To separate or not

[UK_CATS_FAN]

Got a 15lb pork shoulder/Boston butt from Sams yesterday and need to know thoughts on keeping it whole or separating the upper Boston from the lower picnic shoulder.  I want to smoke all of this meat at once.  Keep it whole or dissect it...thoughts?   

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[UK_CATS_FAN]

I guess I should've opened the package before asking. It was separated already, thanks for the looks.

[BedouinBob]

In that case I would separate it. 

[NDKoze]

They are actually both Boston's if they are the same as I get from Sam's.

[DivotMaker]

Yep, it's a 2-pack of Bostons - no picnics there!

[UK_CATS_FAN]

Here are pics plus pics of the bones. They look different, one is larger and shaped different.  Did I still do two Boston butts or a butt and picnic?

[NDKoze]

Your picture is ay too big to see. Try using the info intp this thread and post a smaller picture:
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1272.0

[DivotMaker]

They're both Boston butts - trust me!    Only the upper shoulder, where the Boston butt comes from, produces the T-shaped shoulder bone like those.  Picnic bones are straight, and mostly round (like a ham bone).  Definitely Boston butts.  One was just larger than the other.

[NDKoze]

The shoulder will also usually have a ball joint in there. Very different from the Boston Butt.

[UK_CATS_FAN]

Thanks folks, y'all are the masters of knowledge.  I used sugar maple this time and they both turned out yummy. So is the time formula estimate of xlbs X 1 1/2-2 hours for total meat or single pieces?  For example, do I combine weight for a total of 16 lbs of meat for 24 hours. Or 2 butts each weighing about 8lbs so that should have been approximately 12 hours smoke time.  I hope the first one because I smoked those 2 butts at 225 on the top shelf for 24 hours!  I pulled them at 194, double wrapped and cooler stored for 1 1/2 hours.  Again thanks for all the inputs and knowledge I truly appreciate it and feel it has saved me time and money.

[NDKoze]

I think it will be somewhere in between as two butts will generally take a "little" longer, but it definitely would not be double the time.

For a two-butt smoke, I usually bump the heat to 235 to account for the extra mass in the smoker. With two butts, it will take a little longer to get to temp because of the extra heat sink that is caused by two cold pieces of meat in the smoker.

[DivotMaker]

Thanks folks, y'all are the masters of knowledge.  I used sugar maple this time and they both turned out yummy. So is the time formula estimate of xlbs X 1 1/2-2 hours for total meat or single pieces?  For example, do I combine weight for a total of 16 lbs of meat for 24 hours. Or 2 butts each weighing about 8lbs so that should have been approximately 12 hours smoke time.  I hope the first one because I smoked those 2 butts at 225 on the top shelf for 24 hours!  I pulled them at 194, double wrapped and cooler stored for 1 1/2 hours.  Again thanks for all the inputs and knowledge I truly appreciate it and feel it has saved me time and money.

In my experience, the time formula is like you were doing them single, so for two 8 lb butts, I would plan 8-12 hours.  BUT, I increase temp to 235-240 to offset the cold mass, and speed the process a bit.  No ill-effects at all on the finished meat.  I keep hearing about these 24-hour smokathons, but have never experienced anything close to that!

[es1025]

thats a home run, the bones are just clean as a whistle.