225°F is the sweet spot for pork shoulder

Yes. 225°F to 250°F. That’s the range. Don’t overthink it.

The science is simple: pork shoulder has a ton of collagen and fat. Low heat gives time for collagen to break down into gelatin without drying out the meat. That’s the difference between pulled pork and shoe leather. 225°F is slow enough to get a deep smoke ring and a good bark, but not so slow that you’re sitting there all night.

On a charcoal grill, temperature control is the real challenge. You’re not an electric smoker. You’ll swing. That’s fine. Stay between 225 and 275. Don’t panic if it creeps to 260 for an hour. Panic if it hits 300 for an hour. Use the snake method or a slow–burn setup with a water pan to stabilize. Vents are your friends.

One hot take: I’ve done shoulders at 275°F plenty of times. You lose a little bark quality, you gain a few hours. If you’re impatient and hungry, 275 works. But 225 is the textbook answer for a reason—better smoke absorption, better texture.

Set the grill, go to bed, wake up to a pork shoulder that shreds with a fork. That’s the goal.