Sounds like Ill be smokin the meat for my daughters wedding reception...Smoking ahead and freezing is my only option even if I fire up all three smokers at once:lol:...Sounds like several weekends of fun times and late nites between now and September:thumb:

The question is...and I know its been answered before...How much meat will I need to buy/smoke for a crowd like this...Will be doing pulled brisket and pulled pork...I know that Rob or Mikey or someone has a link to help me figure this out but I cant find it...Didnt save it because I didnt think I would ever need it...:whistle:

Thanks for the help guys...

What is the rest of the menu? And are they eating it on sandwiches or without buns?

What is the rest of the menu? And are they eating it on sandwiches or without buns?

Not my problem...:lol:...I was just drafted to smoke the meat...

Just kidding...Sure it'll be on buns and the grooms dad has stepped up to do all the sides...All Im responsible for is the part I love:thumb:

Beauty of that menu is... PP and PB both freeze excellently... just bring one smoker for the show... :thumb:

I did almost the same thing last August for my own wedding. Though I only did pulled pork. I found butts on sale and stocked up about 70 lbs worth, then as I had time I smoked them, pulled them, vacuum sealed, and froze them. When it came time to heat up, just did the boil in the vac-bag trick, then put them in a crock pot to keep warm.

We invited about 250 people, figure somewhere around 180 showed up. We had plenty of other food items (meat balls, sandwiches, corn on the cob, salads, I can't remember all), but we still had probably half the pork left after the night was over.

just bring one smoker for the show... :thumb:

I think they are planning to reheat the meat in roaster pans...Not sure yet...

I think they are planning to reheat the meat in roaster pans...Not sure yet...

Well, fine... but some thin blue floating around the place... really tends to get folks fired up :lol:

Someone, I don't remember who, sent me a spreadsheet for calculating how much to smoke for a big group. I'll try to dig it up and see if I can get it for you.

Thanks Don Thats what I was hoping for...

Spreadsheet is in this thread:

http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9508&highlight=excel+spreadsheet

I figure 50% loss from uncooked meat... and depending on sides, I'd go 1/4 to 1/3 lb cooked meat per person. If you gonna have some big eaters, lean toward the bigger number. :thumb:

I figure 50% loss from uncooked meat... and depending on sides, I'd go 1/4 to 1/3 lb cooked meat per person. If you gonna have some big eaters, lean toward the bigger number. :thumb:

that.
being in Kansas I expect people will choose brisket over the pork.that was my experience in W.V., they never had or heard of brisket until they met me then they wolfed it down 3-1 over the pork.

roasters are fine as long as they are just used to keep the meat hot keep it @ 140. you don't want to recook the meat. I use my roasters instead of sterno chafing dishes whenever I have electric available.

I figure 50% loss from uncooked meat... and depending on sides, I'd go 1/4 to 1/3 lb cooked meat per person. If you gonna have some big eaters, lean toward the bigger number. :thumb:

Chuckies will give you perhaps a 70% return. You will need around 40 pounds cooked meat. Split between pork and beef? Jeez that's a toughie... Maybe do 25 Lbs each...as it DOES keep...

Chuckies will give you perhaps a 70% return. You will need around 40 pounds cooked meat. Split between pork and beef? Jeez that's a toughie... Maybe do 25 Lbs each...as it DOES keep...

True dat. I figgered between 45 and 50 pounds cooked total... Better to have some left over than run out. :faint:

Chuckies will give you perhaps a 70% return.

While that may be true, chuckies come to me at store/butcher shop prices...The briskies and butts I can score from where i work alot cheaper...Usually...Choice Excell briskets usually a little over a buck a pound...Yeah...not gonna be chuckies...

75 pounds pork but raw.

160 pounds of brisket assuming all adults. Assuming dinner with no appetizers before hand.

Set the line so the meat is the last thing they take, bread, salad, starch and veggies all come prior to meat on the buffet.

You don't say when this is, but if you are in Central Kansas, you could borrow my big rig for the event. Daughter lives in Denver now so I am over there a lot helping her and her husband with the new house. I could tow to Denver to save you some miles and pick it up there as well.

http://www.prochefblog.com/public_pics/cooker/closerlook/rampout.jpg

You don't say when this is, but if you are in Central Kansas, you could borrow my big rig for the event. Daughter lives in Denver now so I am over there a lot helping her and her husband with the new house. I could tow to Denver to save you some miles and pick it up there as well.

http://www.prochefblog.com/public_pics/cooker/closerlook/rampout.jpg

Thats on heck of a generous offer there...But I got no good way to get it from Denver to here...Not with my truck that is:lol:
Thanks anyway...

While that may be true, chuckies come to me at store/butcher shop prices...The briskies and butts I can score from where i work alot cheaper...Usually...Choice Excell briskets usually a little over a buck a pound...Yeah...not gonna be chuckies...

OK..well, prolly close to the same as a butt for return for packers... maybe a bit more... 65%?

While that may be true, chuckies come to me at store/butcher shop prices...The briskies and butts I can score from where i work alot cheaper...Usually...Choice Excell briskets usually a little over a buck a pound...Yeah...not gonna be chuckies...

Check with the meat manager and ask for a chuck roll. They are aboot 18 to 25 pounds of unmolested chuck... it's what they cut the chuck roasts from. They are much cheaper than a trimmed chuckie... like $2.99/lb, and much cheaper than brisket, which is $3.99/lb around here.

OK Phil ya got me thinkin...:whistle:...

Checked a recent meat list (what I can get through work)...They have what theyre callin Chuck Eye...3 roasts to a case averaging 70 pounds...Problem is I have to buy the whole case @2.59/lb...Might still be able to get the case of briskets cheaper...Worth checkin into...

75 pounds pork but raw.

160 pounds of brisket assuming all adults. Assuming dinner with no appetizers before hand.

you sure you got that right bob ?
235 pounds of uncooked meat for 130 people ?
even assuming 50% loss with cooking that's close to a pound of meat per person.
Bearing in mind they'd all have eaten that day, there's sides and bread and most of the women will no doubt be on diets, the men will be trying to drop their blood pressure and cholesterol and only half the people who come will want to eat assuming they all turn up at all.

Even without the worst case scenario - sounds like an awful lot of meat to me.