Crazy cook for my church

[The Happy Wolf]

You all need to send me some good thoughts/prayers. I am doing a cook for my church today. 25 butts. I showed up yesterday morning to rub them all down only to find them frozen solid. So...where is the best place to thaw 25 butts in some water, while at a church? The baptistry of course. Well, we got them thawed and rubbed and the smoker was delivered early this morning. It is a beast that looks about a hundred years old. No thermometer. I am doing this cook completely by feel. Let's hope the butts are forgiving.

Oh...and we have the cooker on loan for about 9 hours, so I am having to do a bit of a quick cook. I am taking pics and will hopefully post some later today.

[Jarhead]

[The Happy Wolf]

Yeah. When they told me that we had the smoker for 9 hours I just laughed and shook my head. They didn't understand. I just told them I would do the best I could.

[GUYNOIR]

Wow. At least its butts. They are pretty forgiving. Look forward to the pics.
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Weber Smokey Mountain

[Rojellio Es Caliente]

With about $300'ish worth of meat at stake, I would spring for a couple of $20 digital meat probes. OR borrow some. Lots of people have one, many do not ever use it. I would spring for $10 worth of fresh batteries.

For the thermos checking grate temps, stick the probe through a potato.

9 hours in the smoke will get you into the temp range where the smoke ring stops forming. 140F ?? if I recall. They stall, and sit at about 160'ish forever, let them stall in an oven. Church ovens are often big... maybe not that big.

You can only plug in so many crock pots into one circuit.... but worse comes to worse its a small oven. And likely a couple folks in the congregation have a large crock pot they would loan out.
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Traeger 075 "Big Tex"
Small Weber Kettle
Big Chief 'Lectric Cold Smoker

[The Happy Wolf]

I just checked the oven situation in the church. It looks like we can finish them there if need be. I have been cooking them on a higher temp all day. They are looking pretty good so far. I will keep you posted.

[mgwerks]

You might have to push the temps and slide a little toward the hot/fast end and get them done. Between 275 & 300 should get you done in time. Will use a bit more fuel. Wrap at 160 and keep the heat going. Pull off at temp and let rest.

Best of Luck!
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[The Happy Wolf]

That is exactly how I ran it. Right at 275 to 300 all day. At the nine hour mark they hit 195. I let them sit an hour and then pulled. They just fell apart. A big relief...and the church folk thought it all looked and tasted great.

[BRBBQ]