11lb pork shoulder


 
J

James Mundy

TVWBB Member
Hi all, relative newbie compared to you experienced guys.

I'm cooking an 11lb cut of pork shoulder in a couple of weeks for a birthday party, I've not cooked any cut of pork this big so far and I'm curious as to how long approximately it's going to take?
I know the rule of thumb is 1 1/2 hours per pound, and I usually allow 2 hours to be on the safe side (even then sometimes that's not enough). Which means according to this guide it should take an almighty 22 hours, and that seems an awful long time to me. I need to plan the cooking schedule as after that's done I'll be smoking a few racks of ribs, sausages and ABTs and want everything ready for the party!
Obviously after the shoulder is done I'll be wrapping it in foil, towels & storing it in a cooler.

Temps will be between 250-275f, and I'll be following harry soos recipe and foiling after 5-7 hours.

What cook time can I expect?

Many thanks,
James.
 
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James,

I probably smoke pork butts more than anything and typically purchase in the 9 -10 pound range. I can bank on finishing the cook in the 12ish hour range. But... Your smoker temps will have a much larger factor on time than anything else. Personally, I like the 260-275 range. If you're thinking 225 degrees, 22 hours might be about right. lol
 
take chris' advice, start with all the bottom vents 100% open, then reduce to 25% open when the cooker hits 200°F. If you cook at 250, expect a 12-15 hour cook, just make sure the smoker maintains temp. I'm sure you realize you can get the ribs on while the butt finishes. I'd put the butt on top, roll the ribs on the bottom rack you have room for at 2 racks and sausages. if you get in trouble with the butt, once the bark is firm, you can foil.
 
Sorry, should have said, I'll be aiming for between 250-275f and will be following harry soos method and foiling after the bark has set. Original post has now been updated to reflect this.
 
Hey James! I'm a newbie as well. I just pulled a 10.5 pounder off my 22 WSM. I just coated with mustard and put a rub on it. I also didn't foil id-way through. Mine went about 14.5 hours and got to about 191-194. Using a long wooden skewer, I did the probe test and at those internal temps, I'd say in about 90% of the butt, it was sliding in with no resistance at all. There was a little bit in that last little section, but I figured it was maybe a leaner spot, so I just pulled it, wrapped it in foil, and it's now resting in a cooler.

Oops...forgot to add that I just went with a foiled clay saucer in water pan, and was running in the range of about 265-225. (The 225 was after I went to sleep and woke up. haha)
 
Thanks for your advice guys, there must be a point at which the general rule of x hours per pound doesn't apply. Because I cooked a 5lb cut of pork shoulder at 250 last week which took 12 hours, so cooking one twice the size in the same time goes very much against that rule. I'd be interested in the reason for this.

So just to confirm, if I allow up to 15 hours at 250-275 that should sufficient?

Thanks all.
 
James Mundy said:
So just to confirm, if I allow up to 15 hours at 250-275 that should sufficient?
Click to expand...

If I were cooking an 11 pound shoulder, given those temps & time line - I'd bet the farm on it!
Also take into account a 2-3 hour wrap/rest period after the smoke but before the pull/chop.
 
On my WSM, when I run @ 275ish a 10# or so takes 12 hrs unfoiled. Foiling speeds up the process, and those run in the 9-10 hr range. If pressed for time I'll bump it up to 300 or more when it's foiled.
Another option is to do a HH butt, those can be finished in the 5-8 hr range.

Tim
 
Chad Bman said:
...Also take into account a 2-3 hour wrap/rest period after the smoke but before the pull/chop.
Click to expand...

Why? It's not like brisket. Some of the best butts I've ever smoked rested no longer than half an hour before pulling and the bark was still crisp, but tender. All you've got to do is cook it til it's tender and then let it sit until the temp falls enough so the moisture won't go up in steam when pulling.
 
The "worst" butt I ever had, came after a 30 minute rest. *I* get much better results resting for a couple of hours. A longer rest can't hurt anything other than crisp bark. Not the same for too short of a rest.
 
Chad Bman said:
The "worst" butt I ever had, came after a 30 minute rest. *I* get much better results resting for a couple of hours. A longer rest can't hurt anything other than crisp bark. Not the same for too short of a rest.
Click to expand...

What's not to like about crisp bark? That's the reason not to foil in the first place. But you didn't answer my question. WHY do you think you get better results by holding butts in foil for so long?
 
I still get crisp delicious bark when letting mine rest in foil once off smoker I let mine rest for all the way up to 6 hours and still super hot and yes it makes a world of difference pulls way better and seems to me to come out much more moist but that's my opinion! I only put it in foil once off the smoker and in regards to an earlier post a 5 pound shoulder shouldn't take near that long I'd like at checking the accuracy of your thermometer
 
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