my first post and I need help

[Mikecosta]

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.

[classicrockgriller]

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.

[Mikecosta]

it is 6 butts totaling 45 lbs.  Would a 6 rack handle it? is it space limiting or heater limited? 

[FLBentRider]

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.

[ArnieM]

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.

[classicrockgriller]

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.

[Mikecosta]

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??

[FLBentRider]

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.

[Mikecosta]

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.

[Mikecosta]

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.

[classicrockgriller]

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!

[BuyLowSellHigh]

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.

[KyNola]

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.

[Mikecosta]

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.  

[KyNola]

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.