Loading up the Pork Butt - Timing question?

[Mike Carter]

I've smoked several pork butt's with very good success in the past several months. Most I've done is (2) 5lb butts at a time on the top grate. Haven't used the lower grate yet. I believe that smoke was around 8-9 hours if I remember correctly, about exactly what it should have been.

My question is on this pork butt smoke, I'm going to have again (2) 5lb butts on the but this time, I'm going to have (2) 7-8lb butts on the lower rack. Will this significantley affect the cook time? Or should the 5lb butts still be done in around the same amount of time with the bigger butt's finishing up behind them?

I guess my main question is if adding more butts/pounds to the smoker will affect the individual butt's cooking times of 1 1/2 hrs - 2hrs per pound?

To make things more complicated, I'm going to be using a foiled clay saucer for the first time on this cook in lieu of water. I don't think this should make any difference other than maybe having trouble keeping the spikes down?

 

[JimK]

More meat will be a bigger heat sink. So, to the extent that that impacts your cook temp for a long period' yes, it will take longer. More likely, it won't have a significant impact. Put those bigger butts on the top rack though. It's a bit warmer up there so you'll have a better shot at all of them being done at the same time.

 

[TravisH]

Agree with JimK.

Cookng time won't be affected much. I've not seen it doing 4 butts.

It's like an oven. 250º is 250º. It'll take more fuel and time to get it up to 250º with 4 butts.

Water is a big heat sink too. Without the water, it will take less fuel and time to come up to 250º and hold it.

But once at 250º, 1 butt or 4, cook times won't vary much.

Since you're an 'expert' now, spikes shouldn't be an issue.

Besides, pork butt is bulletproof. Spikes and dips won't bother it at all.

 

[Mike Carter]

Thanks for the help on this topic. I was planning on putting the bigger butts on the bottom grate b/c I thought the smaller one's would be ready first but putting them on top makes sense. I'll just use my one maverick probe on one of the smaller ones on the bottom grate and my instant read on the bigger butts on top.