20# of butt

[parishollow]

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.

[Habanero Smoker]

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.

[Wildcat]

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. :)

[owrstrich]

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

[Malc]

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

[icerat4]

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
















hope this helps its a proven winner here.

[IKnowWood]

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.

[IKnowWood]

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. 

[parishollow]

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!

[Wildcat]

I like salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.  True meat flavor!

[parishollow]

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.

[Wildcat]

[Habanero Smoker]

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)

[parishollow]

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!

[Habanero Smoker]

I use Spanish paparika; it has little flavor and is mainly to aid in the development of the bark and color.