I'm doing an overnight smoke of butts tomorrow night. Instead of doing 2, I'm doing 4. Will doing 4 butts take longer than 2? Also, the low in my area tomorrow night is only 45. Should I add any aditional lit coals to the minion method because of it being cooler? Its not suppposed to be windy.
More butts, More Time?
- Thread starter John_H
- Start date
Tim Mulvihill
TVWBB Fan
4 butts won't take longer than 2 (unless they are more poundage per butt).
However you may need to add more charcoal than normal through the cook. I'm assuming you want to maintain the same temp as doing 2 butts. The smoker will need more fuel to maintain a certain temp the more meat you add.
Plus cooler outside temps will require more fuel.
However you may need to add more charcoal than normal through the cook. I'm assuming you want to maintain the same temp as doing 2 butts. The smoker will need more fuel to maintain a certain temp the more meat you add.
Plus cooler outside temps will require more fuel.
Larry D.
TVWBB Emerald Member
As long as you maintain your usual cooking temperature, 4 butts should take no longer than 2 (with the caveat that cooking times can vary even when cooking the same number of butts due to variations in the meat, the phase of the moon, and whether anyone is sticking pins in a voodoo doll of your smoker). You may have to run your vents more open than usual and burn more fuel to maintain that temperature, though.
Chris in Louisiana
TVWBB All-Star
Perhaps it was the weather or size of the butts, but the two times I smoked 4 butts (both cooks were in the winter) on the WSM they needed 20 and 21 hours. My two-butt cooks usually take more like 14 to 16 hours of low and slow.