Question on smoking temps.

[akdutchguy]

Walt,
Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I usually err on the long side planning a cook. If they get done early you can always wrap in towels. And put in a cooler. Might need to be a big cooler for 8 butts. Good luck on the cook. Take some pics.
Jason

 

[hardcookin]

YES this absolutely helps...Exactly the information I was looking for.
I'm cooking 8 butts for a benefit on site and the property owner is suddenly balking at my needing to be there all night Wednesday, or at least by 3:00 am...So I need to shorten my cook times...10 hour smoke time is doable 12-14, not so much.
Thanks
Walt

Some things you need to account for is when you add 8 butts it will take a little while for your smoker to get back to temp.
You could go higher with your temp when your warming up. Which would mean less recovery time.
Looks like you covered a few of the other things in your first post.

 

[noboundaries]

When I'm cooking for friends who have smokers, or for my wife and I these days, I go low n' slow and do not wrap.  This is new for me while I'm deciding if I'm retired or not.  I have lots of time.   

For large groups of non-smokers, I go 300°F+, wrap at 180°-185°F IT with a splash of apple cider until 200°-205°F, then rest wrapped for a couple hours.  8-9 lb butts are usually off the smoker in 6-8 hours.  Wrapping at the higher internal temp, just a bit past the stall, I still get a bit of bark even though it is wrapped.  I also capture juices I can add back to the meat.

It isn't unusual to see the smoker spike to 400°F+ when I'm wrapping the meat.  The air feeds the fire.  Once it is wrapped, it doesn't matter.  Just helps it finish more quickly. 

 

[jokensmoken]

Good point, thanks..I've done 8 butts at a time on several occasions, just not with time restraints. I'm cooking on site and doors open at
6:00pm...When I said I'd be there the night before and sleep in my truck the property owner balked a little so I'm trying to be as accommodation as possible without sacrificing quality.
Walt

 

[jokensmoken]

Thanks sir...Real good info...Exactly the good stuff Ive come to expect on this forum...There's so many different techniques it's never a bad idea to seek advice from those who've had success...I've been warned about sugar content in my rubs and a burn factor at higher temps...As you've had some experience at higher temp smokes do you have any experience or advice in this area.
I can simply cut back on the sugar in my rub and use a little sweeter finishing sauce if sugar is problematic at the higher temps.
Any advice is appreciated.
Walt.

 

[noboundaries]

I have cut back the sugar significantly, whether low n'slow or hot n' fast. If my meat eaters like a sweeter meat, I add raw sugar after it is pulled.

 

[gr0uch0]

So at the end of this exercise, joken, I think you're safe in taking whatever you're used to temp-wise, bumping the temp up (or down), and then taking the time that your normal cook would take, and bumping it by the same percentage (up or down).  Obviously different smokers play into a variant, as does outside temp, humidity, wind, etc., but I think it bears out as a pretty good rule of thumb for your specific smoker.  Thanks for making me think about this, as it will certainly come into play for me as well.  Good luck with your upcoming cook!

 

[jokensmoken]

Thanks...I'll keep good notes and take plenty of pics and let everyone know what I learn and experience...Most of my big smokes are planned around a weekend and time isn't really an issue...I just put the butts or brisket on at midnight the night before and eat when she's done.
If I'm going to branch out into doing or participating in one day events I'm gonna have to learn some of the " hotter and faster" techniques.

 

[jokensmoken]

Just wanted to update.
Sorry no Qview my camera is useless.
Thursday morning I smoked 8 butts in the 8-9 pound range (about 70 pounds) in about 11 hours.
Everybody's advice on how to smoke hotter and faster was invaluable.

And, YES Groucho...if you've kept good logs on cooking times and temps...you're math is pretty darn close...

And noboundries...I tried wrapping for the first time on two larger butts I was a little concerned about finishing in time and they finished 1.5 hours quicker than the smallest 7 1/2 pounder and I could barely tell a difference...thanks...I'm going to be doing alot more butts for large groups this way.
Thanks again everybody, we raised almost $3000.00 at our fundraiser for a young mother needing an expensive double lung transplant.

Walt

 

[hardcookin]

Just wanted to update.
Sorry no Qview my camera is useless.
Thursday morning I smoked 8 butts in the 8-9 pound range (about 70 pounds) in about 11 hours.
Everybody's advice on how to smoke hotter and faster was invaluable.

And, YES Groucho...if you've kept good logs on cooking times and temps...you're math is pretty darn close...

And noboundries...I tried wrapping for the first time on two larger butts I was a little concerned about finishing in time and they finished 1.5 hours quicker than the smallest 7 1/2 pounder and I could barely tell a difference...thanks...I'm going to be doing alot more butts for large groups this way.
Thanks again everybody, we raised almost $3000.00 at our fundraiser for a young mother needing an expensive double lung transplant.

Walt

Good to see your cook was a success! Also looks like your smoke was a learning experience. Thumbs Up