I'll be smoking 3(8lb pork butts) at once, and just wondering if it will still take an average 1.5hr per lb. And what would be a good starting temp to crust the outside and a final temp to get the pork to pull apart?
I'm smoking my first shoulder this weekend. Can't wait. In the past, I've smoked 2 briskets at once, 9 racks of baby backs at once, and a brisket with 3 racks of ribs at once. It seems to Me that it cooks relatively equal. Meaning its more about the total weight of that 1 piece than the weight of total pieces, but I do hear shoulders are a league of their own. Post your results...
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Smoking Three 8 Pound Butts by: SmokerBill
Pork butts can be notorious for taking a long time to smoke. The internal temperature often hits a plateau, then just sits there for what seems like hours before starting to rise again. It may be that the large pockets of internal fat are absorbing all the heat.
Depending on the type of smoker you're using, it may take more than 1-1/2 hours - times 8 - to smoke the three butts. The three butts will be absorbing a lot of heat, so the temperature rise will be slower unless your smoker can crank out the heat. Just to make sure they get done in a reasonable amount of time, I'd try to run my smoker at between 250-275 degrees if possible.
Many consider it cheating, but to speed up cooking, the butts can be wrapped in foil after they've gotten a good dose of smoke flavor, say after the first 4 or 5 hours of smoking. They could even be transferred to your oven indoors, and finish them off at 300 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 195 degrees or so. Or until the meat is fall apart tender.
