First HUGE smoke - clarifications/questions

Hi all, seems the small church that i smoke for every year has grown quite large. I'm looking at doing butts for 325ppl this sunday afternoon. Here's where I am at with things:

1. 270lbs of bone-in butt (Hopefully 3 cases at Sams Club...I can sometimes get 85-90lb cases)
2. 14lbs of rub...i assume this is way overkill, but want to double check
3. 24x60 cabinet shirley with a warming box. I've heard we can get 30 butts on this model but anyone have firm experience with that?
4. Gonna have like 6 people helping me pull it
5. There will be a 'few' beers drank during the morning smoke.
6. Have a few dead body sized coolers for holding. Or is it better to pile them into one?

Anything I'm missing?

Thanks brethren!

Burnt at Both Endz said:

1. sounds like a lot of pork for 325 folks, but they might be big eaters?


Have fun!

Click to expand...

Ha....apparently i didn't do so well in math! I'm figuring .4lbs per person, so 130lbs of cooked. With 40% loss that's around 220lbs. Feeling a little better about that

two racks in the main chamber, so i'll be running the warmer too...figure i'll just max the ole gal out!

I think I would agree with that statement. I bet she'll use a little more fuel than normal though.

Thanks Paul. Those look closer to 10lb'ers, that correct?

Everything went great this weekend, thanks to everyone for the info. Did around 200lbs of butts - 3 cases at Sam's club. Used about 4lbs of rub, and the shirley did it's job no problem! Butts ranged from 7lbs to 10lbs - 30 in total. Wood choice was red oak.

Fired her up at 4am and threw the butts on at 5 am. Running temps were 325*. First ones (smaller and closest to fire box) came off at 10:30-11 and last ones come off at 1:30. Managed 24 in the main chamber and 6 in the warmer. I figure 12 per shelf in the main chamber and 4 per shelf in the warmer is about max capacity...so 36 for mine. I have an extra shelf in the warmer.

Things I learned on this smoke:
1. If using the warming box, I needed to building the fire in the middle of the box to help get it as hot as possible. I usually build it towards the back to get as much heat as possible to the main chamber. It rain close to 50* cooler than the main chamber

2. Butcher paper....#gamechanger. Really happy with the results of making the switch to it. I won't be going back to foil.

3. Smoker is def much hotter on the top rack, and it cooked faster closer to the warming box, since it was so hot this time.

4. Cleaning up the ole gal is so easy, just get hot and then light spray with the garden hose. Repeat a few times.

5. The youngest child loves playing in the fire box

6. 30 butts is a lot of work...have friends help prep and pull.

Here are the pictures i took along the way.