Spicewine capacity

[ericoask]

How many 8lbs butts will the large cook? A friend wants to have a huge party and I have no idea what it will do. Help!!!

 

[Azinine]

I suppose it depends on just how "huge" this party is. I would guess that a large would do plenty o' pork, though. How many people do you think you'll be cooking for?

EDIT: How about posting a couple of pics of that Spicewine?

 

[The_Kapn]

I have no idea about the shelf capacity of the large Spice.

But, a butt takes up about a 10" to 12" square of shelf space.

Can't you just look at the shelves, figure the amount per shelf (without crowding and blocking airflow) and go from there???

Maybe I am missing something.

TIM

 

[ericoask]

well hes saying 350 people. I could figure out the square inches and so forth but I have also heard of over loading a cooker to where it doesnt cook right...maybe Im wrong if so set me straight ...please

 

[we'll smoke u]

I think if you go to his web site it gives you the square feet of each cooker and that will give you an idea.

 

[The_Kapn]

well hes saying 350 people. I could figure out the square inches and so forth but I have also heard of over loading a cooker to where it doesnt cook right...maybe Im wrong if so set me straight ...please

ERIC,

Lets have some fun with some math, as I understand it at least.

350 people need 35 Butts for pulled pork.
That is using the basic formula of 10 folks per butt.
I try to think simple, just me

So, how many shelves do you have and how many butts do you envision per shelf?
Do not forget to allow a few inches between butts for airflow.

I know on my FEC, I have 4 shelves that can hold 4 or 5 butts each with lots of airflow. That is 16 butts (160 people) to 20 butts (200 people).

We have many Spice owners here, but I am having a good time trying this without even seeing the cooker.
Should not be all that hard, I would think.

Fun with math!:lol:

TIM

 

[Azinine]

Hmmm. That is a huge party. I suppose some folks with catering and/or spicewine experience will have to chime in here. I guess you'll just need to realize that each 8lb butt will yield about 5-ish lbs after they're cooked. Then you have to allot about 1/3 lb per person I think... (Is this correct caterers???)

So, for 350 folks, you're looking at (350 * 1/3 ) = 117 lbs of cooked butt (he he)

To figure the pre-cooked weight:

117lbs * (8 lb pre / 5 lb cooked) = 187-ish lbs pre-cooked butt (he he)

187 / 8 = 23 ish butts.

I'm sure a large spice can hold much more than 23 butts.

Of course, these calculations are based on alot of guesswork.

 

[Azinine]

Dang, the kapn beat me to the fun with math. I would listen to him, by the way. :wink:

 

[The_Kapn]

Just because I am bored for a bit---

I use "10 folks per butt" because a guy I really trust gave me that shortcut and it works for me.

Normal butt= 8 to 9 pounds (at least around here--yours may vary)
Yield =50 to 55% normally, call it 4 to 6 pounds to average it.
Serving size = 1/3 pound (lite) to 1/2 pound (heavy)---give or take.

Servings range from 12 per butt for lite servings from a small butt--- to 8 per small butt for a heavy serving.
Servings range from 18 per butt for lite servings from a large butt---to 12 per large butt for a heavy serving.

I kinda average all of that out to 10 folks per butt and know I will not run out and will probably have some leftovers.

Mrs Kapn walked in the other day---"We need to cook pulled pork for the church next month."
Me--"Fine, how many people?"
Mrs Kapn--"80 to 100"
Me--"No problem, 6 or 7 butts will do it because I will cook a brisket or two for them also" :lol:
Took about 3 seconds, even with a Natural Lite in hand

Quick figuring and it will work out just fine :lol: :lol:

This is just more "fun with math" :lol:

TIM

 

[Txngent]

When I was looking for information on the Spicewine for my purchase, Terri told me a owner of a large Spicewine got 34 butts and 3 briskets on at one time. I don't know if he was pulling her leg or not, but I know that is a lot of meat.

 

[tjus77]

taking off socks and shoes..... carry the 1..... not from not is not...... borrow the one...... yeah I think ya figured it just about right there kapn. now back to his original question.... .how many butts could a spicewine cook if a spicewine could cook butts.....

ok, so i've had a little too much to drink and these probably doesn't read near as funny as it sounds in my head....
tj

 

[The_Kapn]

taking off socks and shoes..... carry the 1..... not from not is not...... borrow the one...... yeah I think ya figured it just about right there kapn. now back to his original question.... .how many butts could a spicewine cook if a spicewine could cook butts.....

ok, so i've had a little too much to drink and these probably doesn't read near as funny as it sounds in my head....
tj

Actually--that is a classic "keeper" post :lol:

And, the answer is----"stick them in there and see when she yells FULL".
:lol:

I am sure a real Spice owner or maybe Jay himself with chime in with some sort of Number :lol:
But, we be having fun.

TIM

 

[Jeff_in_KC]

I can comfortably get 28 butts on my large Spicewine. Not sure I'd do any more than that. It seems to take a hell of a long time when the cooker is maxed out like that.

 

[tjus77]

Actually--that is a classic "keeper" post :lol:

And, the answer is----"stick them in there and see when she yells FULL".
:lol:

I am sure a real Spice owner or maybe Jay himself with chime in with some sort of Number :lol:
But, we be having fun.

TIM

picturing the spicewine saying in a Darth Vader voice..... FEED ME..... FEED ME..... ok ok.... stop for pity sake, my sides are bulging out......

good luck on the cook!

 

[SloppyQ]

How many 8lbs butts will the large cook? A friend wants to have a huge party and I have no idea what it will do. Help!!!

Last weekend we did the Kookers Kare smokefest and Jeff in KC had his spice there, If I'm not mistaken he had 16 butts on (and these were big butts 10-12 lbs each) and still had a rack left for more. That would equate to 24 butts. You might PM him to be sure.

 

[Solidkick]

24 is the most we try to do, but like Jeff said, it takes a looooooong time....and we use more lump to try to get/keep the heat up.....I don't think it's the cooker but that it is a lot of mass of meat sucking up the heat....once you get them wrapped, if your a wrapper, the cooking process speeds up a bunch!

 

[ericoask]

well that definately answers that..Thanks for the help

 

[Jeff_in_KC]

That's another thing too... Gary mentioned wrapping... I didn't wrap any of these. Didn't want the bigger mess and trouble. I don't know as anyone wrapped theirs. As Lee mentioned, I could have gotten 24 of these butts on if I had used the 4th shelf (was making pig candy on the top shelf). "Normal sized" butts would have allowed me one more per shelf for my 28.

 

[Txngent]

Hey Jeff. When you load your Spice up like "Max", how difficult is it to maintain temp? What is your comfort level on the "load" in your pit?

 

[Mooner]

24 is the most we try to do, but like Jeff said, it takes a looooooong time....and we use more lump to try to get/keep the heat up.....I don't think it's the cooker but that it is a lot of mass of meat sucking up the heat....once you get them wrapped, if your a wrapper, the cooking process speeds up a bunch!

24 butts is a heck of a lot of food = 240 lbs of meat. I'd say that large spicewine rivals any large cooker and that's probably the most you would want to put on any cooker. I think mine is huge and it wouldn't hold that much.