Two PBC Pork Butts Instead of One - Impact on Cook Time?

[TBoneJack]

My dear 81-year-old aunt frantically called this morning to ask my advice. It seems that she was drafted to cook dinner for her Sunday School class (28-30 senior citizens) tomorrow night to be eaten at 5:00PM.

She reluctantly agreed and someone brought her a 20-lb pork "butt" from Publix. Obviously, it was a whole shoulder and not just a butt.

She has never cooked a shoulder (or butt) before and wanted my advice. I told her to put that "butt" in the freezer and said I'd go buy two 10-lb butts and smoke them for her. She was relieved.

All well and good. But I've never cooked two butts at once in my PBC (18" model). I usually cook just one 8-lb butt, at 275 degrees grate temp, wrap at 165 degrees IT, and finish in a convection oven at 275 degrees until 203 degrees IT. It usually takes 7.5 hours.

But I'll be cooking two 10-lb butts instead of just one 8-lber. How will this affect my cook time?

Thanks.

[Huskee]

Doubtful it'll affect it any. If ya got the room on the grate, or to hang 'em, you're good! Also, just cut that 20lber in half, no need to sub 2 10lbers, same dif.

[jfmorris]

I bet that 20 pounder is a picnic shoulder, which I've seen a few times in grocery stores. Like the Boston butt plus part of the upper front leg, i.e. the shank, still attached. It may be hard to cut, especially if she already froze it!

[Huskee]

jfmorris True, most actual butts aren't but 9ish lbs.

[TBoneJack]

You're right. It was a whole shoulder.

It's an hour drive to her house, so I told her to freeze the shoulder for another day and I picked up two nice butts at the local meat shop near me.

[Gusto]

I've cooked two butts on my PBC numerous times and haven't noticed any real time difference over doing just one.

[smokin fool]

I smoked three the other day ,reaching the inside temps at different times is the only real stumbling block.
At the end of the day everything worked out.

[LA Pork Butt]

+ 1

[HawkerXP]

Just to add.....We've heard from people buying a monster PB's from Costco. Butt when they open it up it turns out to be two, boneless, butts. Just a fyi.

[SmokingSteve]

Just make sure you keep them at least two inches apart from each other. That way they don't interfere with the hot air flow around them. If they are similar size/thickness, and height in the barrel, they should cook for a similar time. But fair warning, sometimes pork butts have a mind of their own, lol.

[fzxdoc]

You'll be fine. The PBC should turn out those two butts nicely in the same time it takes to cook one. Let us know how your Aunt's guests liked the pork. It's great that she's got you and your PBC to save the day.

Kathryn

[lumbrjk]

Probably already been said in different ways but my $.02 is that so long as the air flow is not impacted, there should be no real impact to the duration of the cook. I have cooked 4 before and it added a few hours! I ended up buying another PBC second hand and now do 2 on each.