How Many Pork Butts Will fit in My Large BGE

Kinger

I am cooking some butts this weekend and am wondering how many I can cook at once[p]JNK

Mik of Alaska

JNK,
I'm not going to swear to this but I believe that someone else asked the same question a whilw back and I do believe someone sent a picture with 2 butts on a raised grill with platesetter and 2 more on top of them with the grill extender and they had no problems at all. I wish I could have gotten my share of them. Hope this helps but if not maybe someone else can be of more help. Mik

Snoopy Dog Dog

<p />JNK,[p]Most I've ever done on a large is four ten pounders at a time using a grid extender,two on the bottom and two on top. It was pretty cramped inside, so I try to keep it to three which fits pretty well.[p]Chris

Unknown

JNK,[p]I have good results with up to about 32-34 pounds of meat in the large Egg. Of course, you can get more in there but I don't feel it will cook well. You still need to have a good flow thru the cooker at all times for the best results and you can get it too full. With butts, I do 4 large or 6 small and they always come out good. [p][p]The above picture is four large butts in the 8 pound range and ready to go on the cooker and this cook does well. [p][p]This picture is with four smaller butts and I think they weighed about 5-6 pounds each. I couldn't find a picture of 6 butts on the cooker but I think you can see that there is enough room for 6 small butts. [p]Dave[p]

jake42

Snoopy Dog Dog,
Cool.
When you do that do you have to move the meat around while they are cooking? Or does the top get done at the same time as the bottom?

fishlessman

<p />JNK,
just to remention something that old dave said, if there is too much meat in there it will restrict the air flow. this 2 large butt, 2 brisket cook was difficult. to maintain the temps i had the lower vent wide open and the daisy off. as the cook progressed and the meat started to shrink the air flow increased and i had to constantly adjust to keep temps down. at the start of the cook the butts were touching the dome and severely restricted the air flow. not much sleep on this cook and dont know if the guru would of helped. i think 4 large butts would be max, and i would probably want them to be boneless to increase the space around them

Smoked Signals

JNK,
I do 2 + 2 all the time. Look for 2 smoooshed butts for the bottom and 2 normal butts for the top. The grid extender usually ends up resting on the bottom ones until they start to render. I think the most weight I have had is (4) 8.5 or about 34 lbs. I keep a probe in the top butt and one in the bottom butt .. usually the smallest ones. They usually finish within the same hour. It is a mass of meat when you put all those butts in the same cooker. Make sure you grid extender is clean top and bottom. Eventually I'll move a picture of 4 butts onto the web. I know that Naked Whiz has a picture of 4 butts on a Large.[p]Snoop Dogs post are picnics .. they have more bone, grissel and other stuff. I think they have a more meaty flavor but they are messy to pull.[p]my 2 cents
Doug

Eggecutioner

JNK,[p]I did 7 at one time. I don't know if I would do that many at once again. I made my own stacker, thinking I could fit 10. I was wrong.
Here are 10 butts; rubbed and ready. If the fire ring was half the height, I think the lid would have closed.


Here is the 10 one the egg, lid wouldn't close.

This is after I had taken 1 off of the egg. There were 4 on top and 3 on the bottom. Air flow was a problem until they shrunk a little.


The Egg was destroyed after I got all the pork out. I actually pulled the pan, added more lump and put the three butts on that wouldn't fit.


This is the result of the first 7 butts. I (we) pulled these while the other three were still cooking. The bag in the center has 2.5 pounds in it. I have to tell you, that is alot of work pulling 7 butts.
[p]

JimboBQ

fishlessman,
I'm thinking about doing 4 butts tonight. What do you think about standing the butts on end just on the main grid? This would eliminate the need for the raised 2nd grid. I've done 3 butts before, 2 on the bottom and one on the raised grid. I think my cooking time would increase due to the meat touching. Of course, I'd need a larger drip pan. What do you think about doing it this way?[p]Thanks,
Jimbo

Smoked Signals

Eggecutioner,
What air flow ?? WOW !! That is a serious mass of meat. I'm right there with you from experience on pulling multiple butts. I do 4 on my large and 2 on my medium ... 6 butts is some serious time and energy (before and after) Not to mention burnt hands.[p]You should sell some of those vaccuum packed bages ... are they gallon size?[p]Doug

fishlessman

JimboBQ,
the only thing that might pose a problem is that the meat towards the outer edges might be overhanging the platesetter. i dont have one of those, but you would be cooking direct on the outer edges. dont think this would be to much of a problem as these are pretty forgiving anyways.

Unknown

Smoked Signals,[p]Those were home made size bags and were bigger than a gallon.[p]I was trying to get them all cooked at once, it was for a church function/fund raiser. So I guess I kinda did sell them..LOL[p]E

fishlessman

JNK,
one thing i havent tried or seen mentioned, is that if you used a long burning lump like wicked good, you could probably get away with removing the fire ring and cooking lower in the egg. this would give you more room for more meat

bigmikej

JimboBQ,
I do 4 butts (6-8 lbs ea) all the time. Inverted plate setter, drip pan, main grid, 2 butts, BGE grid extender, 2 butts. I just put the smaller butts on top. Amazingly, they usually all finish at about the same time.

locolongball

Snoopy Dog Dog,[p]Sorry to tell you, those are not butts! They are shoulders! LOL! (Little Okie Eggfest, inside joke!) Damn, you Bastards are going to make me cook up some pulled pork this weekend! See what you have done? :-)[p]Happy Egging!
Go Irish! [p]Loco, out!

GrillMeister

<p />JNK,[p]Like most of folks below, I have done up to 4 butts at a time on a large egg. I do not stack them though.[p]I love pulled pork on the egg![p]Cheers,[p]GrillMeister

Unknown

GrillMeister,
Wow, a little hungry eh?

Bama Egger

Old Dave,[p]How do you use indirect heat with this set up? Not Plate Setter used?[p]Paul

Unknown

Paul,[p]I don't use a plate setter with any setup except hearth baking. The picture of the four butts was taken before I added the drip pan under both layers of the meat. I have another picture and if you look close, I think you can see my drip pan on the lower grid extender.[p]Dave[p]

Snoopy Dog Dog

jake42,[p]I've always just left them alone and they all finish about the same time. You could rotate them if you like, but it's not necessary.[p]Chris