How many pork butts is too many? On the Giant Huntsman®, you may never find out.
In this cook, Jeremiah from Spider Grills loads two Spellbound-rubbed pork butts onto the 26-inch Giant Huntsman®, sets the Venom® to 225°F, and leaves the house for the day. He runs errands, visits friends across town, and checks on the cook from the Spider Grills app, then comes home to pulled pork ready for game day. It’s proof that great barbecue doesn’t mean standing by the smoker all day.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10–12 hours
Grill temperature: 225°F
Internal temperature: About 203°F (probe tender)
Yield: About 24–30 servings
Ingredients for Smoked Pork Butts
- 2 pork butts, about 8–9 lb each
- Lane’s BBQ Spellbound seasoning
Equipment and Fuel
- Spider Grills Giant Huntsman®
- Venom® temperature controller
- NextLevel Cooking System with both ceramic heat deflectors
- Lump charcoal
- 1 wood chunk (hickory works well)
- Meat probe
- Spider Grills app
How to Smoke Pork Butts on the Giant Huntsman®
1. Season the Pork
Place each pork butt in its own dish and cover it all over with Lane’s Spellbound seasoning.
2. Load the Grill
Fill the Giant Huntsman® with lump charcoal and add a wood chunk for smoky flavor.
3. Set Up for Indirect Heat
Install the NextLevel Cooking System with both ceramic heat deflectors. Using both spreads the heat evenly across the whole grill, so every part of each pork butt cooks at the same rate.
4. Set the Temperature
Set the Venom® to 225°F.
5. Start the Cook
Place both pork butts on the grate, insert a probe into the thickest part of one, and close the lid.
6. Go Live Your Life
Monitor the cook from the Spider Grills app. The Venom® holds your temperature automatically, so there’s no need to stay by the grill.
7. Cook Until Probe Tender
Cook until the pork reaches about 203°F internal and a probe slides in with no resistance. For two 8–9 lb butts, plan on roughly 10–12 hours.
8. Rest
Pull the pork, wrap it, and let it rest for at least 1 hour.
9. Shred and Serve
Shred the pork and serve it however you like: on sandwiches, in tacos, or straight off the cutting board.
Tips for the Best Smoked Pork Butt
Cook to tenderness, not time. Every pork butt is different. When a probe slides in like butter, it’s ready, whether that’s at hour 9 or hour 13.
Use both heat deflectors. On a kettle-style grill, two deflectors keep the heat even from edge to edge, which matters when you’re cooking more than one piece of meat.
Don’t skip the rest. Wrapping and resting for at least an hour lets the juices settle and makes shredding easier.
Scale up. The Giant Huntsman® has room for about four pork butts, so feeding a bigger crowd doesn’t take a bigger grill.
Why Smoke on the Giant Huntsman®?
The Giant Huntsman® takes everything people love about the original Huntsman® and makes it bigger. It’s a 26-inch kettle kamado that combines the high-heat versatility of a kettle with the heat retention of a kamado. Pair it with the Venom®, and you get true set-it-and-forget-it smoking: the Venom® manages the airflow to hold your target temperature, and the Spider Grills app lets you check in from anywhere. Long cooks like pork butt become the easiest thing you make all weekend.
How Much Pulled Pork Do I Need?
Pork butt loses roughly 40–50% of its weight during a long smoke. Two 8–9 lb pork butts yield about 8–10 lb of pulled pork, enough for roughly 24–30 servings at ⅓ lb per person. For a bigger party, the Giant Huntsman® can fit about four pork butts at once.
Smoked Pork Butt FAQs
What temperature should I smoke a pork butt at?
225°F is a classic low-and-slow temperature that gives the fat and connective tissue time to render.
What internal temperature is pork butt done?
For pulled pork, aim for about 203°F, when the meat is probe tender and shreds easily.
How long does it take to smoke two pork butts?
Cooking two butts doesn’t double the time; each one cooks at its own pace. Plan on roughly 10–12 hours at 225°F for 8–9 lb butts, and go by temperature and tenderness rather than the clock.
Can I leave my grill unattended while smoking?
With a temperature controller like the Venom®, the grill holds its temperature automatically, and the Spider Grills app lets you monitor the cook remotely. Always follow your grill’s safety guidelines.
What’s the best wood for smoking pork butt?
Hickory is a classic pairing with pork. Apple and cherry are great for a milder, slightly sweet smoke.
