Help in too deep

[poindexter]

Okay so I offered to smoke some pork butt's for a friend. then I find out there are 200 people!!!

So I have a UDS I built with two 22.5 inch (webber grills) worth of cooking space...

I have no idea how many pork butt's I can fit or how many I will need to cook for this many people!

They want enough meat for 1\2 pound per person... can it be done and if so HOW???????????

 

[tom37]

Wow!!!!!

Your drum should fit 4 at a time, well mine will fit that many but I have a domed lid also. I don't do enough to give ya an exact number but I would say that you are going to need several loads in the drum.

When does it all have to be ready?

Do you have means to rewarm it if needed? 

These are the questions the veterans are going to ask. And several more I'm sure.

The best of  luck to ya. 

 

[poindexter]

Yes I have a raised lid also with two levels to smoke on so I guess I should be able to fit 8 butt's at a time then...

meat needs to be ready for cunsumption next saturday at 6pm.

I have no means to re warm I was just planning on keeping it in the cooler for a couple hours I was hoping to do it on in one smoke... Is it possable?

 

[michael ark]

Sounds like its time for a bigger smoker. If moneys tight just make one out of cinder blocks and expaned metal . Not sure if i seen it here or i think that it was on you tube .

ave mone compered to large smoker. just a thought .Make sure blocks are verry dry. water in them explodes when it turns to steamand cant get out.

 

[venture]

Well, that is a big butt order?  Isn't it?  How often do you have to do that much?  That might be the factor in whether you need a bigger smoker.

If you just need a new toy, I would understand.  But if you are married.....?????

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Poindexter, I often do big one,I have a 200 person wedding to do for the Son in April. I do the cooking ahead of time,pull(if Pork) and reheat in the oven,I pour all the juices in to help keep it moist.I have several large slow cookers and several buffet pans I use with Sterno.My Brisket I leave in the foil I used to cool them,while reheating, then into a cooler(s).I slice the brisket just before serving and it always turns out great.And I enjoy doing the "chef carving station thing"

You could about the same thing with the aluminum buffet pans and they comne with sterno , probably get them at GFC, or some other rest. food service co.

You'll be all right,so go on and jump in and scratch your way to their hearts.and as always.

 

[smokinstevo27]

From my experience an 8 lb butt generally yields about 20 decent sandwiches. Thats not taking into account the fact that the amount of yield can vary from one smoke to the next. With that being said I would grab about a 100 lbs worth of boston butt to be on the safe side, start a couple days in advance, use the reheating methods explained above and pray for reimbursment and undying gratitude!

 

[rp ribking]

Lately, I have been losing 50 percent of raw weight, so if I were to smoke for this many people I would smoke 200lbs of butts. If you can get 10lb butts then that would be 20 butts, the way to go. You will need 100lbs of finished weight for 1/2lb sammie's. Seems like large sammies to me. Might want to take 3 days off of work.

 Sounds like a challenge, I'm in. 

 

[DanMcG]

I have to agree with RibKing, you have to figure on a weight lose of 50%,  so 200 pounds of butt will give ya 1/2 pound per person. I'm thinking 1/4 pound per person is what is usually figured. but if that's what they want, go for it.

You didn't mention if you're pulling it or slicing?

I'd be looking for a volunteer with a large smoker to help

 

[onoku]

Wow. Sounds like a bit too much for one man to handle to me. If I were in your shoes, as soon as he told me 200 I would have retracted my offer. He probably should have told you that up from IMO.

 

[tom37]

Lately, I have been losing 50 percent of raw weight, so if I were to smoke for this many people I would smoke 200lbs of butts. If you can get 10lb butts then that would be 20 butts, the way to go. You will need 100lbs of finished weight for 1/2lb sammie's. Seems like large sammies to me. Might want to take 3 days off of work.

 Sounds like a challenge, I'm in. 

    In my opinion, you arn't going to have real good luck with both racks full. Thats just to much cold meat and rotating them is gonna be a pain.

Maybe think about making another drum of put out a plee for help from friends, family and fellow smokers.

The wedding I did, I cooked everything ahead of time, rested, pulled and packaged in vac bags with all the juice. Frig or freezer, sounds like the frig will work for you. And then on serve day I used pans of boiling water to set the vac bags in to warm. Also had some in the microwave, and I even had to open some bags and dump them into pans with the juice and cover them in the oven.

When I did it, the cooking was the easy part. The prep the day of the event was the rough part, I had three helpers to get it all ready.

Like I said, I did mine the weeks before cause I didnt want to gamble on the stall and have it not ready.

Good Luck. 

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Don't worry to much ,my friend, Butts are very forgiving,with everything we all went over you should have a lot of fun with it so

.

You may also want to start organizing your tools,spices,pots/pans, fuel and whatnot,you know , like the Wife would like you to do it

LOL

Keep us posted with Q-view and remember to;

 

[smokinstevo27]

Whoa, I must have mised the 1/2 lb part my first go round. Maybe the person you were asked by is not clear on how much meat that is. 1/4 lb sammies are plenty and thats more what I based my advice on. The other thing you could think about is starting the butts in the smoker, let them take on smoke and finish in the oven. That way you can keep it going in one session.

 

[ugaboz]

good luck

 

[DanMcG]

. The other thing you could think about is starting the butts in the smoker, let them take on smoke and finish in the oven. .

Excellent idea Stevo, I've done this but not with that much meat.

 

[tom37]

 The other thing you could think about is starting the butts in the smoker, let them take on smoke and finish in the oven.

I second that!!!   Not sure how that slipped my mind but it did. Superb idea. 4 in the drum and 4 in the oven, the time the first oven batch is finished the ones on the drum will be ready for the oven and so on. 

 

[smokinstevo27]

The biggest batch I ever cooked was six. I would start them in the smoker and take them to around 165, by that time the bark is really forming and the butt isn't going to take on any more smoke anyway. I just took them at that point and pu them in the oven and repeated the process. As far as PD's reheating worries go IMHO you shouldn't have any as long as you have a couple of cheap coolers and some old towels. Them puppies will stay hot in the cooler for a long time. I've pulled a butt from the cooler after six hours and found it still piping hot.

 

[rp ribking]

Poindexter,

So how did it work out?

 

[poindexter]

Oh sorry you guys Ive been so busy just sanded down and re painted my UDS it's looking nice!
So the job went well I actually did 74 pounds of pork butts that was 10 butts, unfortunately only 8 would fit on my smoker so I kind of cheated and cooked the there two in a crock pot and then pulled the meat and mixed it with the other smoked butts! Came out great! Thanks for all the tips! I guess I know how many butts I can fit on my smoker so if I ever need to do more I will smoke them then do another batch! So thanks again!