Smoking 2 pork butts on a kettle

[Firemunkee]

I am making pulled pork for a high school club event in a few weeks. I plan on smoking 2 butts for about 16lb total. I was considering doing it all on one kettle with a SnS but I'm not sure how well it will fit on a 22". I was thinking I would cut them in half to get more bark. What are things to consider if cooking all that meat on a 22? I imagine it would take more fuel because of the larger amount of meat. How might air flow be affected if the meat takes up the entire grate? Would there be a large temperature difference across the grate? Do I need to use more smoke? Should I just do 2 kettles? I might be doing an overnight cook so I would rather not have 2 kettles going. I know another option is to cook ahead of time and reheat the day of. But I'm an engineer and I like to understand how things work hence all my questions Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

[cigarman20]

I've done multiple butts many times on a 22". I use the snake method with a large rectangular disposable aluminum pan under the meat. I add several inches of hot water to the pan to help regulate heat and add moisture.  The pan creates a vey effective stop to build a large bank of coal around the circumference of the kettle. I typically fire the coals at the crack of dawn if we are planning to eat at 5 or 6.  It often takes 8-10 hours getting the butt to 200 F (I've never cut them in half but would expect a faster cook if you do).  I also like some rest time before I pull. I place my wood chunks all along the first long side of the rectangle. I don't add any more after that. I've had complaints of to much smoke on the past from the crew and this amount seems about right.

I do keep an eye on the meat as the burn reaches the turns. Coals are a little thinner at that point and I've had occasions where there was heat loss and the fuse burnt out. Also the meat will tend to hang over the pan at that point so I'll readjust the butts to keep the indirect.  Hope that helps and good luck with the cook!


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[kettlebb]

If it were me I’d cut them in half and use 2 grills. Cut down on the cook time and get more bark out of them.


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