4 Butts in MES 30

[Jonok]

Betcha all the beer you’d care to drink of an evening, that they’ll be done by noon...

 

[johngolf01]

Well everyone. Apparently smoking 4 butts at once isnt slower, it is FASTER! Much Faster!!!!

Well, totally didnt see this one coming.

So luckily I use a wireless thermometer, and had my chamber temp monitored and set to alarm at 275.

I'm getting ready and setting things up inside and I hear beeping...beeps beep beep? I'm like, where the hell is that coming from because no way in hell its my smoker alarm!

Welp... it was reading 295.... WTF!!!! I Look outside and see excessive smoke billowing out the fully open vent.

Ok, I run outside pop the door open and it's full on grease fire... AMNPS plus rendered pork fat plus heat source.... I run and get water and douse the fire. Luckily caught it probably 2 minutes after it started or it could have been bad news.

This was a few hours ago. Butts are happily resting in the oven now at 275... caught it quick enough where they didnt burn either....

So.... lesson learned. Aluminum disposable pan near heating element with loads of rendered pork fat, bad Idea.

Smoker appears unharmed, I cleaned it a bit and am running it overnight empty with door cracked.

 

[johngolf01]

For those that care.... IT is about 180F. Oven set @ 220F. Hopefully 205 at 2 PM although I'm guessing sooner.

 

[Jabiru]

Wow! Lucky you caught that damn fat fire and saved the meat.

You pushed the limits and come through grinning = result.

I sometimes use a pressure cooker to finish if in a mad rush, pulled pork comes out great.

Glad it worked out for you.

 

[johngolf01]

Double wrapped in aluminum foil and tightly fit into a cooler. 4 butts, will stay in cooler for 5 to 6 hours.

 

[solman]

So is that around 20 hours cook time for 4 pieces of 7-8lb butts?

 

[Bearcarver]

Well everyone. Apparently smoking 4 butts at once isnt slower, it is FASTER! Much Faster!!!!

Well, totally didnt see this one coming.

So luckily I use a wireless thermometer, and had my chamber temp monitored and set to alarm at 275.

I'm getting ready and setting things up inside and I hear beeping...beeps beep beep? I'm like, where the hell is that coming from because no way in hell its my smoker alarm!

Welp... it was reading 295.... WTF!!!! I Look outside and see excessive smoke billowing out the fully open vent.

Ok, I run outside pop the door open and it's full on grease fire... AMNPS plus rendered pork fat plus heat source.... I run and get water and douse the fire. Luckily caught it probably 2 minutes after it started or it could have been bad news.

This was a few hours ago. Butts are happily resting in the oven now at 275... caught it quick enough where they didnt burn either....

So.... lesson learned. Aluminum disposable pan near heating element with loads of rendered pork fat, bad Idea.

Smoker appears unharmed, I cleaned it a bit and am running it overnight empty with door cracked.

Yup---You lucked out!
4 Butts in an MES 30 is really pushing it.
I have an MES 40, and I never do more than 2 at once (usually 1).
And I never use the bottom rack for meat, because it's too close to the heating elements.
And in my 6 rack MES, I never use either of the bottom 2 racks.

In the future, if you must do 4 Butts, you could do 2 in the MES 30, and 2 in the oven & crockpot.
Then you could mix them all together to spread the Smoke flavor throughout. Just an Idea!

Bear

 

[johngolf01]

So is that around 20 hours cook time for 4 pieces of 7-8lb butts?

Depends on your cooking vessel an temp.

The switch to the oven really sped up the cooking time!

If the MES was used the whole way, I'd say it'd been more like 24 to 26h

 

[johngolf01]

Yup---You lucked out!
4 Butts in an MES 30 is really pushing it.
I have an MES 40, and I never do more than 2 at once (usually 1).
And I never use the bottom rack for meat, because it's too close to the heating elements.
And in my 6 rack MES, I never use either of the bottom 2 racks.

In the future, if you must do 4 Butts, you could do 2 in the MES 30, and 2 in the oven & crockpot.
Then you could mix them all together to spread the Smoke flavor throughout. Just an Idea!

Bear

Thanks for the Ideas! Yeah definitely learned its limitations today.... wont repeat this mistake.

I think having the tray to catch the drippings was my downfall... it was to close to the heating element

 

[uncle eddie]

Damn dude! MES30 and 4 - count 'em - 4 butts.

You got them done and only had one small fire hahaha. I put a "like" on the fire thread - so glad you saw it early!

Great story to tell at supper.