Thinking of pulling the trigger on OBS. Questions first

[big kahuna]

Hello all,
A couple of questions. I've been reading for a couple of hours and saw some of the answers but can't find them again. Thinking of buying the OBS, the dual probe PID, and some digital thermometers.
1. How many pork butts will this hold. How many briskets, and how many of both. I know that's kind of open-ended, but will need to do a family reunion with 40 to 80. Only have six months so need to get started.

2. I saw someone here talked about briskets, how much weight was lost during cooking, then how to figure' how much for servings for slices and sandwiches. Can someone give the way to figure that to me again, for both meats?

Thanks for your time.

[Caneyscud]

You get 2 to 3 servings per pound of meat.  Of course that depends on age of eaters, gender, how big they are, how hungry they are, how you serve (sammies 1/3# - sliced or pulled on a plate 1/2# or more), and how much other food you are serving.  A bone-in butt will loose approximately 40% when cooked, a boneless a little less.  A brisket will loose 30% to 40% largely due to how much fat cap is present.  

So with 80 big eaters at least 40 pounds (80 x .5) of cooked sliced meat adding 40%, then you need 56 (40 x 1.4) pounds of uncooked meat.   That would be 5 good sized packer briskets or like 6 or 7 nine to ten pound butts.  I've never cooked more than 2 briskets at one time in my DBS, but others have cooked 4 - just takes quite awhile with that mass of meat.  Same with butts.  

For sammies (one per person - but not likely after they taste your 'Q) 27 pounds (80 x .33) of cooked meat. Adding 40% - then 38 pounds (27 x 1.4) of uncooked meat.  For an average of 2 sammies per person - 76 pounds of uncooked meat.  

[big kahuna]

It's maybe too much for the OBS then? I've read some about smoking, then using the oven. Would that be possible. Or maybe better to stick with butts, and use the foil, towell, cooler thing?

[big kahuna]

The thing is, most of the time, it'll cook more than I need. But will it do this? Or maybe something else that will make them fall to thier knees and beg for more? LOL

[Caneyscud]

Not too much, but you will have to do the cook in more than one load.  If you do the whole cookl in the Bradley you will have to reheat the first load.  Or do as you said smoke a load in the Bradley, put it in the oven to finish, and start the next load in the Bradley and when the smoke time is over put that load in the oven to finish - the finish times will be different, so FTC or just throwing in an ice cooler without wrapping would definitely be needed, unless you want to re-heat the first load up.  There is several ways to accomplish the smoke.

[big kahuna]

Cool, another thing I could do is wait till the last night and do 40 people, mostly 60+ years old. What does FTC mean?
How many butts will fit?
Thanks again for your time

[Caneyscud]

.....Or maybe something else that will make them fall to thier knees and beg for more? LOL

It'll definitely do that, but you have to take the pledge first. 

Before you go off bragging and telling everyone how simple it is - remember the Bradley Pledge.

It is important to remember that Loose Lips Sink Ships!


Raise your right hand, step on your left toe, close both eyes and read after me

We pledge, under the penalty of having our Bradley melt into nothingness, never to tell our OR especially anyone else's adoring and admiring family and friends, the SECRET (the ease) of Bradley Smoking.  We further Pledge to use our Bradleys as often as possible so as to never let our family and friends be without smoked delicacies.  There are just some things that should not be smoked and until we find out what they are, we Pledge to smoke everything we can catch, wrap in bacon, and fit into our Bradleys.

Now go about you merry day, but let that little thing in the back of your mind - that little nagging thing called a conscience take over before you utter any word about how easy this is to any rug rats or wife's of the female persuasion, or anybody else except us and anybody you are trying to convert to a Bradley Smoker!

[classicrockgriller]

Ahhhhhh! the ole Bradley Pledge!

Amen.

[FLBentRider]

I regularly cook 4 pork butts in my OBS (4 racks)

That is ~32lbs of meat. It does take a while, 18 to 24 hours

If I was feeding that many, this is what I would do:

Smoke 4 butts 4 hours @205F

Transfer those to a 205F oven

Smoke 4 more butts @205F - leave them in the smoker for the whole cook.

FTC individual butts when IT reaches 195F

Sometimes you have to get creative - Four butts in the OBS:

[Caneyscud]

Cool, another thing I could do is wait till the last night and do 40 people, mostly 60+ years old. What does FTC mean?
How many butts will fit?
Thanks again for your time

FTC - Foil, Towel, Cooler.  When you get the internal temperature you want, you take the meat out of the smoker or oven, wrap it in two layers of foil, wrap that in an old towel, and then place that package in an igloo type cooler - pre-warmed with hot water preferrably (be sure you pour the water out before placing the meat in).  This will constitute the required resting period for cooked meats, will continue the cooking a big longer, and will keep the meat pretty warm for maybe up to several hours - especially with more than one meat placed in there.  If I have several, I don't wrap - just drop them in my dedicated cooler for this.  Man that thing sure smells good.  When I go into the garage sometimes I will open the lid and put my head in and take in a long draught of that heavenly aroma.  

I've only done two butts, but I know others have done 3 and 4.  Basically 2 butts on two racks.  Should rotate the bottom to the top and vice versa because the bottom will be closer to the heating element so therefore gets radiant heat in addition to the hot air and will cook faster and probably overcook the bottom.  

As you can see in the Pic from FLBR - there you have proof.   And with a doable cooking plan.

[big kahuna]

LOL
It's too late for standing, had my third grey goose. My son is the only one that knows about this. We hunt, butcher, and make our own meat. We make a fair amount of sausage that's good fresh, but, we've never liked it smoked. After the last few hours of reading, I think I know why. Something about the fat rendering off. I do promise that he'll never tell. We'll milk it for all it's worth. When they bow to us, well, after much consideration, discussion, and thought, we might, and only might, if they're worthy, give them a hint, a nudge, in the right direction, but only after the PLEDGE! My ex can just have her bland ol' hot dogs any way she wants.  Was married 25 years and I cooked all the meals. My two boys come begging all the time..I AM KING. NOW, I CAN TAKE OVER THE WORLD!
Really, thank you for your help
LOL in Nebraska

[big kahuna]

OK
Talked me into it.
FLBR, Those butts look good. Now I'm REALLY hungry. Could you fit another rack in there with a brisket? How many people would tha feed?
I really don't see the need for a six rack right now.
Thanks all for your help

[FLBentRider]

OK
Talked me into it.
FLBR, Those butts look good. Now I'm REALLY hungry. Could you fit another rack in there with a brisket? How many people would tha feed?
I really don't see the need for a six rack right now.
Thanks all for your help

I couldn't fit any more racks in there since the butts were taller than the rack spacing - which is why I had to "double up"

~32lbs of meat assuming ~50% loss would result in ~16lbs of pulled pork. 64 light eaters or 32 big eaters or 8 teenagers.

[squirtthecat]

You could even do some of the pork a week before, and vacuum seal/freeze it in 3-4 pound portions.  It's almost better left over.

It's too late for standing, had my third grey goose

You'll fit right in around here...   :D

[Caneyscud]

I AM KING. NOW, I CAN TAKE OVER THE WORLD!
LOL in Nebraska

Now that's and energetic newbie!  Great attitude - he'll go far!

But then again - Nebraska - nothing to do there (or so I'm told), no football, just corn, corn, corn everywhere.  You'll have lots of time to devote to the low-n-slow persuasion.  And lots of grain-fed beef to pick from, I imagine!   ;D ;D ;D