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It’s my turn to feed the guys at work this Monday night. Need to feed 30 guys. I was planning on smoking pork butts for pulled pork sandwiches. I am not sure how many butts I can fit in the SM020. It looks like I can fit (2) butts on each rack, but I am concerned there is not enough height between shelves. If the top rack touching the butts on the bottom is that a problem? Is (4) butts enough to feed 30 guys (usually buy the package butts at SAMS Club)? Since we are working 6 PM to 6 AM logistics is an issue. I was planning to have my wife turn the smoker on at 10 PM, Sunday night. I would come home from work Monday morning, get some shut eye, and take the butts out around noon, foil and place them in a cooler and take them into work. If (4) butts will not fit, plan B would be:
Smoke (2) butts, take them out and place a pre-cooked ham in the smoker for a couple of hours. Looking for recommendations.
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Look for butts that are shaped to fit your rack,or trim/slice them and stand on them ,until they are flat.

If they touch something,they'll shrink.

Multiply your raw weight by two,and that is how many four oz sandwiches you will get.

You will lose about 50% of the weight of a raw,bonein butt.

Two 15 lb two pks,will thus make about 60 four oz sandwiches.

The old small smokettes could force in about 30 lbs,if you picked the right shapes.

I underestand the new ones are larger,so I'd try to cram in one extra butt.

You can always debone some,lay them flat/wrap them around others.

It isn't real technical,as you are just trying to get some smoke and heat to the meat.

You can also shift the meat around,as it cooks.

The smoker cooks better full,anyway.

Hope this helps a little.
Eyebuster,
I've done two 6lb butts @ 215 degrees in my SM025 (one on each rack) and it took about twenty hours. The final product was fantastic and I received many compliments. I trust Tom's comment that the "smoker cooks better full" and maybe this will shorten the smoke time. Just remember what SmokinOkie always says.."it's done when it's done". Be patient and when you hit the target temperature you won't be disappointed.
Good Luck!
Results!!!!

I ended up buying (2) packages of pork shoulders from Sam’s Club. (4 butts, approx, 7 lbs each). Covered the butts with mustard and CS Rib Rub and placed them in the SM020, 2 butts on each shelf. The butts fit between shelves with no problems. Used 4 oz of hickory. I had my wife turn the smoker on at 10pm; smoker was set at 225 degF. When I got home from work the next morning at 7AM, internal temp was 186 degF. I turned the smoker down to 205 degF and went to bed. Woke up just before noon, internal temp was 198 degF. Took the butts out and foiled them and placed them in a cooler. Took them out of the cooler at 10:30 PM. The foil was still warm. I placed the foiled butts in the oven at work for about 45 minutes at 200 degF.

The results were excellent. The meat was excellent. Pulled all the pork and placed it in a roasted pan, mixed in Smokin Okie's Pulled Pork Baste & Serving Sauce and served the meat. Received raved reviews. There was ZERO meat left over. Thanks for the HELP.

PS: I needed a bigger drip pan under the smoker, there was a major over flow of the pan that came with the smoker.
quote:
Originally posted by eyebuster24:
..PS: I needed a bigger drip pan under the smoker, there was a major over flow of the pan that came with the smoker.


Congrats on the success.

Make sure to post a note in the "lessons of new users" thread (near the top of the Open forum) so the next guy won't have to clean up the mess.
Hey Eyebuster24, I've said this before, but I just wanted to warn you that should you use a disposable aluminum pan be sure to empty it and discard right after the smoke. The pork drippings are corrosive enough to eat through the pan in a day or two, and that really leaves a mess!!!
That's interesting Todd. I have been using aluminum pans under my FEC since I got my first one and only had a problem one time when a possum pulled the pan out from under the smoker.

Well, there was that one time I forgot to take the pan out before I laid the FEC down in the trailer. But I don't think that counts as it was due to my own stupidity. I check twice for that pan before I load the FEC anymore.

But I have left the pans under there for weeks at a time and never had the grease eat through the pan. Maybe I should watch for that.

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