{"id":3967,"date":"2021-10-16T08:57:33","date_gmt":"2021-10-16T00:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meatsmokinghq.com\/?p=3967"},"modified":"2023-04-13T21:36:51","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T13:36:51","slug":"what-temp-to-smoke-pork-butt-we-look-at-the-4-most-common-temperatures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meatsmokinghq.com\/what-temp-to-smoke-pork-butt-we-look-at-the-4-most-common-temperatures\/","title":{"rendered":"What Temp To Smoke Pork Butt? Set Your Smoker To These Temperatures"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As with all low and slow cooking, temperature will make or break your pork butt. I wanted to know how some of the world\u2019s best pitmasters smoke pork butt, so I did some research to find the ideal cooking temperatures and techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The standard temperature for smoking pork butt is between 225\u00b0F and 250\u00b0F, however, you can go as high as 275\u00b0F. At these temperatures, the pork butt will take between 1 to 1.5 hours per pound. The cooking temperature depends on the size of the meat, and the average pork butt weights between 6 to 10 pounds.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pork Butt at 225\u00b0F. <\/strong>The standard temperature for low and slow cooking is 225\u00b0F. You don\u2019t want to go any lower than this temperature because it will place the meat close to what the USDA calls the \u201cDanger Zone\u201d for microbial growth. At 220\u00b0F, the meat is safe to sit on the grill and cook all day and night, slowly breaking down all the fat and connective tissue in the meat, resulting in tender, juicy pork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 225\u00b0F Equals More Smoke. <\/strong>The low 225\u00b0F temperature will also ensure the pork butt will have plenty of time to absorb smoke. If you were to cook at a higher temperature, the meat would spend less time in the smoker and therefore have less smoke flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moist Pork Guaranteed @ 225\u00b0F. <\/strong>The problem when cooking at higher temperatures is moisture will escape, causing dry pork.The benefit of a 225\u00b0F pork butt is it will be tender and juicy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tender Pork Guaranteed @ 225\u00b0F. <\/strong>Pork shoulder contains a lot of collagen, so if we cook it too fast, it will be chewy. The collagen needs hours upon hours at a low temperature in order to break down. The result of rendered collagen is a delicious gelatin like texture with unbelievable flavor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pork Butt at 225\u00b0F – How Long Will It Take?<\/strong> I\u2019ve heard all kinds of time frames for smoking pork butt at 225\u00b0F. The most accurate I\u2019ve found is 1.5 hours per pound. Obviously, the total cook time will depend on the size of the meat, but other techniques such as wrapping and spritzing will also come into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pork butts vary in size, but you will find they weigh between 6 to 10 pounds. A pork butt weighing 6 pounds will probably take around 8 to 9 hours at 225\u00b0F. A larger 10 pound pork butt at 225\u00b0F can take anywhere between 12 to 15 hours. For a more on this, check out : How Long Does It Take To Smoke Pork Butt? We Break It Down For You.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a pellet grill or an electric smoker, 225\u00b0F is a good temperature to cook your pork butt overnight. Pellet grills and electric smokers produce less smoke than charcoal or wood smokers, so the low 225F temperature is a way to expose the meat to smoke for a longer period. I\u2019m not a fan of overnight cooks, mainly because I don\u2019t like leaving any of my smokers unattended. However, if you have a safe setup, leaving your pork butt overnight at 225\u00b0F is a good option. For more information on this subject, check out this article: The Overnight Cook-Finishing In The Oven.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wrapping the pork butt in the second half of the cook can take an hour off the cooking time. When you wrap the pork in foil, heat gets trapped inside the foil package and the meat will begin to almost steam. An unwrapped pork butt will take much longer to cook, and may get stuck in the stall for hours. The other problem with an unwrapped pork butt is it may become over-smoked, which will make the meat taste bitter. You also might be interested in this article: Paper vs Foil- Which Wrap Is Best?<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\nTemperature<\/th> Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> Less than 225\u00b0F<\/td> Meat may be in the “Danger Zone” for microbial growth, may not be tender and juicy<\/td><\/tr> 225\u00b0F<\/td> Tender, juicy pork with plenty of smoke flavor<\/td><\/tr> More than 225\u00b0F<\/td> Moisture may escape, resulting in dry pork<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Key Points<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Different Temperatures To Smoke Pork Butt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cooking Overnight At 225\u00b0F<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Wrapping – Speed Up The Cook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n