I am a teacher at a public school and each Friday a different group brings in yummies for the lounge. My group is set on BBQ. I am smoking 20 pounds of pork butt for sandwiches. I just read I should allow one and half hours per pound. Is this right? Am I looking at 30 hours of cooking time? If I want this to be FTC ing Friday morning I will have to get these on early Thursday morning. Is my BS digital 4 rack going to handle it? Should I smoke them in the BS and then transfer to the gas oven? Still a pot of water in the oven?
Thanks for the help.
Wow! You are taking on an ambitious project. When I smoke, my times are all over the place, so I don't want to venture in guessing. IceRat4, could probably answer this question more accurately. The 1.5 hours per pound is a general guide line, but it is based on times use by charcoal/wood smokers. Also it is generally based on one cut of meat. With the BS there are so many variables, one of the biggest is the slow recovery times after the meat has been loaded. The larger the load, the longer it takes to get back up to your set temperature. So prior to smoke/cooking, leave those butts at room temperature for at least one hour; no more than two, and preheat the BS 25°F-50°F higher then you plan to smoke at.
How many butts are there in that 20 pound? I have done two butts on a few occasions, each butt averages around 7 pounds. I only bring my butts up to 175°F; and the 14 pound loads took anywhere between 18-22 hours. If you are going for the traditional 185°F, you are looking at much longer times.
It seems like you have the refrigerator space, so it may be better to smoke the butts well in advance, pull them and store them in one gallon zip lock bags, and reheat the meat on Friday. Finishing off in the oven is also a good idea. The water would not be necessary. If you have concerns of the meat drying out, you can wrap the butts in heavy duty aluminum foil.
I recommend doing it in advance like Habs said. If you have a vacuum sealer then go that route because you can simply toss it in to boiling water for awhile and presto. Also it will be impossible to dry out in the fridg. Additionally, this is a perfect way to freeze. :)
p ho low... yous knows thats them there udder techers is gonna expects some of yourn q on a reglar basis now...
yous gotts toos eats...
owrstrich
I have done about 16 lbs. before divided into two. Habs is right, preheat higher than you want to cook. If you are talking about three separate butts, then the 1.5 hrs per lb would not apply, because you have a much higher surface area to weight ratio. If each butt is say 7 lbs. you can probably count on 2x7, so 14 hrs., but I would start a lot earlier than that just to be sure. Rotate the racks every couple of hours. Remember if you are cooking items in an oven, you don't double the cooking time when you double the recipe. If you had one butt that weighed 20lbs then you may be looking at 30hrs., but that would be one big butt ;D. BTW, I could be way off base here, I am just going off of experience.
Malc
Here is my weeekend pulled pork deal
2@7-8 lbs. Boston Butt – bone-in
1 Large Bottle Yellow Mustard
2 Bottles of Grill Mates Pork Rub
1 Bottle of Apple Juice and Spray Bottle
1 Box of Tin Foil
1 Box of Cling Wrap
Internal Temperature Gage
Thursday
1. Slather yellow mustard all over Pork Butt
2. Coat Butt with Pork rub
3. Wrap in Cling Wrap plastic
4. Put in fridge over night
Friday at around 4:00p.m.
1. Remove butt from fridge and remove wrap; coat butt with more Pork Rub
2. Let butt sit 1-2 hours at room temperature
3. Start the smoker with 4-5 hours of whatever smoke you will use
4. Place butt on middle shelf
5. Make sure the slider is all the way to the right on high with top vent open all of the way. Shut the door and wait until the butt has been smoked for 3 hours
6. Open the door and check the water in the bowl; fill bowl with water if needed.
7. When the butt has been smoked for 3 hours, spray apple juice all over the butt.
8. when smoke is done at the 4-5 hour mark, put new water in the bowl and then spray the apple juice on the butt again.
9. Shut door and GO TO BED!!
10. At around 7-8 a.m., check the temperature. If it is not 195 degrees, do not remove. Spray some more apple juice on the butt and wait until it reaches 195 degrees
11. When the temp reaches 195 degrees, remove the butt from the smoker and spray again with apple juice. Then wrap it in foil and place a dishtowel or regular towel around it and place in a cooler or microwave.
12. Wait at least two hours to take the butt out of the foil and remove the fat.
13. READY TO EAT!! Hope this helps out its a sure deal ive done about 50 or so this way and no problem a sure bet.
here are some pics
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i138/icerat4/DSC00020.jpg)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i138/icerat4/DSC00010.jpg)
hope this helps its a proven winner here.
I have done this two times now. One was about 16 lbs and another was just above 19 lbs.
What I got was Cryovac Butts from the store, it was two butts with fat cap and bone in.
I did them up a week before the event so I had time ot make it up and plan for all else, rolls, sauce, and warm up.
Since these were for parties at some one else location one no stove one the stove was needed for baking goods. So Crook pot(s) was the warm up and worked the best. For the 19lb solution, two crocks was required. the 16lb, one crock packed solid was enough.
When I cooked them I deboned them myself. Those cuts in the butts allowed a less the 1.5 hr cook time to more of a 1.15 or 1.25 cook time.
The 16 lb was done in 18 hrs and the 19+lb was done in just under 24hrs.
Reheated it was nice and consistent and perfect.
As Malc indicated, exposed surface area makes one heck of a difference than just plain weight. When I did not d-bone the meat the cook time was indeed longer (not to much) but I did not like the taste and color of the meat around the bone.
Good luck.
Thanks for the help!
I have 3 7 pounders.
Icerat4- Thanks for recipe and time table. I will start them marinating today cuz they gotta be ready for lunch on Friday. I will head home early on Thursday and get them in about 3:30.
Am I doing too many butts? I figure enough for about 40 peeps to have a sandwich. Maybe I am not doing enough? Best get to the marinate. Don't where to get the rub so I will make one up. The mustard I can find. For the rub I figure salt, pepper, garlic, chipotle (smoked jalapenos), ....? What would I be missing?
I will take pics. Yours look great!
I like salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. True meat flavor!
Hab.-
I am a little nervous that they won't be done early Friday morn. so I will take your and others advise and start it late tomorrow morning. I have a remote thermometer so it can tell me when we have reached 195°. I will have to get up to FTC them but they will be done for sure. I might luck out and they will be done early Friday morn, 3ish, FTC till I get to school at 8, pull apart and put in warm crock pot. The aroma will drive them nuts. My leftovers from the night before usually do anyway.
I went to Whole Foods and asked them for some rub. They sold me a pile and said it was Sea Salt, Garlic, Onion, black pepper and white pepper. I added about four tablespoons chipotle. I had to marinate four, one for us for the weekend. My wife would have been mad if I didn't do us one as well.
My mouth is watering already.
(http://www.smileypad.com/v224/Feelings/Victory.gif)
Looks like you are well on you way.
I know I'm a little late in responding to this, but I generally don't add any additional smoke flavorings to my rubs, or use a sauce that has a smoke flavoring to it. I just want the smoke flavor I'm using to come through. Let me know how the chipotle works out. That sounds interesting. Though chipotle has a smokey flavor, I may add it to the following rub recipe and take out the Cayenne pepper.
Here is my favorite rub:
The Renowned Mr. Brown
1/4 cup Black Pepper, fresh cracked
1/4 cup Paprika
1 /4 cup Turbinado Sugar or Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp. Salt, Kosher
2 tsp. Mustard, dry
1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
(Makes enough for one 6 - 8 lb. Boston Butt)
Thanks Hab Smoker for the rub recipe. Does the Paprika give flavor or mostly color?
I will certainly let you know how this comes out. I just put them in the BS using Hickory and Mesquite alternating. My wife is in charge through out the day til I get home. The neighborhood is going to be smelling good!
I use Spanish paparika; it has little flavor and is mainly to aid in the development of the bark and color.
Now going on 10 and a half hours and it is has been holding steady at 153° for about an hour. I am getting ready to rotate the racks and spritz again. Every three hours I do this.
Should I have the vent all the way closed at this point?
I would never close the vent. I normally keep mine around half to 3/4 open.
Thanks for that Wildcat, I opened it to half, it had been about 1/4 open all day and only closed the last hour.
Be extra sure not to close the vent during the smoking portion. The sticky smoke can really ruin the puck advance. I would imagine the moisture does not help it either.
Nice to see you post again Parish,
Wildcat has you dialed in.
I will run the temp probe cords through the vent opening and that ensures my minimum opening will at least be maintained. Most of the time I run about 1/4 to 1/2 open without any backups of smoke into the Generator. As Wilcat stated, sticky smoke and moisture, especially backing up into the smoke gen, is not a good thing.
Yea, I knew about not letting the smoke get into the generator but wondered about while cooking. It has been almost two hours now without the internal prob temp going up! Should I not move the racks around? Plenty of water in the pot.
How many racks of meat and how many rack BS is it? The more you open the door the more recovery time is needed. It would also depend on how much variation in temp there is. I would suspect by now the temperatures inside the box are pretty even in comparison to when the meat is below 145 deg or so.
Keep in mind that the meat temp will stall for awhile while the fat renders. May even go down a tad. Be patient, it will get there. ;)
I'm looking forward to reading your success story and wishing you the best.
I was up like an expectant mother all night. I did manage to catch a few winks in between peeks. Next time I will trust the method.
3 butts in at 7:30 am Thursday.
4.5 hours of alternating Hickory and Mesquite
Oven set at 220°
(//) UH OH, don't know how to insert image.
First one hit 191° at 2:30am Friday. I had the remote thermometer close to the bedroom where I would hear it when it went off at 180°. It doesn't go any higher dang it. At that point I gave it another hour and half which brought me to 2:30am. FTC'd it.
All the while our bedroom is on the other side of the house and still the aroma was wafting in the window. My poor neighbors, what dreams they must have been having. When I did dream it was about BBQ.
I kept checking the smoker each time I got up to let the dogs out and in between times. At 4:00 the temp was 187° so I told myself to get up in an hour later. I missed and found the beasts at 198° at 5:30. FTC'd the two that were left.
Got to school at 7:30 and pulled one apart and into the crock pot on low with a little water in the bottom, I forgot the juice from the drip pan at home. DOH! It is so juicy and delicious!! I am baffled that something can cook for 22 hours and not be dried out. I also thought maybe I had put too many spices on, too much rub. Not the case, it is perfect! I will pull the others in about 2.5 hours. They should be fine in the cooler till then. I remember the last one I FTC'd stayed hot for six hours.
Thanks for all the help. This is a great forum!
I will add pictures when I figure that one out or someone tells me. I have to get ready for my kiddos right now though.
Way to go! (http://www.smileypad.com/v224/Happy/Big-Thumbs-Up.gif)
I just love happy endings!!! (http://www.smileypad.com/v224/Happy/Crowd-Grin.gif)
Nice work!
and the plan comes together. Way to go.
Quote from: parishollow on April 20, 2007, 07:49:40 AM
(//) UH OH, don't know how to insert image.
I will add pictures when I figure that one out or someone tells me. I have to get ready for my kiddos right now though.
Parish
You need to use a photo hosting service like http://photobucket.com/ (http://photobucket.com/)
You will need to sign up as it will create a Photo book for you to store your pictures in.
When you sign up and login, you will be presented with a screen to upload your images (browse you local computer and select the picture). There is an option when uploading to select the size of you pictures. You can select avatar, thumbnails, etc. My preferece is message board 640x480. This size is easy to see on the screen and makes the picture size small enough for quicker downloading on more limited bandwidth connections.
After the picture completes the upload, You will see your pictures below the upload area. There are 3 boxes (URL Link, HTML TAG, and IMG Code) under each picture. Click on the URL Link box and a little yellow box will pop up telling you the link was copied.
When on the forum here, click on the action button above the smily icons. The box is the second from the left and looks like a picture frame. When you mouse over the box it will say "Insert Image". After clicking on the button, two img bracketed text will show up where the cursor was in your reply box that looks like this with with the [ left braket replacing the left handed > symbol and the ] bracket replacing the > symbol I used to demonstrate the actual text placed.
<img][/img>
Click between the ][ brackets to place your cursor between the two symbols, then paste the link copied from the photobucket site.
There are other services you can use but I can't give you the details on them.
Hope this helps.
And the Staff loved it! I got lots of compliments. One teacher asks if I made it or bought it and was dissapointed when I said I made it, she wanted to stop and pick some up for dinner! That was the best. I had probably enough left over for 6 sandwiches out of three butts. Not bad for guessing the right amount. I will be smoking one up for home tomorrow. It is so good left over too. I will freeze most of the one I do tomorrow. BTW, if you haven't tried it in tacos, burritos or enchiladas you are missing a real treat.
Oh, the chipotle seasoning? I couldn't tell it was in there, not enough. Next time I will use cayenne for a little zing.
OK, going home for a cold one.
Excellent Parish.
Glad to here everyone enjoyed. No doubt it was going to happen. :D
I hope you got big order book now. They will be lining up down the hallway with their orders in hand.
Great Post. :) Delighted it turned out... ;) Much more adventure ahead!
To post pictures go to this place and register for free http://photobucket.com/
Upload your pictures following the directions on the screen. Note there is a size option listed on the photobucket web site, choose the size for boards or thumbnails are ok and we can click them to enlarge once you post them.
When your picture is uploaded into Photobucket copy the url located just below the picture you uploaded
To post pictures, start your post and you will notice the icon that looks like a picture with a frame around it immediately above the wink smiley. Click the icon and it will give you this... without the extra spaces.
[ img ] [ / img ]
put your curser in the center between the two ][ center brackets that are back to back. Then paste in your picture.
Click on Preview below the post text area and you can see how it all turned out. If you like it go back and click Post and you are done.
Should work like this
(http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/WCK_02/63ea1734.jpg)
Except yours will be some great looking Bradley Smoker Butt.
Take Care, ;) Really enjoyed reading your adventure ;D
Whoa! Now we really need to be working on matter/energy transportation through the smoke generator wormholes...
Rod Serling
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/parishollow/before.jpg)
all rubbed and ready
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/parishollow/after.jpg)
22 hours later then FTC'd for 2 hours, looks like a little meteorite.
(http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/parishollow/after2.jpg)
Pulled apart and going into the crock pot.
Thanks for the help of getting me into Photobucket!
Love that reentry vehicle look........
Arcs_n_Sparks
:D Now THATS what were looking for... very 8) Looks great!
Send that middle photo to most folks with an invite to dinner and they would think twice with the thought "is he messing with me or what". Send it to a fellow smoker and they would already be on their way.
(http://www.smileypad.com/v224/Happy/Big-Thumbs-Up.gif)
congrats on a successful smoke. That is awesome looking with great bark.