smoking for my wedding.....HELP

tenthjester65 · Feb 7, 2015

Well in short for our wedding , we are doing everything our selfs. Food rentals everything all of it
for the food. Somked meat. Some pulled butts, ribs , chicken brest. I just needed some advise . I have a simple offset no baffle or tuning plated . Whats the best way to regulate temp and how long should i cook all of these

mdboatbum · Feb 7, 2015

As one who has attempted this folly and thankfully been talked out of it, I'm going to tell you to get that foolish idea out of your head right this very instant.
You'll have enough to worry about. Your Bride will be in full on Tasmanian Devil mode, and it'll be a full time job keeping her from blowing a gasket. In addition, you'll have last minute things that need to be dealt with, family issues to smooth over and all manner of little fires to put out. If it was just you throwing a party, sure cooking for a hundred or so folks is easy. But it isn't just you. In fact, and this might come as a shock, but it isn't about you at all. Notice how your fiancé kees referring to it as "My Wedding"? There's a reason for that. You're just there to do the heavy lifting and to fill the tux for the pictures.
Do yourself, your bride and everyone else involved a favor get someone else to do the cooking. If you can't swing a caterer (and I get that, weddings are way too expensive as it is) get a friend or family member to do it.
It's your wedding my friend, hopefully the only one you'll ever have. Relax, delegate, and have a good time.

red dog · Feb 7, 2015

Congrats on your upcoming wedding. I have to agree. If you are not sure you have the confidence and equipment to pull this off it would probably be a mistake to try it. I hate sounding negative but I'm almost at a loss for words thinking about all the ways this could go wrong for you. I have just enough experience to know I wouldn't attempt it myself.

tenthjester65 · Feb 7, 2015

I would like to let both of you know you all are absoul right . I agree 100 thats why my friemd is doing most of the cooking. Im starting the buts hes doing the rest. Nither one of us has had that much meatbon her at once. Easy to control heat with one piece of meat not so much with the whole damn thing full. Just asking advice.

susieqz · Feb 7, 2015

you can start the butts the night before, cooking at low temps. they will be no problem. when they are close to your target temp, you can wrap them n put in a preheated cooler for a few hours.

in fact, doing butts the day before, then reheating on the day yields a nicer product.

getting the rest to get done on time is harder.

every time i do chicken the time is different.

ribs can be started the night before too. look at dave omak's thread. he started ribs yesterday, or rather, at 3 am today, to eat today.

ribs can also rest, foiled in a cooler.

get both butt n ribs done way early, then wing it on the chicken.

that's what i'd do.

dirtsailor2003 · Feb 8, 2015

Well, if you must do the cooking, do it all in advance and reheat everything. The pork and the chicken can be done several days in advance and reheated. The ribs would be best done the day off. Takes 4-6 hours for ribs depending on your method and out temps. For our wedding we did everything ourselfs with friends except the food. So glad we didn't do the food.

Rafter H BBQ · Feb 8, 2015

Mdboatbum said:
As one who has attempted this folly and thankfully been talked out of it, I'm going to tell you to get that foolish idea out of your head right this very instant.
You'll have enough to worry about. Your Bride will be in full on Tasmanian Devil mode, and it'll be a full time job keeping her from blowing a gasket. In addition, you'll have last minute things that need to be dealt with, family issues to smooth over and all manner of little fires to put out. If it was just you throwing a party, sure cooking for a hundred or so folks is easy. But it isn't just you. In fact, and this might come as a shock, but it isn't about you at all. Notice how your fiancé kees referring to it as "My Wedding"? There's a reason for that. You're just there to do the heavy lifting and to fill the tux for the pictures.
Do yourself, your bride and everyone else involved a favor get someone else to do the cooking. If you can't swing a caterer (and I get that, weddings are way too expensive as it is) get a friend or family member to do it.
It's your wedding my friend, hopefully the only one you'll ever have. Relax, delegate, and have a good time.

dirtsailor2003 said:
Well, if you must do the cooking, do it all in advance and reheat everything. The pork and the chicken can be done several days in advance and reheated. The ribs would be best done the day off. Takes 4-6 hours for ribs depending on your method and out temps. For our wedding we did everything ourselfs with friends except the food. So glad we didn't do the food.

JMHO, but these two guys make a great point ! Md & DS are great contributors to the site & I think like they are saying.... you should consider what you'd be getting into with doing the food !
For example, my cousin was married today & was a simple, more laid back reception.... He had enough going on even with the simple, laid back reception to not worry bout the food ! Just my 2 pennies.... Good luck with your decision !

Rafter H BBQ · Feb 8, 2015

BTW, have a summer party & invite folks to your home when things kinda settle down for ya ! Then do the Q ! Thumbs Up

Just my opinion !

:beercheer:

daveomak · Feb 8, 2015

Check out Eric's wedding planner and cook..... His was a huge success.... It took him MONTHS to prep/plan/cook for 200 people...

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...cook-for-planning-smoking-q-view-huge-success

gary s · Feb 8, 2015

Congrats on your upcoming wedding, Just don't get too wrapped up in your cooking or you will look around and one of your groomsman will have run off with you bride !!!

Gary

tenthjester65 · Feb 8, 2015

Im only cooking for about 60 and im not really dping all the cooking mostly my frind is

kolky · Feb 9, 2015

Mdboatbum said:
As one who has attempted this folly and thankfully been talked out of it, I'm going to tell you to get that foolish idea out of your head right this very instant.
You'll have enough to worry about. Your Bride will be in full on Tasmanian Devil mode, and it'll be a full time job keeping her from blowing a gasket. In addition, you'll have last minute things that need to be dealt with, family issues to smooth over and all manner of little fires to put out. If it was just you throwing a party, sure cooking for a hundred or so folks is easy. But it isn't just you. In fact, and this might come as a shock, but it isn't about you at all. Notice how your fiancé kees referring to it as "My Wedding"? There's a reason for that. You're just there to do the heavy lifting and to fill the tux for the pictures.
Do yourself, your bride and everyone else involved a favor get someone else to do the cooking. If you can't swing a caterer (and I get that, weddings are way too expensive as it is) get a friend or family member to do it.
It's your wedding my friend, hopefully the only one you'll ever have. Relax, delegate, and have a good time.

THIS!!!!

As someone who has been through it twice you do not want to do your own cooking. The day is stressful and a blur as is. You don't want to add any additional duties to it.

gary s · Feb 9, 2015

I second that, Get one of your friends to tend the pit or have it catered

Gary

jirodriguez · Feb 9, 2015

If you have a vacuum sealer you can do all the smoking way in advance and freeze it. Then about 4-5 days before the wedding move it to the fridge, then day of all your friend has to do is drop the bags of meat into a pot of hot (but not quite simmering) water till the meat is hot. Cut open bag and dump in pan, serve sauce on the side. That will save you a lot of headache - from the missus beating you over the head for trying to do it the day of the wedding!

susieqz · Feb 9, 2015

look, doing it ahead isn't cheating. i personally think butt is better the next day or two.

no quality loss at all.

kc5tpy · Feb 9, 2015

Hello. CONGRATS!

You are answering your own questions. As you said neither you NOR your friend has the experience to pull this off. An offset smoker is NOT the easiest smoker to use at best of times; I KNOW, used one for years! I did the engagement party for the daughter on my offset which was same as your offset. I have about 40 yrs. experience. I had ZERO stress or problems BUT I still missed most of the party. Daughter had to come out and see me at the smoker. PLEASE let this idea go. She will hold you responsible for the rest of your life if ANYTHING goes wrong. You don't want to live with that. FIND/HIRE someone who can make this happen for you.

ALL it takes for this to turn bad is for there to be ZERO breeze on the day, or rain. With the offset you describe if you have no breeze you are in trouble. If rain you have to put the offset under cover and that MAY cut the breeze. NO AIR FLOW NO HEAT! "Turn the vent into the wind. No wind. Get a fan! Temp is still falling. Ribs needs another hour. We need to serve in 30 minutes. People are grumbling they are hungry. Pre-cooked butt is not re-heated yet. Some of the chicken is still red in the center. Your bride is asking where you are, time for your dance."

DO NOT GO THERE!

Just my humble opinion. Keep Smokin!

Danny

bmaddox · Feb 10, 2015

I have to agree with everyone here. Either don't do it yourself or make everything in advance so you are just reheating. My in-laws catered my wedding (the owned a BBQ restaurant at the time) and that was still a headache. I couldn't have imagined trying to prep the food myself then have a friend finish cooking. If you rent some catering equipment to keep the food warm and cook everything in advance you might be able to pull it off.

My sister-in-law hired a local BBQ restaurant to cater her wedding and it was surprisingly cheap compared to a stand alone catering company (less than $20 per person).

You might want to try and find a friend or family member that works at a restaurant and have them find a cook you can hire for the day. My wife's brother was waiting tables at the time so he rounded up a bunch of servers and we paid them cash to work the wedding.

dannylang · Feb 10, 2015

DO NOT DO IT, YOURE BRIDE IS WORTH MORE THAN THAT....

dannylang

superdave · Feb 10, 2015

My biggest suggestion would be to not smoke your meats to completion. Full smoker cook takes way longer. Give everything a few hours of smoke and foil wrap to finish in an oven. It will be a huge relief in stress management. Cooking for 60 is pretty easy, a couple of butts and a couple of briskets with lots of sides and you are good.

ironhorse07 · Feb 10, 2015

When we had our BBQ business we did our fair share of weddings just taking care of the food you never saw the ceremony. We cooked as much in advance as possible and it's almost always still a race to the finish. If you and your friend don't have any experience with this, now is not the time to cut your teeth on it. 60 people doesn't sound like that many but on that we would cook for 100 to make sure everyone got fed. I have to side with the don't do it yourself camp.

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