I am going to do some pork butt for 200 people for the end of the month church feed. I have read several hours worth of posts and discussions and I still have some questions. My plan is to do 2X50 pound cooking sessions over the next 2 weeks. I will rub the first 50 pound batch/plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. next day I will crank up the Bradley Digital 4 rack up to 250/260 degrees and stuff as much butt as I can hopefully all 50 pounds. Then try and maintain 225 for the next 4-5 hours of smoke. I will then foil wrap the butt and finish off in the oven at constant 250 degrees for probably another 12 to 14 hours. I hope to get to 190 to 195 IT. FTC for 2 to 4 hours then pull and vacuum pack the butt and freeze. If all goes well do the same thing next week.
A couple of questions 1) well the BD4 rack handle the 40 to 50 pounds of 4 hour smoke? 2) when I foil wrap the butt to be finished off in the oven won't it get all greasy being sealed in foil and will this also prevent the bark from being formed?
PLEASE comment and point out the problems and hopefully solutions to my plan. Thanks in advance.
Will the BDS 4 rk handle 50lb?
It will hold 50 lbs, but if it is 6 butts making up 50lbs then that might not work.
Trying to maintain 225 with 50lbs of cold butt slap in at once is gonna be difficult also.
You could smoke 3 butts for 4 hrs, put in oven.
Put 3 more in Bradley, smoke those and add them to the oven.
it is 6 butts totaling 45 lbs. Would a 6 rack handle it? is it space limiting or heater limited?
W E L C O M E to the Forum Mikecosta!
The most I've been able to squeeze in my 4 rack OBS is ~32lbs. And that took about 24 hours to cook.
You don't want the butts touching the smoker walls or each other.
The 500 watt element in the Bradley just can't keep up with that much cold meat.
CRG has you on the right track with smoke -> oven.
Another thought - I'm not sure how your church kitchen is outfitted, but ours has 3 commercial convection ovens. If it was my cook, I'd take the smoker to the church, apply the smoke and then put them in the church ovens.
Well, here's a thought. Turn it around. Be warned though, I've never done it.
Put a smoker's worth of butt in the oven at 250-275. Bring them up to about 145-150 (food safety). Then stuff them into the smoker at 220 or so for smoke and to finish them off. The smoker will work better with warm meat in it. The butts will be dry when they go into the smoker and should pick up some good smoke.
As I said, just a thought.
Quote from: Mikecosta on June 14, 2010, 11:31:24 AM
it is 6 butts totaling 45 lbs. Would a 6 rack handle it? is it space limiting or heater limited?
If you decide to do it at home, I would still break it up into 2 smokes. (3 butts at a time)
Try to bring the butts close to room temp before putting them in the Bradley. (That will help
getting the temp back up.)
If your temp is holding good on the second smoke, you can leave them there till your first 3 are
done and then you can transfer them to oven.
At 250* in the oven, 3 butts may and I say may be close to being done in 12 hrs.
So if you start say 7 sat morn:
Pull the rubbed Butts (3) out of Fridge as soon as you get up.
You can have Smoker set up the night before.
Turn on both smoke gen and Bradley cabinet and start a pre heat to 250*
Ok, say you got 3 butts in by 9, at 1 they go in the oven. (4 hrs smoke is done)
About 11 take the other 3 butts and sit on counter to come to room temp.
Start next 3 at 1 or so to smoke and if you are maintaining 225 after the smoke
just let them ride in the Bradley till you have space in the oven.
I really appreciate the help. Any comment about my concern that the oven finished foil wrap butt will be greasy because it will be sitting in its cooking juices unable to drain like it would in the open smoker??
Quote from: Mikecosta on June 14, 2010, 12:16:51 PM
I really appreciate the help. Any comment about my concern that the oven finished foil wrap butt will be greasy because it will be sitting in its cooking juices unable to drain like it would in the open smoker??
I have done it this way, it was not greasy. However, if you are concerned, simply put the butt on an inverted Bradley rack on a pan with sides to catch the grease.
I'm not concerned if you have had the experience and it wasn't greasy. It is alot easier to just foil it and throw it in the oven.
why is there a problem of packing the smoker with a lot of butt (50 lbs) for the smoking period of 4 hours. I understand that it will be difficult or impossible to get the temp up to 220/230 with that much butt, but I thought the objective was to expose the butt to the smoke and the oven will handle the real cooking.
Rack space and the height of the Butts.
No one said you can't, just said I don't think you can get that much in there.
Try it! If it fits, go for it!
Mike, it's not just oven temp it's the ability to supply and transfer heat to the meat or load in the oven. At 500 watts (5 100 watt lightbulbs or a weak hair drier) the Bradleys don't have a lot of heat to transfer. Suggest you listen to CRG - he's been there and done it, many times, as has FLBR.
My suggestion - use the Bradley to smoke at the front end for four hours, then roast in the home oven, do 3 butts at a time, one load in a day (otherwise you will back up). The cooked butts will freeze and keep wonderfully well.
When you get to the oven stage I suggest you use a Bradley racks inverted in a disposable aluminum roasting pans - roast them uncovered at 240-250 °F until done (IT = 190 -200 °F). When they're done take 'em out and cover the pans with foil and allow to rest covered for 1-2 hours. When you remove them you can lower your oven temp to whatever it will hold in the 150-170 range and put the foil covered pans back in the warm oven during the rest. When the first round is done then start the next, or give it a day of rest.
Doing it this way should give you marvelous smokey pork, ready for the pull. As I have outlined it it will take you 2 rounds over ~2 days to do 6 butts.
As far as your last question, I guess if you could cram six butts in you could get smoke on them, but then you will likely have a challenge on the home oven front unless you have multiple ovens to work with.
Mike,
I have done lots of butts starting out in the smoker and transferring to the house oven. I have never wrapped one in foil. Just don't see the need to. In my opinion it may lessen the amount of bark if they are foiled as there will be moisture and steam being given off that can't be dispersed.
I have to tell you trying to feed 200 out of a Bradley is the most ambitious thing I have ever heard. I admire your willingness to do it. I wouldn't have the courage. In a Traeger or a MAK I would do it in a heartbeat.
Good luck my friend.
thanks for the help and support. I hope I don't sound to pushy or arrogant I am just trying to absorb and understand. I am a little scared and overwhelmed by the task ahead of me but looking forward to implementing all the suggestions.
Nothing pushy or arrogant sounding to me. You asking for advice and information is all I heard. Good luck and let us know if we can help in any way.
Quote from: Mikecosta on June 14, 2010, 01:49:44 PM
thanks for the help and support. I hope I don't sound to pushy or arrogant I am just trying to absorb and understand. I am a little scared and overwhelmed by the task ahead of me but looking forward to implementing all the suggestions.
Mike, I too admire your willingness to do what you are doing.
Sounds like fun to me!
But it is very doable over two weekends.
If you want to start on a Friday nite, you can go heavy the first weekend. Maybe 4 butts at a time.
If you want to talk to me live about a plan for what you want to do, I will be glad to pm you my #.
You can do it, and We can help!
That's incredible generosity of your time. I feel much better about the plan especially going real hard at it this weekend with the smoke then the oven. I will gain a lot of experience and it will help for the second round. We started this thing for the church doing 200 lbs of deep fried chicken (about 400 pieces) once we mastered that we said let's do pulled pork. I find it incredible that people are so generous with their help and so willing to pass on thier knowledge. Thanks again.
Everyone on the forum is here to both learn and help when possible Mike.
I want to see some pics of this endeavor. :D
Mike, that's the beauty of these forums. The experienced here (not me - I'm a rookie) want you to be successful and they are very giving. Have a question or puzzled? Ask and you'll get answers. It is a real community of caring people helping each other .
And ArnieM is right - must supply pics of this massive endeavour.
BLSH, I think you're a ringer. You know too much to be a rookie. ;D
After reading all the way down I have to say there are many hours of experience being talked about and it's helpful too me and many others I'm sure. I can see a plan coming together if it were me so about all I can say is good luck and PICS are good!
Quote from: ArnieM on June 14, 2010, 06:35:05 PM
BLSH, I think you're a ringer. You know too much to be a rookie. ;D
8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
A rookie in the Bradley smoker world, but I have been cooking for a while.
Sometimes a picture is worth a bunch.
This is ~32lbs of pork. I put them in this way since putting them one on a rack for four racks, there is not enough clearance between racks, and you end up with one solid column of meat. The surface to mass ratio of a butt is minimal at best , so sacrificing the top and bottom is not an option for me.
(http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/flbentrider/bradley/DSCN5769.jpg)
I don't see any way to get 18 more pounds of butt in there and be able to get the door closed. ;D
Similar to BLSH I have cooking experience but not butt for 200 people. The large quantity really presents different challenges. You don't want to do trail and error with all that butt.
That's a great pic. I agree I don' see how you could get anymore butt crammed in the Bradley. Could you get 2 more butts in a 6 rack?
Quote from: Mikecosta on June 14, 2010, 07:01:03 PM
That's a great pic. I agree I don' see how you could get anymore butt crammed in the Bradley. Could you get 2 more butts in a 6 rack?
Probably ....... Butt can you put 6 butts in your oven?
Yes I can get 6 butts in the oven. It is 19d X 28w X 13h. Pull I have another smaller oven half the width.
Do u have access to a 6rk Bradley?
Yes. I can get my hands on a 6 rack.
Well u seen the way FLBR stacked his in a 4rk.
It might work for the 4 hrs of smoking.
I agree. it looks like it could be a match. 6 rack for 6 butts of 40+ lbs of 4 hour smoke and then transfer the load to the oven to finish until IT of 195.
Mike,
I think you've got this! If you have access to a 6 rack and then have access to oven space to cook those butts at 225 degrees after 4 hours of HICKORY smoke on those butts you can so pull this off. Light that Bradley up hot as you can get it. It's going to take time to load all those butts in the Bradley. Heat in the tower will be gone. Bricks will certainly help in recovery.
Way to go Mike. Great plan and more importantly great bunch of folks to be feeding.
I will brick it and will boiling water in the drip pan work? I will also load the racks and play with the configuration of the butts the day before. The practice loading will be fun.
The boiling water in the drip pan can certainly help. I always do it.
Boiling hot water in the water bowl won't hurt! I'm sure you know this but take those butts out of the frig at least an hour before they're going in the Bradley. The colder they are going in, the longer it will take for the temp in the tower to start coming back up.
You can do this.
I intended to bring the butts to room temp 60/70 degrees. I have a thermopen instant read temp gauge.
Mike,
You 100% know what you're doing. Enjoy the ride. This will be a great experience.
Have fun and let us know and see the results.
OK MIKE, LISTEN!
We (the Forum) have had several several people come and ask for advise on a LARGE
smoke like this.
We (the Forum ... not me! ;D ) are visual people.
I (I mean they, them) like pics of massive amounts of smoked goodies!
So do you know how to post a pic?
Here let me help you.
Try this link to get your pictures going.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showpost.php?p=768&postcount=11
A question about the end of the plan:
Are you planning to pull the pork before you freeze it? I've read opinions recently from people who have tried it both ways, and I think pulling it beforehand was preferred, but I'm not sure what the reasoning was. Something to consider while you're finalizing your plan.
I plan on pulling before I freeze. I saw this device called a Ro-man pork puller that fits into an electric drill that really pulls a 8 lb butt in less than a minute with no problems. I ordered it over the weekend and they shipped it today should have it by Wednesday. Will FTC for a couple of hours then pull then shrink wrap and freeze. Should I sauce a little in the shrink wrap? Seems it would help the reheat.
Quote from: Mikecosta on June 14, 2010, 08:45:26 PM
I plan on pulling before I freeze. I saw this device called a Ro-man pork puller that fits into an electric drill that really pulls a 8 lb butt in less than a minute with no problems. I ordered it over the weekend and they shipped it today should have it by Wednesday. Will FTC for a couple of hours then pull then shrink wrap and freeze. Should I sauce a little in the shrink wrap? Seems it would help the reheat.
Here's a video of squirtthecat and hal using that pork puller this weekend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqr86SGrWY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqr86SGrWY)
Question Mike.
have you decided what rub you are going to use?
If so, when you use the robo puller you can sprinkle a little rub in as you pull it.
Shrink wrap and freeze, then sauce (?) when you warm them.
You got it going!
I am going to use the blk pep/paprika/brown sug/ salt/ cayenne/garlic powder/ dry mustard rub. Will use yellow mustard first so that rub sticks. I will take pictures and post.
The you tube ro-man puller link didn't work but I hAve seen the demo when I purchased the puller and it was awesome.
Actualy if you are gonna pull it first, no shrink wrap.
Freeze bags and push as much air out as you can before zipping the sealer.
The link just worked for me so I wonder what error you are getting? Firewall block?
When I hit the link it says no you tube available.
CCG why no vacuum wrap? I usually just take the foodsaver vacuum pulled sealed bags and float them in boiling water to reheat things. If I pre sauce before freezing then I would re-heat the sealed bags and retain all the juices.
Quote from: Mikecosta on June 14, 2010, 08:45:26 PM
I plan on pulling before I freeze. I saw this device called a Ro-man pork puller that fits into an electric drill that really pulls a 8 lb butt in less than a minute with no problems. I ordered it over the weekend and they shipped it today should have it by Wednesday. Will FTC for a couple of hours then pull then shrink wrap and freeze. Should I sauce a little in the shrink wrap? Seems it would help the reheat.
If shrink wrap is vac pak then that is good.
If you have access to a 4 rack and a 6 rack and a vac seal and multi ovens ...
then you probably know what's going on.
I've cooked my whole life but as you know doing it for such a large quantity changes everything. Especially smoking and cooking something like butt. There will be some things to be done by feel and luckily butt should be a pretty forgiving cut of meat. There is no substitute for experience and I can' t wait to get it done.
Quote from: DarqMan on June 14, 2010, 08:55:15 PM
Quote from: Mikecosta on June 14, 2010, 08:45:26 PM
I plan on pulling before I freeze. I saw this device called a Ro-man pork puller that fits into an electric drill that really pulls a 8 lb butt in less than a minute with no problems. I ordered it over the weekend and they shipped it today should have it by Wednesday. Will FTC for a couple of hours then pull then shrink wrap and freeze. Should I sauce a little in the shrink wrap? Seems it would help the reheat.
Here's a video of squirtthecat and hal using that pork puller this weekend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqr86SGrWY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBqr86SGrWY)
Oh yeah, that Pork Puller flat out rocks. We had 4 butts in the bottom of that turkey fryer, and it went through them lickety split. We added a bit more spices and a vinegar baed sauce from Paducah, KY during the mix.
I don't think you'll want to add too much sauce, or it will get soupy.
Yep, the Pork Puller flat out rocks! It performs exactly as advertised. Great tool.