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I have cooked several 9 to 10# butts in my 045 and generally it was a 12 to 14 hour cook at 225*. So this week, we had a 50 year class reunion and I needed to do 4 of that size to feed everyone. Ok, no problem. I'll allow a couple hours extra just in case, right? And I'll cut the start temp down to 210* so as to not get too carried away. So I put the 4 butts on, 35# worth, at 11:00 pm thinking I could pull them out of the smoker and rest them about noon or a little later next day. Went to bed thinking all was well. Got up at 6:00 am next day and all seemed well. Probe temp one the biggest one was 170*. That's cool so bump the oven temp up to 225* and hit the rack again. Get up at 9:00 and probe temp is 192*!!!! Cam't be!!! Opened the door and all the bones were protuding. Grabbed one with some tongs and it pulled right out. They were done!!! In under 10 hours. Turned the smoker back down to 200* and let them set til noon. They fell apart taking them off the racks. Placed in pans and wrapped in foil and rested in an ice chest until we started pulling them at 6:00. They were great!! Moist and tender but don't have a clue how they cooked that quick based on prior experience.
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Ha Ha! Your comment made me remember our 4th of July picnic for the neighborhood. I have a 025 and agreed to do four butts for the picnic. I put them on at 8pm thinking 12 hours. My husband is a very early riser and checked the meat at 4:30am. The temp probe said 195°. He came yelling into the bedroom and I dragged myself out of bed. Yep! They were done. So I was foiling and wrapping pork butts before it was light out. I learned that a VERY FULL smoker meant less time. Next time I did that much meat, I put them on closer to midnight. Anyway, I am still laughing at your comment because of my memories!!
Whenever I have had a smoke take much less time than usual, it is because I have had meat either too near or up against the smoker's temperature sensor/probe. Since the meat is cooler than the inside air temperature, the smoker then thinks it is not up to correct temperature so it keeps the heat/fire going strong instead of just coasting along at your set temperature. So be careful to make sure no meat is touching the smoker's temperature probe.

I also agree that a full smoker does tend to cook faster.

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