Smoking 5 butts, help please!

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husker3in4

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Feb 24, 2015
212
24
A friend asked me to help her out with food for an anniversary party. I will need to smoke about 5, 8lb butts. I have smoked many butts, but only one at a time. I was hoping some of you seasoned smoke vets could help me out.

First question, how much should I figure each person may eat? 1/4lb per person? 1/3 lb per person? 1/2 lb per person? From what I know, there will also be chicken there as a main dish, so there will be another option.

Second, how much should I expect to lose in the smoking process? I.E. and 8lb butt will weigh how much when its done smoking?

Third, I know pork butts can vary in smoking time (its done when its done!) but should I assume that 5 butts at once would take longer than just one butt in the smoker?

Ideally Id like to smoke them all and bring them to her, wrapped in foil, towels and in a cooler for shredding.

Alternately, I could smoke up a couple at a time, shred and keep in foil pans for reheat.

What do you suggest?
 
Last edited:
 
A friend asked me to help her out with food for an anniversary party. I will need to smoke about 5, 8lb butts. I have smoked many butts, but only one at a time. I was hoping some of you seasoned smoke vets could help me out.

First question, how much should I figure each person may eat? 1/4lb per person? 1/3 lb per person? 1/2 lb per person? From what I know, there will also be chicken there as a main dish, so there will be another option.

An 8 lb butt should easily feed 20 people, especially with the chicken.

Second, how much should I expect to lose in the smoking process? I.E. and 8lb butt will weigh how much when its done smoking?

Probably about 5 lbs.

Third, I know pork butts can vary in smoking time (its done when its done!) but should I assume that 5 butts at once would take longer than just one butt in the smoker?

Not really, just a little longer to get the smoker temp up & stabilized. Once you have your temp they will take the same amount of time as 1 butt. So maybe an hour longer total.

Ideally Id like to smoke them all and bring them to her, wrapped in foil, towels and in a cooler for shredding.

Alternately, I could smoke up a couple at a time, shred and keep in foil pans for reheat.

What do you suggest?

Smoke them all at once.
 
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SmokinAl Pretty much covered it.
If you have room smoke all of the butts at once. It's a lot less hassle and less time.
8lb butt will give you about a 1/2 pan full of pulled pork.
 
Last edited:
A friend asked me to help her out with food for an anniversary party. I will need to smoke about 5, 8lb butts. I have smoked many butts, but only one at a time. I was hoping some of you seasoned smoke vets could help me out.

First question, how much should I figure each person may eat? 1/4lb per person? 1/3 lb per person? 1/2 lb per person? From what I know, there will also be chicken there as a main dish, so there will be another option.

Second, how much should I expect to lose in the smoking process? I.E. and 8lb butt will weigh how much when its done smoking?

Third, I know pork butts can vary in smoking time (its done when its done!) but should I assume that 5 butts at once would take longer than just one butt in the smoker?


Ideally Id like to smoke them all and bring them to her, wrapped in foil, towels and in a cooler for shredding.

Alternately, I could smoke up a couple at a time, shred and keep in foil pans for reheat.

What do you suggest?

Not sure how many people but I did 8 butts for a work party for roughly 90 people and I had a ton leftover. Alot depends on other sides as well. Cooking all at once is what I would do but plan for longer time cooking.
 
Base time on the largest cut of meat in the smoker. Example 8 lb butt 12 hours at 275f while cooking 4 7 lb or just monitor IT ( my suggestion ) . 40 lb of butt should not take 60 hrs to cook.
 
40 raw pork X .5 (50% yield) = 20lbs Pulled Pork X 16oz per pound = 320oz / 4oz portions = 80 1/4Lb Sandwiches. You will likely have more depending on how picky you are about removing fat. Al got it pretty close 8Lbs yields 16 1/4lb sandwiches but 25% may opt out for chicken so 8Lbs for 20 guests is reasonable...JJ
icon14.gif
  Points to Al!
 
thanks for the replies! We have decided it would be best to smoke them the day before, shred them and put them in aluminum pans, cover and refrigerate.  That way all they would need to do is heat them up. Now the question is, how to reheat? Im guessing placing the aluminum pans (covered in foil) in the oven at about 300 for about 20-30 mins? Should they add a little water before heating? What do you pros think? The pans I would use would be 13x9.
 
thanks for the replies! We have decided it would be best to smoke them the day before, shred them and put them in aluminum pans, cover and refrigerate.  That way all they would need to do is heat them up. Now the question is, how to reheat? Im guessing placing the aluminum pans (covered in foil) in the oven at about 300 for about 20-30 mins? Should they add a little water before heating? What do you pros think? The pans I would use would be 13x9.
When I did it we used nescos amd added little water or even sprite/apple juice works as well. Mine had to stay warm throughout the day as people on different shifts ate at different times. If eating at once then oven would work well.

Good luck
 
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