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View Full Version : Bandera smoker time on 8 butts


JamesT
09-08-2019, 08:02 PM
Anyone have any luck smoking 8 or more butts on the Oklahoma Joe Bandera. I have been using charcoal in a steel mesh box with large wood chips. Having trouble with time and temp. Any suggestions

tcaton
09-08-2019, 09:00 PM
I don't think many here would recommend running a bandera on charcoal. It's not a very efficient cooker. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean it has an expensive charcoal habit. I feed mine small sticks. However, I also don't want to stay anchored to it for 8-10 hours feeding it every 30 min, so on the bandera I stick to quicker cooking foods like ribs and apps. I haven't tried a long brisket/butt cook on it yet. I'm not sure I could do 8 butts at once on a bandera, but patience has never been one of my virtues. ;)

FrkYrPrk
09-08-2019, 11:47 PM
I've never attempted 8 butts in a single cook - 15 racks of spares is the largest run I've done. I start on lump, with 2 or 3 splits, feed splits exclusively until everything is wrapped, run more lump and less splits until the finish. Mesquite lump runs the hottest for me, sparks a lot at the start. Mesquite is not my first choice for pork, I'd go Royal Oak or Western Woods.

Assuming you can get 2 butts on one rack, I would stagger them towards the corners of the rack, and load adjacent racks to the opposite corners. This will help with airflow up the cabinet. I also move racks down during my cooks and rotate them 180* in the exchange as well - I pull the bottom rack out, move everybody down one position, the old bottom rack goes into the top slot. I usually add a prewarmed split or 2 to the firebox before I open the cook chamber, having the door open seems to help with getting the split burning cleanly quickly.

Just a guess, I'd say running 275* +/_ 25* you're looking at least 10 hours, probably 30 to 40 lbs of lump and a good wheelbarrow full of splits

sarth67
09-09-2019, 09:27 AM
I regularly do 4 butts on the bandera It should do 8 pretty easy.

I also use lump charcoal with cherry splits. I get a good fire rolling and use the dampers. I know sacrilege. I get an hour or so between feeding the fire.