Double Butt this Weekend - Timing

[goosevr1]

Looked for an opportunity at Costco today but came up empty...the local supermarket came through with two butts, a 10.5 and a 8.5 pounder.  The plan is to smoke them up this weekend...feeding 15 or so adults.

I'm hoping for a lunchtime gathering...so I'm thinking about starting both in my bradley portable smoker (BPS) at noon on Friday.  I'm hoping they'll finish by 9am the next morning for some FTC...or should I start earlier?  The 10.5 pounder scares me a little...

I've also never done the overnight smoke...I'm tempted to leave one butt out overnight and throw the other in the oven in foil...

Any advice?

Thanks!

[FLBentRider]

I've done plenty of overnight smokes, most with twice that load.

There have been a few butts (not mine) that take 24 hours, most are 18-20

I think the 9am start is fine.

You will find varying answers opinions here as far as IT.

I take them to 190-200F but you can go as low as 180F

[Caneyscud]

Goose
You sound like you have a great plan.  Be sure to have a good cooler handy to stick them babies in when the get "done".  I'm with FLBR with the ending IT.  Never cooked on a BPS, but don't see why the 21 hours you have planned shouldn't be sufficient.  Did a few in a stickburner recently that took in the 1 to 1.5 hour per pound range, but I couldn't get the heat down to less than 250.  The 1.5 to 2 hour per pound you have planned is just perfect for my Bradley set at 225 though.  I've had one "butt from H E double hockey sticks" go for significantly more than 2 hours per pound - but that was an anomaly.  What CT are you planning for?  The lower you go, the slower they cook.  225 is about right in my book.  With 200 the time will be longer. 

[KyNola]

FLBR is the King of Butts as far as I'm concerned.  Go with what he tells you and you can't go wrong.  As for finishing in your house oven, I have done that many many times and like it as I think I can control the heat better there.

Have fun and let us hear all about it.

[Tenpoint5]

FLBR is the King of Butts as far as I'm concerned.  Go with what he tells you and you can't go wrong.  As for finishing in your house oven, I have done that many many times and like it as I think I can control the heat better there.

Have fun and let us hear all about it.

FLBR does do a lot of Butts in his smoker but I don't think he had his coffee yet this morning. 9 am start WILL NOT get you done in time for a lunch date. I think he ment the noon start.

[FLBentRider]

I hadn't had a lot of coffee, but...

24 hours is plenty for 2 butts, IMHO.

This is my last BPS butt cook:

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=17242.0

I put them in late afternoon, one was done by like 8am.

[TestRocket]

I see some good advice above so all I can add is good luck!

[DTAggie]

Noon at the latest to start, what is your ambient temp where you are?

[hal4uk]

Goose, get em up to 195°, wrap em tightly in foil, wrap in towels, and stuff in a cooler (with some extra towels on top).
The FTC time will really do some extra magic, so your timing sounds good... 
Should be done in 18 hours, and that gives you 6-ish hours of FTC if all goes well... 
If they're "stubborn", you should still get some decent FTC time.
Remember, you still have to pull it and serve it, and worry about normal non-smoking stuff, like "do we have enough ice?", etc.

However, don't start LATER THAN NOON.

Extra FTC time is a just a bonus....  Not being "done" on time... with company coming... is a... "NOT-bonus".
Awrighten.

[DTAggie]

Strong Second on Hal's comment!

[goosevr1]

The ambient temps during the day are in the low 80s and at night, dipping into the low 50s.  I had the BPS going the weekend before last and had no issues keeping it at 225F.

I'll start at 9 or 10 tomorrow morning, and see how it goes. Will post some results later.

Anyone know how much gas I'll use up for a smoke like this? I'm using a 20 lb tank on a conversion but I don't really know how much gas is in the tank. Feels about half full.

Cheers

[DTAggie]

Whooo didn't catch you were using a BPS.  Have no experience with that.

[goosevr1]

Alright, let's get to posting a few pics.

Here's the butt's as they came to me, from the local supermarket.


Then covered in some CYM and Memphis Dust...


I put the two butts on the top and third racks in the BPS, leaving the very bottom rack empty.


I only had one digital remote thermometer so I stuck it in the bottom butt, or the 10.5 pounder.  The lighter one, at 8.5 pounds, I jabbed in a regular old' fashioned one.


Stuck my grill thermometer in the side, right in the middle, to see if I can get a read on the "cabinet" temperature.  The air temp at the moment is 60 degrees.


And let the wait begin...

[Tenpoint5]

It will be well worth the wait for sure!

[Caneyscud]

Ohhh, the wait

excruciating!