Picture this: tender, smoky goodness so irresistible it practically melts in your mouth. Now, imagine taking smoked pork butt and transforming it into mouthwatering pulled pork on the Traeger grill. With our help, you’ll learn how to make every batch of food taste just right, with the right amount of smoky flavor and juicy tenderness.
Title: How Long To Smoke a 6 Pound Pork Butt: A Step-By-Step Guide
Smoking a juicy, tender pork butt is a rewarding experience for any backyard pitmaster. But getting consistent results requires knowing how long to smoke a pork butt based on its size and other factors. In this guide, I’ll walk through everything you need to know to smoke a perfect 6 pound pork butt.
Pork butt, also known as Boston butt or pork shoulder is a flavorful and affordable cut that’s ideal for pulling shredding, or chopping. With the right technique, you can achieve competition-worthy smoked pork butt right in your own backyard.
The total cook time for a 6 pound pork butt will vary based on a few key factors:
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Cooking temperature – Lower temperature of 225°F will take longer while 250°F will reduce cook time
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Bone-in or boneless – Bone-in will take a little longer to cook through.
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Shape and thickness – Flat evenly shaped butts will cook faster than oddly shaped ones.
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Type of smoker – Offset, kettle, pellet, etc. all maintain different temperatures.
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Ambient temperature/weather conditions – Colder or windy days will increase cook time.
The Basic Timeline
For a 6 pound bone-in pork butt smoked at 225°F in a standard offset smoker under normal conditions, you can expect approximately:
- 1 hour per pound unwrapped = 6 hours
- 1.5 hours per pound wrapped = 9 hours
- 1 hour rest time
That’s a total of around 16 hours from start to finish if cooking unwrapped the entire time.
Wrapping in foil at the stall around 160°F internal temp will accelerate cooking and reduce time to around 10-12 hours. I recommend wrapping to push through the stall faster while still getting moist, tender meat.
The most foolproof method is cooking by temperature, not time. Use a good digital meat thermometer to track the internal temp of the pork and determine when it’s done.
Step-By-Step Guide
Follow these steps for perfectly smoked pork butt every time:
1. Trim and Prepare Pork Butt
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Trim off any excess fat or skin. Leave about 1⁄4 inch of the fat cap.
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Inject pork butt with apple juice, broth, or other liquid.
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Coat evenly with your favorite pork rub.
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Allow meat to come up to room temp before smoking.
2. Set Up Smoker forIndirect Cooking
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For charcoal smokers, bank lit coals on one side.
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For electric, gas, or pellet smokers, no special setup needed.
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Add wood chunks, chips, or pellets for smokey flavor.
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Heat smoker to 225-250°F.
3. Place Pork Butt in Smoker Fat-Side Up
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Put pork fat-side up on opposite side from heat source.
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Insert probe thermometer into thickest part of meat, avoiding bone.
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Maintain even temperature around 225-250°F.
4. Smoke Until Bark Sets
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Allow bark to set untouched for first 3-4 hours.
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Spritz with apple juice/cider vinegar after bark sets.
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Smoke until internal temp reaches 160°F.
5. Wrap Pork Butt in Foil or Paper
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Double wrap pork butt in foil or butcher paper at 160°F.
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Pour in 1⁄2 cup apple juice/broth before wrapping.
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Return to smoker, fat-side up.
6. Cook Until 205°F Internal Temp
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Continue cooking wrapped pork butt until 205°F.
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This should take around 1.5 hours per pound.
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Use a probe thermometer, not time, to gauge doneness.
7. Rest Pork Butt for 1 Hour
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Remove pork butt from smoker once it hits 205°F.
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Wrap in towel and place in a dry cooler to rest for 1 hour.
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This allows juices to redistribute for moist, juicy meat.
8. Shred, Chop, or Slice
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Use bear claws, forks, or your hands to shred or pull pork.
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Chop or slice pork butt for sandwiches.
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Mix in your favorite bbq sauce to taste.
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Enjoy!
Troubleshooting
If your pork butt cook time is shorter or longer than expected, here are some common issues and solutions:
Problem: Pork butt stalls around 150-170°F.
Solution: Wrap in foil to power through the stall. Spritz with apple juice before wrapping.
Problem: Pork butt is cooking too fast.
Solution: Lower heat to 225°F. Cook to temperature not time.
Problem: Pork butt takes much longer than planned.
Solution: Raise heat to 250°F. Check for water pan or weather issues.
Problem: Pork butt exterior is dry.
Solution: Did you trim fat cap too thin? Try injecting and spritzing more.
Choosing the Right Pork Butt
I recommend choosing a bone-in pork butt around 6 pounds for the best results. Go smaller for faster cooks and larger for feeding a crowd. Bone-in yields more flavor.
Look for good marbling throughout the meat. Select a butt that’s evenly shaped without lots of ridges or crevices that can lead to uneven cooking.
For smoked pulled pork, choose a fresh pork butt, not pre-frozen. Injection and rub will penetrate better into fresh meat.
Make sure to start defrosting frozen butts well in advance. Place in fridge 2-3 days before smoking to fully thaw.
Additional Tips and Advice
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Use an accurate digital thermometer. Get one with a probe that stays in the meat and connects wirelessly to a handheld display.
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Maintain steady heat between 225-250°F for optimal results.
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Keep the smoker’s water pan full to regulate temps.
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Let rest for at least 1 hour upon removing from smoker.
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Save the bone after cooking pork butt for making smoked ham beans, soups, or broth.
Smoking pork perfection requires patience. With the proper techniques and temperature monitoring, you can nail juicy, flavorful pulled pork butt every time no matter the size. Stick to the timeline outlined here and you’ll master smoking 6 pound pork butts in your own backyard.
Keep It Low and Slow
When you smoke pork butt, the cooking temperature depends on how long you have to really love and smoke the pork. If you have the time, 225°F is an excellent sweet spot for low-and-slow cooked pork butt. At this temperature, you can also use Super Smoke if your Traeger has that capability. You can cook it at 225°F the whole time, or after a few hours of speed cooking, you can raise the smoked pork butt.
Use a Meat Thermometer
Pulled porks best friend is a good meat thermometer. If your cook is going to take hours, a leave-in thermometer like the MEATER wireless meat thermometer is the best way to keep track of the meat’s temperature in real time. You can check on it from your phone.
How to Smoke Pork Butt / How to Make Pulled Pork Recipe
How long do you cook pork butt in a smoker?
When the pork butt reaches 165°F (74°C) or when the color is perfect (about 3 hours), remove meat from smoker and wrap in a double layer of heavy duty foil. Place pork butt back onto 300°F (149°C) smoker and continue to cook for 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 205°F (96°C).
How long do you smoke a rubbed pork butt?
Place the rubbed pork butt on the smoker and cook until you reach an internal temperature of 165 ºF. This will take 5-6 hours. If you’re s moking a on a charcoal grill, rotate your meat and grate after 2 hours and 45 minutes. Smoked pork butt at 165 ºF after 5.5 hours unwrapped
How long should you smoke a pork shoulder?
The most important thing to know about smoking any type of meat is that you should smoke them to temp, not just by time. With that said, the general guideline is 90 minutes of smoking time at 225°F per pound for pork shoulder or butt. First things first: are a pork shoulder and a pork butt 2 different cuts? Well, they’re often the same cut of meat!
How long does it take to smoke pulled pork?
It will take about 5-7 hours to smoke a five- to six-pound pork butt on a Traeger (or other smoker), depending on the size of the butt. What is the internal temp of pulled pork? The pork butt will be done cooking when the internal temperature reads 195-205˚F (90-96˚C). Let the pork cool slightly, then shred it using two forks into pulled pork.