Hi Cookshackers
How many pork butts can I cram into my smokette? I've only smoked them one at a time in the past (with great results), but need to do mass quantities for a party.
Thanks!
Bubba
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bubbaQ -- You should be able to smoke at least five, maybe six depending on size and shape. Make sure not to block air flow. Put your biggest butts on the bottom, closest to the heat source. I would shoot for 5-6 pound butts. If you start approaching 7# you may run into space issues. Make sure you have a deep drip pan and check it often.
Hope this helps a little!
Hope this helps a little!
Also, make sure you don't block the smoke flow by cramming the bottom shelf clear full.
Biggest problem is keeping the drip pan from overflowing. I have done 3 packer briskets, or 6 butts at once.
I find it just as easy to fill it up & do it, pull it/slice it & vacuum seal & freeze it.
I find it just as easy to fill it up & do it, pull it/slice it & vacuum seal & freeze it.
This is great! Thanks for all your replies!
And it depends on the size of the butts. Large 7 lbs or so, you'll squeeze 2 on each shelf. You can fit 6 if you HAVE to, but it's a tight fit and might restrict the air flow, which is a no no.
3 large ones are easy, one on each shelf.
3 large ones are easy, one on each shelf.
I cooked four 7 pound pork butts for 19 hours at 225 degrees, they reached an internal temp of 180 (I spritzed them with apple juice at 12 hours). I then wrapped them in foil followed by plactic wrap followed by old beach towels and placed them in a cooler for 5 hours. They came out perfect, fed 30 people today at lunch and even had leftovers. I also prepared a great mustard sauce, the recipe I got here at the Forum (thanks okie). Cut up plenty of onions and cilantro as well as a hot sauce and served it on flour totillas.
The drip pan will definately overflow with 4 butts. But the dog didn't seem to mind.
I was gonna smoke 6 butts, but the size issue arose and I couldn't use the third shelf. Just couldn't get the head room. I placed my digital therm in the butts on the lower rack. also at 12 hours when I added my apple juice spritz, I swapped racks and rotated the top to bottom.
Where width is an issue with the briskets(yes I use foil after brisket reaches 165 degrees
), height is the problem with the butts.
Also....Sam's has pork butts for $1.33 per pound if you buy in bulk, which is 8 butts. The box I got weighed in at 54 pounts and cost about $74. Thats a great deal in my book.
Where width is an issue with the briskets(yes I use foil after brisket reaches 165 degrees
), height is the problem with the butts.Also....Sam's has pork butts for $1.33 per pound if you buy in bulk, which is 8 butts. The box I got weighed in at 54 pounts and cost about $74. Thats a great deal in my book.