Brisket/Pork Butt - Full Load Questions

[eldub]

Greetings, kids.

We have a party this weekend and I'm in charge of smoking a couple of briskets as well as two pork butts. Total weight is about 28 lbs. All four pieces weigh around 7 lbs. each. Everything just went into a brine. Ambient temps should be in the 80's. My guess is that I might need to have the meat in the smoker for around 18 hours running at 225*

Is it possible to get all four pieces of meat to finish at roughly the same time?

Any suggestions for time and temps to pull this off, in general?

I'm going to be stuck working for most of the day Saturday. I'll be home to start and finish the smoking process, but the wife will be supervising for much of the day. This isn't a perfect scenario, but I have to make it work somehow.

Thanks in advance.

scott

[TedEbear]

Is it possible to get all four pieces of meat to finish at roughly the same time?

That will be difficult.  Even two butts of the same weight don't usually finish cooking at the same time due to variances in the meat. 

My advice would be to smoke the butts ahead of time, pull them, put them in the fridge sealed in a foil pan and then reheat in your regular oven a few hours before you're ready to eat.  Whenever I do mine ahead of time I reheat them by putting them in one or more disposable aluminum pans with about 3/4 cup of apple juice, seal tightly with foil and put in the oven at 250*F for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

BTW, welcome aboard.   :)

[Ka Honu]

You have to learn that you aren't the boss when smoking meat; it will be done when it's done no matter when you want to serve it. We say the guideline for brisket and butt is 1.5 hours per pound but it can go from somewhat less to well over two hours.  Go by temp.  I take butts to 200-205^oIT before FTC for pulled pork and brisket to about 185-190^o for slicing.

As Ted said, if you can do the butts early and reheat (slow oven, crockpot, whatever) it will be a bit easier and the briskets should go a bit quicker.

[Tenpoint5]

Looks like the guys have you covered here. Make Damn sure you or your wife keep an eye on the water bowl and the drain hole. So the hole doesn't get plugged and the fatsback up and drip on the element and start a fire

[Pachanga]

I smoked four butts the other day on four shelves in a six rack.  I did not rotate the racks; just moved each rack down as the butts were ready.  The first butt came off at 22 hours with the last at 26.  I FTCed all of them in one cooler.  The first was still finger burning hot when the last came off. 

I have an unmodified six rack and do not normally use the lowest shelf.  I do place a foil shield near the bottom to force the heat toward the middle of the Bradley.

I do not remember the weight.  They were the Costco two pack boneless version.

Mr. TenPoint makes a very good cautionary remark.  I emptied the water pan (a half size steam table pan)  four or five times.  It is sometimes hard to tell if there are fat renderings or water in the pan.  I always refill with boiling water.

As my friend, the  Blue Writer, states; Briskets will come off faster.  You may be able to even out the timing by placing the briskets on the upper racks.

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[Wildcat]

I only have one thing to add - with butts when they are done you will be able to easily insert a fork into it and when given a twist it will want to come apart when it is done regardless of the temp. Depending on your actual cabinet temp while cooking, this will happen somewhere between 175 and 205 degrees. Do not be surprised if it takes up to 30 hours. It normally does not take that long, but some of those critters are simply stubborn.

[eldub]

Thanks for the advice.

The problem here is that the party is tomorrow might. (I thought it was next week.) I'd like to do the pork ahead of time, but that's not in the cards.

The earliest I can get things going will be 5 pm today. I'm guessing I'll want to start all of the meat at the same time so everything gets 4 hours of smoke. I was planning on putting the brisket on the top racks.

[eldub]

One more question.....

Is it worse to overcook these cuts of mean or undercook?

Maybe my best bet is to get them on asap and know they will be completely finished in the end.

[TedEbear]

Get things rolling in the smoker as soon as you can. If something gets done a bit early you can FTC (foil, towel, cooler) for up to 4 hours or so until you're ready to serve.  Any longer than that and you might stick whatever is done early in the fridge and later reheat a little before you're ready to eat.

On your last question, I'd say that being undercooked is worse due to possible food poisoning.  Overcooked is just going to dry out the meat. 

[KyNola]

Get the butts in ASAP.  After 4 hours of smoke, move them to your house oven set at 225 to continue the cooking process.  While your house oven may temp swing a bit, it will be much more stable and much quicker for heat recovery.  Set a roasting rack in a roasting pan and place the butts on the roasting rack.  Works like a charm.

The briskets can remain in the Bradley as they shouldn't take as long as the butts.

[Wildcat]

Get the butts in ASAP.  After 4 hours of smoke, move them to your house oven set at 225 to continue the cooking process.  While your house oven may temp swing a bit, it will be much more stable and much quicker for heat recovery.  Set a roasting rack in a roasting pan and place the butts on the roasting rack.  Works like a charm.

The briskets can remain in the Bradley as they shouldn't take as long as the butts.

Perfect advice.

[beefmann]

start smoking asap, if things get done early FTC till needed .. another option is when the pork is done,,, pull / shred it , put into crock pots with a bit of liquid such as bbq sauce to keep warm or hot till ready, This way it will be ready when you are ready to eat

[Tenpoint5]

start smoking asap, if things get done early FTC till needed .. another option is when the pork is done,,, pull / shred it , put into crock pots with a bit of liquid such as bbq sauce to keep warm or hot till ready, This way it will be ready when you are ready to eat

Bbq sauce or apple juice

[Habanero Smoker]

If you move them to the kitchen oven,  and if you like; you can cook the butts at 250°F to 275°F. Those temperatures are still considered within the range of barbeque temperatures.

[eldub]

We don't have access to an oven at present. Our old one bit the dust and the new one has yet to arrive. So I'm stuck with the smoker for the entire process.