First Big Crowd Cook

Cack · 01-02-2013, 03:51 PM

I'm going to do a big cook for friends and need to know how many I can feed. I have a 36 Lang and it can hold about 70lbs, so how many would that do?

I would guess a little more than a person a pound.

82's BBQ · 01-02-2013, 04:12 PM

What are you cooking?

Cack · 01-02-2013, 04:18 PM

Butts and MIGHT do ribs.

gtr · 01-02-2013, 04:20 PM

This is a rough guess, and someone who knows more than I will likely be along shortly, but I'd say you can figure 50% yield (I assume you're talking about pork butts), so that'll give you approximately 35# of cooked pork, and you can figure 3 or 4 sammiches per pound depending on the crowd you're feeding. There are a lot of threads on this subject in this forum, so if you dig around you'll definitely find some good info.

fingerlickin' · 01-02-2013, 04:38 PM

Can you come up with a ball park number of people?

HBMTN · 01-02-2013, 07:17 PM

100 to 110 people with butts, you could stretch it to 140 people if each gets a 4oz sandwich. That would be max.

Lake Dogs · 01-02-2013, 07:44 PM

There's really 2 questions, yes? Can a Lang 36 get 70lbs of butts on there, yes, but VERY VERY tightly. Watch your air circulation carefully. Yield should be something like 45 lbs pulled.

Then, how many will this feed? If you have eaters, and all they're eating will be 1, 2, or a pig might eat 3 sandwiches, then you're looking at 3/4ths of a pound per person, so maybe 55 to 60 eaters. 70 if they're not big eaters. 80 to 100 if there's lots of other stuff for them to eat.

Ribs, another story altogether. Some just serve a few bones per person. I dont know about you, but 'round here I've average about a full rack per person, but then these folks are EATERS. Frankly, they'd probably eat 1.5 racks if I ever made that many. I've yet to have leftover ribs except for the time we cooked 16 racks and only 6 people showed up, and even then we only had a few left-over... Ribs take up a lot of room for only a small amount of meat cooked...

You might want to cook, what, 6 butts and pull them off and into a cooler (warmer) while you load-er-up and cook the ribs.

PatAttack · 01-02-2013, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lake Dogs

There's really 2 questions, yes? Can a Lang 36 get 70lbs of butts on there, yes, but VERY VERY tightly. Watch your air circulation carefully. Yield should be something like 45 lbs pulled.

Then, how many will this feed? If you have eaters, and all they're eating will be 1, 2, or a pig might eat 3 sandwiches, then you're looking at 3/4ths of a pound per person, so maybe 55 to 60 eaters. 70 if they're not big eaters. 80 to 100 if there's lots of other stuff for them to eat.

Ribs, another story altogether. Some just serve a few bones per person. I dont know about you, but 'round here I've average about a full rack per person, but then these folks are EATERS. Frankly, they'd probably eat 1.5 racks if I ever made that many. I've yet to have leftover ribs except for the time we cooked 16 racks and only 6 people showed up, and even then we only had a few left-over... Ribs take up a lot of room for only a small amount of meat cooked...

You might want to cook, what, 6 butts and pull them off and into a cooler (warmer) while you load-er-up and cook the ribs.

Well, he hasn't invited me, so he's all good.

Cack · 01-03-2013, 07:58 AM

I guess I know how I eat so I was taking that into account. I've cooked 40lbs at once and still had some room that I thought I could cook another easily. I think once I tried to go 6-7 butts it'd be pushing it a bit.

My plain was to cook the butts the day before (or maybe do an over night cook) then do the ribs to be ready once people got there. I would probably do the ribs and cut them in a couple of bones. I wouldn't let people just dig out on them.

I think 50 people would be a safe number to guesstament to show up. We'll also have sides and things of that nature, so 5 butts and a couple of ribs should be fine?

Cack · 01-03-2013, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatAttack

Well, he hasn't invited me, so he's all good.

If you want to drive up to Greenville ... come on with your bad self. You're always welcome.

fingerlickin' · 01-03-2013, 01:30 PM

I would think for 50 you would want about 12 racks for 4 bones each or about 16 racks for 3 bones each. That's at least how I would plan it.

Edit. I think I meant 12 racks for 3 bones, 16 racks for 4 bones. Yeah, there's a reason I'm not a caterer or math teacher.

Cack · 01-03-2013, 03:08 PM

If I do both. I figured I'd do 8 racks max. Not everyone likes ribs or choose to eat ribs (I don't get it either so don't ask me).

BBQ Bandit · 01-03-2013, 08:28 PM

6 butts overnight - use rib racks to conserve space.

Cack · 01-04-2013, 08:31 AM

So, I'm thinking 5-6 10lb butts and around 8 racks with sides. That sound like it'd cover?

Lake Dogs · 01-04-2013, 12:32 PM

Yes, I think so, frankly with room to spare. Last cook I did was for 42-44 people; I did 6 large butts and 8 racks of babyback ribs. Like always, the ribs were snarfed up fast (I was out in the boat; none there when it came time for me to eat), but even serving EATERS many times (2 people came back for, and I'm not kidding here, 7th helpings), we still had some leftover pulled pork. Your 5 or 6 butts should hold their own without the ribs...

* OFFICIAL NOTE: We serve Coke, REAL Coke, ala. Coca-Cola because I'm from Atlanta (home of Coca-Cola). Not cocaine! However, by the way a few of my dear friends and nephews eat, you couldn't tell that the BBQ wasn't coated in cocaine....

01-02-2013, 03:51 PM	#1
Cack is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-05-11 Location: Greenville, SC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	First Big Crowd Cook I'm going to do a big cook for friends and need to know how many I can feed. I have a 36 Lang and it can hold about 70lbs, so how many would that do? I would guess a little more than a person a pound. __________________ Lang 36" Original Patio (Jessica) - Char-Broil Commercial Series 4 Burner gasser

01-02-2013, 04:12 PM	#2
82's BBQ On the road to being a farker Join Date: 01-21-12 Location: Danville, IL Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	What are you cooking? __________________ www.82sbbq.com

01-02-2013, 04:18 PM	#3
Cack is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-05-11 Location: Greenville, SC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Butts and MIGHT do ribs. __________________ Lang 36" Original Patio (Jessica) - Char-Broil Commercial Series 4 Burner gasser

01-02-2013, 04:20 PM	#4
gtr Quintessential Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-16-10 Location: Culver City, CA Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	This is a rough guess, and someone who knows more than I will likely be along shortly, but I'd say you can figure 50% yield (I assume you're talking about pork butts), so that'll give you approximately 35# of cooked pork, and you can figure 3 or 4 sammiches per pound depending on the crowd you're feeding. There are a lot of threads on this subject in this forum, so if you dig around you'll definitely find some good info. __________________ 50" Klose BYC, Backwoods Chubby, UDS, 26" & 22.5" Weber Kettles, Jumbo Joe, WGA, WSJ/MUDS, Jumbo Old Smokey, Pig Hibachi, a piece of expanded metal I throw over the fire pit sometimes, Stealthy Black & Vol Orange Thermapens Displaced East Tennesseean Proud recipient of a Tick Former outlaw MOINK baller, now IMBAS Certified, but still lookin' over my shoulder. Golden Goose Egg - Got 2 in the nest baby! SPFP Mayzie's keeping an eye out for you! WTFWGALD?

01-02-2013, 04:38 PM	#5
fingerlickin' Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-08-10 Location: Boyertown, PA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Can you come up with a ball park number of people? __________________ Jason "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III XL Big Green Egg, 22.5 Weber OTS, WSJ Gold/Mini WSM, 18" & 22" WSM Flyers Orange Thermapen WAEFAY...WWGALD???

01-02-2013, 07:17 PM	#6
HBMTN is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-16-08 Location: Fairfield, Virginia Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	100 to 110 people with butts, you could stretch it to 140 people if each gets a 4oz sandwich. That would be max.

01-02-2013, 07:44 PM	#7
Lake Dogs Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-14-09 Location: Lake Sinclair, GA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	There's really 2 questions, yes? Can a Lang 36 get 70lbs of butts on there, yes, but VERY VERY tightly. Watch your air circulation carefully. Yield should be something like 45 lbs pulled. Then, how many will this feed? If you have eaters, and all they're eating will be 1, 2, or a pig might eat 3 sandwiches, then you're looking at 3/4ths of a pound per person, so maybe 55 to 60 eaters. 70 if they're not big eaters. 80 to 100 if there's lots of other stuff for them to eat. Ribs, another story altogether. Some just serve a few bones per person. I dont know about you, but 'round here I've average about a full rack per person, but then these folks are EATERS. Frankly, they'd probably eat 1.5 racks if I ever made that many. I've yet to have leftover ribs except for the time we cooked 16 racks and only 6 people showed up, and even then we only had a few left-over... Ribs take up a lot of room for only a small amount of meat cooked... You might want to cook, what, 6 butts and pull them off and into a cooler (warmer) while you load-er-up and cook the ribs. __________________ Hance - Lake Dogs Cooking Team - MiM/MBN/GBA CBJ and comp cook Lake Sinclair, GA (strategically about an hour from everywhere)

01-03-2013, 07:58 AM	#9
Cack is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-05-11 Location: Greenville, SC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I guess I know how I eat so I was taking that into account. I've cooked 40lbs at once and still had some room that I thought I could cook another easily. I think once I tried to go 6-7 butts it'd be pushing it a bit. My plain was to cook the butts the day before (or maybe do an over night cook) then do the ribs to be ready once people got there. I would probably do the ribs and cut them in a couple of bones. I wouldn't let people just dig out on them. I think 50 people would be a safe number to guesstament to show up. We'll also have sides and things of that nature, so 5 butts and a couple of ribs should be fine? __________________ Lang 36" Original Patio (Jessica) - Char-Broil Commercial Series 4 Burner gasser

01-03-2013, 01:30 PM	#11
fingerlickin' Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-08-10 Location: Boyertown, PA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I would think for 50 you would want about 12 racks for 4 bones each or about 16 racks for 3 bones each. That's at least how I would plan it. Edit. I think I meant 12 racks for 3 bones, 16 racks for 4 bones. Yeah, there's a reason I'm not a caterer or math teacher. __________________ Jason "I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III XL Big Green Egg, 22.5 Weber OTS, WSJ Gold/Mini WSM, 18" & 22" WSM Flyers Orange Thermapen WAEFAY...WWGALD??? Last edited by fingerlickin'; 01-03-2013 at 04:35 PM..

01-03-2013, 03:08 PM	#12
Cack is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-05-11 Location: Greenville, SC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	If I do both. I figured I'd do 8 racks max. Not everyone likes ribs or choose to eat ribs (I don't get it either so don't ask me). __________________ Lang 36" Original Patio (Jessica) - Char-Broil Commercial Series 4 Burner gasser

01-03-2013, 08:28 PM	#13
BBQ Bandit Babbling Farker Join Date: 02-15-08 Location: Harrisburg, PA Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	6 butts overnight - use rib racks to conserve space. __________________ Bacon should be capitalized as a pronoun for pork! A BBQ Servant; cooking for the Troops, Churches, and Charity Operation BBQ Relief founding member Lang 84 Deluxe Kitchen known as "The Glamazon" Custom Klose Backyard Chef... of Snot, 22.5 WSM Former smokers; Lang 60 Mobile - The Damsel II, Lang 48 Patio - The Damsel, and Bubba Keg Grill - RIP

01-04-2013, 08:31 AM	#14
Cack is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 10-05-11 Location: Greenville, SC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	So, I'm thinking 5-6 10lb butts and around 8 racks with sides. That sound like it'd cover? __________________ Lang 36" Original Patio (Jessica) - Char-Broil Commercial Series 4 Burner gasser

01-04-2013, 12:32 PM	#15
Lake Dogs Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-14-09 Location: Lake Sinclair, GA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yes, I think so, frankly with room to spare. Last cook I did was for 42-44 people; I did 6 large butts and 8 racks of babyback ribs. Like always, the ribs were snarfed up fast (I was out in the boat; none there when it came time for me to eat), but even serving EATERS many times (2 people came back for, and I'm not kidding here, 7th helpings), we still had some leftover pulled pork. Your 5 or 6 butts should hold their own without the ribs... * OFFICIAL NOTE: We serve Coke, REAL Coke, ala. Coca-Cola because I'm from Atlanta (home of Coca-Cola). Not cocaine! However, by the way a few of my dear friends and nephews eat, you couldn't tell that the BBQ wasn't coated in cocaine.... __________________ Hance - Lake Dogs Cooking Team - MiM/MBN/GBA CBJ and comp cook Lake Sinclair, GA (strategically about an hour from everywhere)