Question about volume of meat

[kingofbother]

I would like to smoke a lot of meat at one time. I have a Char-Griller and I've smoked 6 boston butts at one time. I would like to put 6 butts on the main cooking area and 3 more on the little rack above. If I do that how will that effect the cooking time, fuel consumption, etc? I have another question: When I smoke my butts they are awesome the day they are smoked. Has anyone else found a big difference in quality the next day? If so has anyone found a way to get the same day results in following days? I want to pre cook some butts to sell at a festival but the quality is not to my liking when I reheat the meat. Any ideas? Thanks. Matt

 

[pineywoods]

You shouldn't notice a big difference going from 6 butts to 9 I wouldn't think but I usually do use more fuel when I load the smoker up full. Personally I don't find much difference in the quality when reheating in fact I like it better reheated it seems after smelling the smoke all day I don't eat all that much the day I smoke it

 

[graybeard]

I wood think you could smoke nine for the price of six, butt you need to keep a check on the temperatures. The small top rack will be hotter for sure! Do you use a microwave for reheating? Some peeps say that pork is better the next day butt you just can't beat it off the grill.

beard

 

[kingofbother]

I do use the microwave most times. I'm trying something today. I have a picnic shoulder that I smoked yesterday. I foiled it and put it in the fridge last night. I'm going to warm it up tonight after work to see how it tastes. I may be able to prepare some shoulders a few days before and then warm them up in the smoker at the festival.

 

[mballi3011]

Now for your 6-9 dilemma you should be fine with that and yes you will use more fuel but not that much. You should also keep an eye on the meat temp difference between the top and bottom racks. You may need to shuffle them around. Now for the re-heating part it is the same dilemma that the restaurants have with drying out the meat trying to keep it hot for selling. I would somehow get a hot plate with some boiling water and used a pasta pot or and steamer of some sort. Now you can re-heat allot of meat pretty darn quickly and the meat always comes out really moist and more like the right off the smoker texture for me. Now the reason for your meat being a little more intense the day after it has to be that the meat just has more time for the smokey flavors to mingle with all the other meat parts.

 

[kingofbother]

I did an experiment last night. I had kept a foiled shoulder from the day before and put in the fridge last night. Last night I put it back on the smoker and 3 hours later it was at 160 degrees. I pulled it and the meat was very tender but not as juicy. My daughter thought it was better but my wife was not as impressed. I think it will due for my purposes. I'll mix it in with the fresh stuff.

 

[jirodriguez]

Wrap it in foil when you reheat it. That way you don't loose your moisture.

 

[kingofbother]

I failed to mention that I did leave it wrapped in foil. I think that my next test will be to smoke the meat in a foil pan to save the fat that is rendered off the shoulder. Then add it to the meat after/while it is reheated.