17 lb pork shoulder, how long will this take?


 

Chris Wagg

New member
I found a great deal on pork shoulders a while back, 99cents/pound. Without much thought I picked up a $17 pack. Now I need to cook this thing and I am wondering if I may be in for a 48 hour cook, that is just too much. Anyone have a ballpark figure on how long this will take, or maybe some ideas on how to make it shorter? This is bone in, so just cutting it in half isn't an option, but I was thinking of making a cut,and keeping the bone in so it is like 2 parts attached by a bone, this should increase surface area allowing smoke and heat to get at it, as well as allowing the rub to cover more of it.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Chris
 
If it is a cryo pack there are likely two butts in the pack, not one. That is how they are usually packaged.

If you have a whole shoulder instead, timing, as always, will depend on cook temps. Raise the heat, shorten the cook. Cooked in the upper 200s and it should take maybe 20 hours. Foiling can speed cooking should you need to go there.
 
I opened up the cryo pack, and it is indeed a single 17 lb pork shoulder.

So rather than wait until tonight to get it started, I went home at lunch to start things going.

I can't wait to see what it looks like when I get home from work tonight, and even better, how it is going to taste tomorrow.
 
I did huge butt with a portion of the picnic attached last year that was 17.5 or 18.5, can't remember. It took right around 20-21 hrs if I recall. Good luck with your cook and you might want to flip it once during the cook. So the side that's facing the hot coals doesn't get too crispy on you.
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Here's a pic before it went on the WSM.
 
Thanks, I cooked it for about 20 hours, cut it down the middle so it was like 2 8 lb butts side by side (bone in, so I couldn't just cut it right in half).

Here is a picture of how I did it:
pork shoulder

It turned out great, and would have fed an army, had I not accidentally dropped a huge glass bowl of it on a ceramic floor
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In any case, I had a lot of pulled pork sandwiches before dumping it, so all was ok.
 

 

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