I have done a few butts in my 55 @ 225 for around 15 hrs to 195. I am doing 4 tomorrow and am wondering which rack levels to do them at and at which level to use my thermometer(got only one)? they weigh apprx 7# each.
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1 popular way of doing 4 butts is to put 2 on the middle rack and 2 on the bottom rack. Halfway through swap the racks. Quickly. I would place the therm probe in the largest butt, but it really don't matter as long as you get a good placement. (not in fat or on bone)
Thanks for the help, I went with the middle and slightly upper for the ease. Getting up in the middle of the night for Q maintenance is overrated. I was scared that if I went with the bottom rack and middle, the ones on the bottom may have overcooked without switching racks. Will report sometime midday tomorrow and let you know the results.
Cool. Sometimes we can be fooled by the 'it's hotter closer to the woodbox' thinking. Heat rises. All the more reason to swap the racks halfway through.
quote:Originally posted by GLH:
Quickly. I would place the therm probe in the largest butt, but it really don't matter as long as you get a good placement.
Now me, I would place it in the smallest. I don't want to overcook the small one, and when I pull it, I'll just take the probe out and insert it in the next biggest.
Another option. On the bottom rack, if (depending on your smoker) it gets a little chared) use the top two racks instead. When I put butts on the bottom rack, I put them fat side down as sort of a heat sink.