4 butts - timing question


 
W

William Schmitz

TVWBB Fan
I'm doing 4 butts at once for the first time starting tonight. They are going to feed a lot of people for a graduation reception that starts at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. The butts are all approximately 8 lbs pre-trimmed. In order for me to be safely done by 2:00, what time should I start them cooking? I'm going to be using the minion method with new kingsford. Also, should I move the butts from top to bottom and vice versa halfway through the cook, or does that not matter?

Thanks, Bill
 
2 hr per pound sounds good , don't bother moving them around . I would put the bigger ones on the top grate if you have two that are bigger. Steve
 
As far as moving the butts you may have a problem w/ the meat falling apart. I agree ~2 per lb w/ the Minion method should work. Better to have it done early than have everyone standing around salivating and the Q not ready.
 
Actually Bill, I've done 4 butts only once and I promised myself I would never do it again. Honestly, if just took forever! 12 to 14 hours at 220-240 degrees will be what your shooting for. Your butts will hit a dead spot with the internal temperature stuck at 160-degrees but don't worry and don't increase the temperature - eventually it will begin to rise. Also, make sure you have enough Kingsford, you may have to refuel.

With my experience, I did not rotate the butts but you may want to check each butt individually for correct meat temperature. (185-195 degrees) If the have the Brinkmann's water pan, PLEASE USE IT! Also, sit your butts out of the fridge maybe a couple of hours before you put them on...

Hope this helps. I'm not one of the guru's on this website but know enough to get me by
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Good luck and let us know how it turns out...
 
Bill, someone on another site said you take the finish time and count backwards including your hold time. This will give you your approx start time. I've had butts finish in as little as 14 and as long as 20 hrs. I always do as many as I can when I cook. Why go to all the work for one butt. I either freeze whats left over or even better give it away.
 
Bill, I would get them on by 8PM. I have done 4 at a time often, and if the outside temperature is 80 degrees or less, it could take 18 hours. You can always foil, remove and leave wrapped in a cooler if they come off early. Also, will take a little while to pull that much pork. Good luck.
 
Thanks for the advice, everybody. I got them on at 7:00 tonight (just to be safe, especially since it's a cool night in the 50's).

The temperature really didn't want to come up with that much cool meat going in at once. But its now 11:00, the Twins are in the bottom of the 12th, tied 5-5 with the Orioles, and my temp has steadied at 250 at the upper grate; so I'm going to bed.

I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow.

Thanks again,
Bill
 
William - sounds like you've got everything covered. I always do four butts at a time. It's great and really doesn't take too mcuh longer than a single butt. But you are right - it takes longer to get it up to temp (or, it takes a little more fuel to get it there).

I actually plan even longer for cooks... if I were doing four - I know they can stay very hot in a cooler for at least 5 hours. So... I actually start them more like 20 hours before I need to serve them. Gives me lots and lots of flexibility.

Good luck and let us know how they turn out.
 
Bill

I have done 5 smaller butts 6 to 7 lbs and it took me 20 hours to smoke them. If you are running out of time you could wrap them in foil 1+1/2 hours before they have to come off put a very small amount of apple juice (somthing like a teaspoon ) with them and put back on your smoker and they will be just great
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Jay
 
Well, everything went great. I had to add fuel around 6:00 AM (about 1/2 a chimney of lit charcoal). At 1:00 they were at 190 and I took them off around 1:30; wrapped them in two layers of HD foil, and put them in a pre-warmed cooler. They stayed hot for the entire party (2-6:00), and pulled them one at a time when we ran low. Everyone raved. It as a blast. Thanks for all the good advice.

Bill
 
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