do so I usually foil. Actually I attend to my smoker when I am smoking food. Even though my UDS will run 225 degrees for 12 or more hours easy without monitoring it. I still feel the need to be around it when it's going. So yes, I do pay attention to the temps. Even when in the house since I have a wireless Maverick probe setup. I don't need any graphing software for cooking. Been doing it a long long time.


Yeah I like a soft bark, fall of the bone style.  The juicier the better.  I guess I will be a foiler then :).  But how do you time the foiling?  When the meat hits a certain temp, or when you reach a certain time on the clock (say 3 hours in)?  Im sure each piece of meat is different so the stall would occur at different points in time.  How do you know then the time is right to foil?


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## timberjet (Apr 22, 2015)

mummel said:


> Yeah I like a soft bark, fall of the bone style.  The juicier the better.  I guess I will be a foiler then :).  But how do you time the foiling?  When the meat hits a certain temp, or when you reach a certain time on the clock (say 3 hours in)?  Im sure each piece of meat is different so the stall would occur at different points in time.  How do you know then the time is right to foil?


Cook by temp. not time. You could have two 6 pound butts side by side in there and treat them exactly the same and one might be done 5 hours different than the other. I foil because I usually do all night cooks for the next day. I smoke to say 165 and foil and bring it in to the oven. I set the oven to what the smoker temp was and monitor the internal temp from wherever I am at in the house. That way I save charcoal and can get some sleep if I need to. Now there are times when I go the whole way in the smoker without foiling just for the heck of it just for something different if I have the time and feel like it. Sometimes I even use my crockpot instead of the oven or foil. This normally happens when I realize I am out of foil. Pork Shoulders and chuck roasts have a lot of built in moisture. As long as you don't overcook or undercook a butt it will be moist.


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## mummel (Apr 22, 2015)

timberjet said:


> Cook by temp. not time. You could have two 6 pound butts side by side in there and treat them exactly the same and one might be done 5 hours different than the other. I foil because I usually do all night cooks for the next day. I smoke to say 165 and foil and bring it in to the oven. I set the oven to what the smoker temp was and monitor the internal temp from wherever I am at in the house. That way I save charcoal and can get some sleep if I need to. Now there are times when I go the whole way in the smoker without foiling just for the heck of it just for something different if I have the time and feel like it. Sometimes I even use my crockpot instead of the oven or foil. This normally happens when I realize I am out of foil. Pork Shoulders and chuck roasts have a lot of built in moisture. As long as you don't overcook or undercook a butt it will be moist.


Great info.  Do you prefer foiled butt or just slow cooked until it's ready? 

I never thought about the oven :).  That would be much safer and cost less as it uses natural gas :).  When people say 3-2-1, is it smoke for 3 hours, foil for 2, and then whats the 1 referring to?  So you could smoke ribs for 3 hours, foil and put in oven for 2 hours, then 1?

Another example, smoke butt for 8 hours until 165, then foil and put in over until the final step?  Whats the final step?  Is this where you drop the temperature?  Thanks!


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## timberjet (Apr 22, 2015)

mummel said:


> Great info.  Do you prefer foiled butt or just slow cooked until it's ready?
> 
> I never thought about the oven :).  That would be much safer and cost less as it uses natural gas :).  When people say 3-2-1, is it smoke for 3 hours, foil for 2, and then whats the 1 referring to?  So you could smoke ribs for 3 hours, foil and put in oven for 2 hours, then 1?
> 
> Another example, smoke butt for 8 hours until 165, then foil and put in over until the final step?  Whats the final step?  Is this where you drop the temperature?  Thanks!


The 1 is ribs unfoiled and back on the smoker to firm up a bit. Now with ribs this is a general guideline as all ribs are different. Sometimes you will want to do 2-2-1 or 2.5-2-.5 or whatever depending on the thickness and meatyness of them. You get a feel for it with practice. Many people cook ribs naked all the way too. When bear says smoke butt for 8 hours until 165, he was merely documenting what happened on that particular piece of meat. That 8 hours could be 4 or 10 or anywhere in between depending on the meat. Hence the reason to cook by temp and not time. It's not like baking a cake. The final step is the rest. Double wrap in foil or if it is already foiled wrap in towells and store in a dry cooler for 2 hours or more. To rest and redistribute juices in the meat. This is a very important step. It just puts the final touch on that Butt you just invested a lot of time and effort in.


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## disco (Apr 28, 2015)

This looks so much better than my first pulled pork. Kudos!







Disco


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## cheapchalee (May 7, 2015)

That looks real good, don't really like the crockpot version, doesn't get the full flavor.

Chalee

PS: Welcome to the forum.


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## gary s (May 7, 2015)

CheapChalee said:


> That looks real good, don't really like the crockpot version, doesn't get the full flavor.
> 
> Chalee
> 
> PS: Welcome to the forum.


Here is a crock pot recipe that will fool anyone.   Cook your butt in the crock pot till tender, remove, slide out the bone and pull, Be sure to retain a fair amount of liquid.

You can do this now or wait till the next day or so.

Put your meat in a foil pan with some of the juice and place on the smoker with your favorite wood. Smoke at 225 º turning over the meat a few times for a couple or three hours.

That way if you don't have 10 -12 or more hours to spend you can do it in a couple.

I have done this a few times, because of time or weather problems.


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## cheapchalee (May 8, 2015)

Would probably stay a lot moister also.  Thanks I might try that, but as I am doing hams this coming week I might throw a butt in there also for some pulled pork,

Chalee


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