Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

How many butts on an XL?

Sitting here on my thinking chair pondering my upcoming annual BBQ at my house. Pre egg, I did 5 butts on 2 Weber kettles. I'm about 7 cooks into the egg and have figured out a few things but haven't done a test run on pork butt and my BBQ is less than 2 weeks away. I have time to do one on Friday. My questions are: a) how many 7-8# butts can I fit on my XL and cook properly, and b) how different is the egg likely to perform being loaded with butts vs just cooking 1? Extra credit: do you think it's even worth doing the test cook with one? Teacher's pet extra credit: is the only way to avoid high radiant heat from the platesetter (450° with dome temp at 300°) to use a raised drip pan?

Thanks in advance for your help!
When do y'all teach me the secret handshake?
XL BGE, 36" Blackstone, and a Wah Wah pedal
Williamsburg, VA

Comments

  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • bucky925
    bucky925 Posts: 2,029
    eww you post from the crown?  JK

    Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.

  • SmartyPantz
    SmartyPantz Posts: 145
    edited October 2017
    bucky925 said:
    eww you post from the crown?  JK
    I meant "in" not "on"....... or did I ?!?!?!

    When do y'all teach me the secret handshake?
    XL BGE, 36" Blackstone, and a Wah Wah pedal
    Williamsburg, VA
  • I have a large egg and did 2 butts at one time, and could have easily got a third one on there, roughly 7-8#s each. I would be surprised if you couldn't fit 5 on a XL but I wouldn't know, after that cook and one other where I cooked 1 6# butt I don't believe you need a trial run. As long as you are confident you can keep a steady temp setting you will be fine. Biggest thing I can tell you is wait til it probes like buttah (learned that on here), learned that after I cooked 2 at the same time how much a difference that makes. Waiting for the butts to get around 203 and the probe test made those way better than my first cook. for pulled pork.

    Cook time still fell into the 1.5-2 hour per pound range for me with 2 butts cooking, just like it did for 1 butt.

    Wouldn't blame you if you did a test run since you haven't cooked them on there before, but I don't think it is necessary. FWIW

    Much of what I have stated I learned on here, I'm sure more experienced people will be able to help out more.
    LBGE- North of Atlanta, Georgia.

    Hail Southern
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    You can fit 8 on an XL with a 2 tier setup. Pretty sure I posted it here somewhere. It's a tight fit, but it works.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • Durangler
    Durangler Posts: 1,122
    edited October 2017
    I've done 3 butts at one time ranging from 7# to 9#. Could have squeezed another on if needed. This was on the grid... no fancy Adjustable Rig.
    Stood them on end. Worked great.
    XL BGE, 22" Weber Red Head, Fiesta Gasser .... Peoria,AZ
  • R2Egg2Q
    R2Egg2Q Posts: 2,136
    Most I’ve seen was 8 (75#s total) on an adjustable rig and it was tight.  It may take a little longer than cooking 1 particularly if you really fill it.  I’d say a test cook is optional but not really needed.  A raised drip pan will help with the radiant heat and will catch a lot of drippings with a lot of butts in the Egg.

    This post might help: http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/comment/1550434#Comment_1550434
    XL, Large, Small, Mini Eggs, Shirley Fabrication 24x36 Patio, Humphrey's Weekender, Karubecue C-60, MAK 1-Star General, Hasty Bake Gourmet, Santa Maria Grill, Webers: 14" WSM, 22.5" OTG, 22.5" Kettle Premium, WGA Charcoal, Summit S-620 NG

    Bay Area, CA
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    How many do you NEED to cook?
    No, I would not do a test cook with 1 first.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    Drip pan, drip pan and drip pan.  Be sure to use one large enough and empty it over the course of the cook. 
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,795
    Recognize that when you put that much cold meat on the egg, your dome thermometer will be of marginal value at the start of the cook.  Depending on how close it is to the meat, it may read 150 or 175 when the butts on the lower grate are actually seeing a temp of 300+.  Set the vents at a setting that you know will put you in your temperature ballpark and be confident in them.  Throughout the cook, as the meat temp rises and the meat shrinks, the warm air will get to the dome thermometer better and its accuracy will get better.  

    If you feel you need one, you can put a thermometer on the grate for a better reading.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • johnnyp
    johnnyp Posts: 3,932
    Foghorn said:
    Recognize that when you put that much cold meat on the egg, your dome thermometer will be of marginal value at the start of the cook.  Depending on how close it is to the meat, it may read 150 or 175 when the butts on the lower grate are actually seeing a temp of 300+.  Set the vents at a setting that you know will put you in your temperature ballpark and be confident in them.  Throughout the cook, as the meat temp rises and the meat shrinks, the warm air will get to the dome thermometer better and its accuracy will get better.  

    If you feel you need one, you can put a thermometer on the grate for a better reading.

    Great advice.  Get your temp dialed in before adding the protein and don't try to chase temps.
    XL & MM BGE, 36" Blackstone - Newport News, VA
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    someone once did a 62 pound pig in a large, no problem with 5 butts in an xl, dont worry if they touch either. reread @foghorn advice over and over, set up and stabilize the temp well, put the cold meat in and dont touch vent settings for maybe 6 hours atleast. infact remove the gage so you are not tempted too chase temps. a fan device will chase temps, dont turn it on for several hours. i once had a 1000 degree fire down under the stome and a 175 degree dome temp, theres no good way to get a good temp reading with all that cold mass tossed in there
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • BrookieP
    BrookieP Posts: 135
    Extra credit? Teacher's pet extra credit? Are you married to a former teacher???  ;)

    I hope JohnnyP and I can make it!!!
    XL BGE & 36" Blackstone
    Instagram: BGEBrooke
  • GoldenQ
    GoldenQ Posts: 565
    I have never tried more than 3 but mine were about 10# each and I lay them flat and rotate around grate at least once maybe twice.   Three that size is all I would want to try so I have good airflow around them.   Have never tried the two grate method but could probably get 2 more that size on my top grate.  Also when doing more than 1 I start at a stablized 275 approx and leave there until dome returns to that temp so it takes longer than normal my way.   Have never tried standing on end to cook.  but be sure you check the drip pan and empty it periodically-I use a baster suction device to draw out of drip.  Good luck, let us know what you tried and results.
    I XL  and 1 Weber Kettle  And 1 Weber Q220       Outside Alvin, TX-- South of Houston
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    Here;s a cook where I did 7 on the XL and 1 on the Small. Can't find the post where I did 8 on the XL, but I think it's on here somewhere.
    http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1169594/2-egg-overnight-low-and-slow

    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • DMW said:
    Here;s a cook where I did 7 on the XL and 1 on the Small. Can't find the post where I did 8 on the XL, but I think it's on here somewhere.
    http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1169594/2-egg-overnight-low-and-slow

    This is what I needed to see! Thanks, too for all the other comments you guys!  I'm still trying to figure out how many to do, but I'm thinking six.  I'll be doing about 150 wings, too. Homemade potato salad and slaw. Starting to get the RSVPs should be around 80 guests
    When do y'all teach me the secret handshake?
    XL BGE, 36" Blackstone, and a Wah Wah pedal
    Williamsburg, VA