If I load my smoker with 6 pork butts - vs. just cooking two pork butts will the cook time increase or decrease if the smoker is loaded full?
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It would take a little longer to get oven to temp and half way through cook rotate bottom butt with middle cuz element on bottom will cook faster. Monitor temp on smallest butt and FTC working way to largest but.
G Que gave some good tips,without having much info to work with.
You asked questions with several variables.
You don't mention what you are cooking on,but searching your private profile,I see it is a 025.
You don't mention size of the butts,which from older sows could be 10-12 lbs each.
That could give you 65-70- lbs in a 20-25 lb capacity cooker.
You could block air flow with six,which could certainly slow the cook.You could also be touching your internal therm probe.
Size and shape and evenness of weight can affect the cook.
Often a fuller cooker can cook more evenly than a near empty one.
With a max load,many cooks would suggest preheating the cooker and running it at 240º-250º.
With a little more info ,folks may be able to give some better answers.
Hope this helps a little.
You asked questions with several variables.
You don't mention what you are cooking on,but searching your private profile,I see it is a 025.
You don't mention size of the butts,which from older sows could be 10-12 lbs each.
That could give you 65-70- lbs in a 20-25 lb capacity cooker.
You could block air flow with six,which could certainly slow the cook.You could also be touching your internal therm probe.
Size and shape and evenness of weight can affect the cook.
Often a fuller cooker can cook more evenly than a near empty one.
With a max load,many cooks would suggest preheating the cooker and running it at 240º-250º.
With a little more info ,folks may be able to give some better answers.
Hope this helps a little.
^^^^^^ Seems like a pretty good answer to me Tom. 
I'd have to agree with Tom
You're heavily overloading a 025 if you put 6 butts in it, and that will slow it down considerably
I would do 2 loads of 3 PBs.
With my 009 or my 066 the closer I was to capacity the tighter the heat control seemed to be.
And if I overloaded temperature control was difficult
Good smoking to ya
You're heavily overloading a 025 if you put 6 butts in it, and that will slow it down considerably
I would do 2 loads of 3 PBs.
With my 009 or my 066 the closer I was to capacity the tighter the heat control seemed to be.
And if I overloaded temperature control was difficult
Good smoking to ya
I just did 4 butts in my 025 that equaled 31 lbs.
I purchased them in two packs. Two were larger so I put those two on the lower rack with a probe in one and the smaller two on the top rack with a probe in one of those. (therefore I didn't have to rotate). If they were all the same size I would have rotated them.
I made sure that they weren't touching the internal temp probe. (as mentioned)
They turned out great, but I would not have been able to put more than 4 in their. It was a very close fit. If their were a few more pounds in total it probably would have been ok though. I put them in at 10:30 at night and two were done in 12 hours. So, no problems with temp control that I could tell.
I purchased them in two packs. Two were larger so I put those two on the lower rack with a probe in one and the smaller two on the top rack with a probe in one of those. (therefore I didn't have to rotate). If they were all the same size I would have rotated them.
I made sure that they weren't touching the internal temp probe. (as mentioned)
They turned out great, but I would not have been able to put more than 4 in their. It was a very close fit. If their were a few more pounds in total it probably would have been ok though. I put them in at 10:30 at night and two were done in 12 hours. So, no problems with temp control that I could tell.
Back in the days of the Smokette,I bought 32 lbs of butts,stomped,slit,moved around ,and used all my tricks to cook them.
The lil' engine that could,chug n' chug and produced great pulled pork.
Of course,there are rumors that I have pushed many cooks to the edge.
The lil' engine that could,chug n' chug and produced great pulled pork.
Of course,there are rumors that I have pushed many cooks to the edge.
I have always heard about rotating bottom shelf to top shelf have way through the cook, but really I never do. I probe both top and bottom and get very little variance between the two. May get a little more bark on the bottom, but that's about it.
Now may not pass the Smokin Okie test, but always taste good.
Now may not pass the Smokin Okie test, but always taste good.