Cooking time for 4 butts


 
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I have to feed a large group of people lunch at a particular time and I will be cooking 4 butts (2 per rack) for the first time. Whenever I cook 2 butts It takes between 17 and 19 hours. I'd appreciate some input on how much extra time I should allow for the extra 2 butts. If I don't get the timing right there will be a fifth butt on the grill!
 
Steve,

Cooking 3 butts (two top, one bottom) as I type (~18 lbs trimmed), I'll let you know how it turns out as far as cooking time.

--Andrew
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I've done 4 butts several times and haven't notice an appreciable difference in time from 2 on the top. However, it is dangerous to depend too much on a time calculation based on weight or numbers of butts. I guess that's why God gave us sooo much holding time at the end of the cook. In your case I would figure a guesstimation of short and long finish. Say 17 hours short and 21 hours long. Then set your start time so on a long finish you'll be done an hour or two before you plan to serve and on your short time so you'll be within 5 or so hours. The 5 or so hours would be the time in HD foil in an empty cooler with towels.

Best of luck to you.

Paul
 
Steve,

Just pulled the last butt off the cooker. Total cook time for all three ~16 hours @ 250 degrees. The first was done at 14 hours, which gave me a prime to rest, pull, and foodsaver while waiting for the other two. You may experience the same, so you can feed while tending.

Good Luck!!
 
I am cooking 4 butts today and will figure 20 hours at 225-230 for all 35 Lbs of meat,
2 butts for me, 2 for a friend. I will adjust temps after 16 hours or so to try and hit that 11 oclock Sunday morning handoff to my Pal.
 
I typically only cook two at a time, and the 1.5 hours per pound rule generally works for that.

However, on the occassions where I DO cook four, I have found that it goes closer to 2 hours per pound.

Again, this is a guideline...but just been my observation.
 
My 4 butts have been on for about 16 hrs with 3 or 4 more hrs to go. That will put me at 2 1/2 hrs per pound. I did wake up to a 190 degree bullet that took some time to get back up to 230. Smells fantastic though.
 
I did 4 butts this weekend in extremely bad weather to 195F in 18 hours. Hope that helps.
 
Give yourself to extra time. I did 2 butts this weekend and a brisket. I put them in a cooler with 3 bricks heated on the grill, wrapped in a towel at 11:30 AM. At 3:00 PM, I took out 1 butt and the brisket to prep for serveing. Both were piping hot. I left the other butt in the cooler and took it out when I got home that night at 8:00 PM. Pulled the butt then and it was still quite warm!
 
I usually cook butts to an internal temp of 185 to 190 deg and not pay that much attention to how long. It usually takes 16 hrs or so, but varies sometimes.

Don't be surprised if the temp hits 160 deg and stays there for an hour or two. First time I freaked out and thought something was wrong, but it just took that much time to break the thing down.

Sonny
 
Steve,
I purchased four butts 6 lbs each and two butts 4 lbs each. All 6 butts were trimmed, fat caps removed as well as bones from meat market in local town. (Harrisonburg VA). THey were netted.
I placed two of the 6 pounders on each grate along with a four pounder. Began at 7pm (Minion method) and maintained 225 to 245 degress for whole cook. Turned, sopped at 12 hours, and at 1 pm next day (18 hrs into cook) I wrapped all butts in foil, and left on at 235 - 240 until 330 pm. Internal temp reached 200 in all six. You never know about the final yield, but I came out with 18 lbs cooked. The smoke was successful and the 45 people it fed was impressed! Total cooking hours was 20 hours, not including the hour to let them rest, and the additional hour to pull them.
Good Luck!!! - David
 
My 4 butts wound up taking 22 hrs. They just get better every cook. When I pulled them, there was very little fat that needed to be thrown away. I think cooking longer is making my product better. My family thinks so too.
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