Cooking different sized pork butts

[danpatdav]

I have two "picnic half" pork butts, weighing in at 4 lb and a 5 lb that I am cooking tomorrow. Should I put the temp probe in the smaller one until it is done (move it to a cambro) and then migrate the probe it to the larger one until it is complete? Or should I just cook them both till the largest is ready and not worry about it?

Also, this is my first time doing pulled pork and third time using the PBC in case it matters. I am following Meatheads recipe.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

[Jerod Broussard]

How do they compare in thickness?

FYI- you have two picnics, the butt is a totally different part (upper part).

[danpatdav]

Similar in every dimensions except width..

[Jerod Broussard]

I would let them roll together. You never know, the 4lber might take longer.

[danpatdav]

How different is the picnic from the butt in terms of taste and texture?

[Jerod Broussard]

Picnic is a lot leaner, way more white meat, and can be much drier.

[CandySueQ]

Are those boneless? Picnic end of a whole shoulder (butt and picnic or whole front leg of the pig) is generally leaner than the upper part.

[LA Pork Butt]

Picnic bones look like more like ham bone and the butt bone looks like it has been sawed off and sometimes looks lik a 7 depending how it was cut and exposed.

[danpatdav]

Are those boneless? Picnic end of a whole shoulder (butt and picnic or whole front leg of the pig) is generally leaner than the upper part.

They both have a bone through the middle. Didn't capture it in the photo.

[Jerod Broussard]

Bone through the middle is a picnic. A Butt bone is on one end and can stick out from two sides, it takes up a corner.

[Skip]

danpatdav I have done several picnics. Usually I foil mine after they get to around 170-180 degrees and then take them up to around 205 degrees so that they are probe tender and pull easier. IMO you picked a nice piece of pork to smoke. Good luck-you will do just fine!

[danpatdav]

Skip I am trying to figure out when to kick this off so it is done around noon. For a 5 lb picnic, should I assume 5 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours depending on whether I wrap? Will I have to reload the PBC, or can I make it on one batch of coal?

[chudzikb]

Trying to time is tricky. Sometimes they just do not cooperate. They are done, when they are done. If you give yourself a huge cushion then throw in a cooler to rest, it is doable. If you want for an exact time, much harder.

[JeffJ]

Wrapping is your ace-in-the-hole. If you are starting to run short on time wrapping will get it up to temp pretty quickly. I usually don't wrap but when I'm short on time or the bark is pushing overdone, it's a good tool to have in some circumstances.

[danpatdav]

Thanks JeffJ. The cook petered about before noon. Never got past the stall. I reloaded the PBC half way and wrapped the them up. Things are looking up now with the temp climbing quickly.