2 butts

[Pete Vance]

I have not been on for a while. I really haven't had the opportunity to do much smoking in while. I am going to smoke a couple of butts for a reunion and I was wondering about the cook times. I am using a SM18 with two racks. I was thinking that if I cook one but on each rack the cook time should be about the same as cooking only one butt. Am I right about this?

When I smoke a 11# butt it takes 10- 13 hours depending on how high I keep the heat. Thanks in advance, Pete

 

[chilerelleno]

Yes, it's about the same amount of time, as long as you don't put them in right out of the fridge, they'd be a big heat sink together.
And I'd either crutch or crank the heat up to push through the combined evaporative cooling of their stalls.

 

[motocrash]

Just did 3 the other weekend on a WSM 18 @Bags101 house,two on top rack,one on bottom.Took 14 Hrs with a Flame Boss set @249*.Full ring,minion, Kingsturd charcoal,had to add some toward the end.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I Just did two Butts a few days ago; injected and all. One was a bit smaller, but the total time was only maybe an hour more then it normally would have been for the big one.

 

[one eyed jack]

I wish that I could smoke a butt in a little over an hour a pound. Mine tend to take 2 hours per pound. (No wrapping and about 250* smoke chamber temp).

I have had a few take around an hour and a half per pound but they were the exception, not the rule.

Haven't tried a "high heat" butt, yet. Maybe it's time.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I wish that I could smoke a butt in a little over an hour a pound. Mine tend to take 2 hours per pound. (No wrapping and about 250* smoke chamber temp).

I have had a few take around an hour and a half per pound but they were the exception, not the rule.

Haven't tried a "high heat" butt, yet. Maybe it's time.

I run most of mine through at 225f..but lets be honest, if it's midnight when I put the suckers on..well. I''ve basically had to put the smoker up to 240f-250f or higher to finish them before it's midnight again. I have yet to see a butt I've done go under 14 hours. <Which is fine for me but hey>

 

[gmc2003]

You should be fine, as stated above the only difference will be with the recovery time of your smoker.

Chris

 

[SmokinAl]

Well sounds like the guys have you covered!
Keep us posted & good luck!
Al

 

[Pete Vance]

it will be a while before I will be fixing them. Just wanted to get some advice early.

 

[zwiller]

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. Just finished smoking 7butts at various temps and techs and far preferred 275F simply due to speed. That said, never had one finish anywhere near the times I see posted (8-10). One butt is usually 12-16hours. One time I did 2 butts in MES and took 25.5hrs @ 275F. To me, you have to balance speed with bark. Wrapping speeds it up and hastens bark and vice versa. I wrap after the bark is good around 180F but some may prefer the really crunchy bark and you cannot wrap to get that but will add a few more hours. If you don't like bark at all, go ahead and wrap at the stall 150Fish and you could be done quite fast.

 

[chilerelleno]

Plan for perfection.
Be prepared for the worst.
And finish in between with pretty damned good.

Plan on 2hrs per lb and you'll have breathing room, if it finishes faster it's just extra resting time, which is good.