Need Plan of Attack Help

Unknown

All right Eggheads, my brand new large BGE is in route to my KC house. My first outing with the egg will be a pork butt, a brisket, and some sausage. How should I plan to smoke all these at once? The pork butt will obviously take the longest, anyone out there smoked all these at once and have advice.[p]Thanks In Advance,[p]one eggstatic new BGE owner named BOB

jwitheld

Bob Crane,
what is the consumption plan?
if we know when your gonna eat we can go back to plan the cook.

Unknown

I plan on eating around 3:00 or 4:00 with about 11 people.

Steve-B

Bob Crane,[p]3 or 4pm today?

Nature Boy

Bob Crane,
That is a heck of a first outing, but it is doable. If you have the materials to set up a 2 level cook you could do the brisket on the bottom, the pork butt on top. When the butt and brisket are done (should not be that much difference in the times), remove them, wrap in foil and retire to a warm cooler for a couple hours while you prep and cook the sausages. If the butt and brisket are running late, you could do the sausages around the edges of the grate (depending on how many you are cooking).[p]As long as there is good airflow around both the brisket and the butt, you should be good. Hanging the drip pan below the main grate will give you plenty of space.[p]Just what I would do if I only had one cooker. I admire your guts to dive in and go for it. Last suggestion is to allow plenty of time for the butt and brisket. Having them done 5 hours early is so much better than 30 minutes late.[p]Good luck! And have fun.
Chris

Unknown

[p]No 3 or 4 pm on a Sat. in the future!!!!![p]

Unknown

Nature Boy,[p]Could I do this overnite?? What are we looking at time wise, 10 hours if say the butt and brisket are 5-7 pounds??

Mark Backer

Bob Crane,[p]If you do it right, an eight pound butt should take about 18 hours. If you want to eat in the afternoon on a saturday, the answer for the butts and brisket is to put them on about 22 hours before you want to eat, then wrap in foil, towels and a cooler until it's time to eat. [p]Like someone else said, it's better to be ready four hours early than 30 minutes late...

Nature Boy

Bob Crane,
I am thinkin more like allowing 15 hours for your cook. If it is done early, there is always the warm cooler. Sure it can be done overnight, but don't make the all-too-common mistake of sleeping through the night and hoping your cooker is still at 250 in the mornin! Setting your alarm for every couple hours will help you avoid making the proverbial post "My fire went out and the meat temp was 100 when I woke up....should I throw it out or eat it?"[p]Good luck!
Chris

Unknown

Thanks to all for the help. Theis forum kicks ASS[p]BOB

katman

Bob Crane,
Sounds like you are a full speed ahead type of guy, Bob. You need a good cooler of brews for tonight, but put your egg together before you drink too many. Also, calibrate the thermometer. I just picked up a small egg saturday and the thermometer was only about 10 degrees off. When I got my second large egg the thermometer was about 70 degrees off, on the low side. Nature Boy gave you the stacking plan. Just don't rush bringing the temp up to where you want it, and get it stable. Follow the Minion method for loading your lump. Get your meat on, kick back and sip a few. Take a nap. Don't keep checking on the progress. If your temp is stable your biggest challenge will be waiting until your meat is ready to pull.

sprinter

Mark Backer,[p]Man, what temps are you cooking the butt at to get 18 hours on the cook? An 8 pounder, if it were me, would take about 13-14 at the MOST. Not questioning your methods or the soundness of the advice, you just may want to share the cooking temp. I typically cook butts at about 235-245. Just curious. And I agree 100% with you and NB about being done early as opposed to late. Those darn coolers/foil/towels have saved me more than once.[p]Have a great one.[p]Troy

Sigmore

Bob Crane,
No Bob, it kicks BUTT.

Unknown

katman,[p]How do you calibrate the thermometer???[p]Thanks,[p]Bob

Steve-B

Bob Crane,[p]Follow this link. This is the Whiz's FAQ. Tons of great info including building a grid extender (sounds like it might help in your first big cook)

[ul][li]Naked Whiz's Cermaic FAQ[/ul]

Mark Backer

sprinter,[p]My 8 pounders at 225-250 dome take about 17 - 18 hours. Of course, i've had a couple of fires die, but I think if it's happened more than once, it's important to factor that stuff in...