Amount of Meat/Total Time

[trabba]

I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to this but I just want confirmation as this is the first time I am smoking for a larger crowd. I'm smoking a 9 pound butt and rolling 2 fatty's this Saturday. I plan to put the butt on around 5am and smoke it in the 250 - 275 range, probably closer to the higher end and then put the fatty's on around 10am to be done in 3-4 hours. My questions is, will the overall volume of meat affect the total smoking time at all and if so, how significantly? Thanks.

 

[bmaddox]

Yes and no. Depends on the smoker. If you are filling up a large smoker than the thermal mass of the cold meat will put more strain on the smoker. If it is a large smoker and that amount of meat is nothing compared to the total capacity than each item should cook in roughly the time it would if it was by itself. 

 

[chef jimmyj]

They are going in different times. So short of the temp drop from opening the door to add the Fatties, there will be little impact, 20-30 minutes tops. Now adding 6 Fatties, that amount of cold meat can cause a longer recovery and add some time...JJ

 

[trabba]

Thanks for the confirmations. I'm using a WSM 18.5.