How we calculate

Step by step

1. Adult equivalents. Adults count 1, teens 1.25, kids 5 to 12 count 0.5. Under 5 are not counted.
2. Cooked meat per adult. 0.5 lb times the multipliers above, kept between 0.25 and 1.0 lb so stacked settings stay sensible. Leftovers are applied after.
3. Split across meats. Even by default. A star meat gets 50%, or 60% when there are only two.
4. Raw weight. Brisket yields 50% (45% heavy trim). Bone-in pork butt yields 45%. Then round up to whole pieces.
5. Ribs. 12 baby back or 8 St. Louis bones per lb of cooked share, with 12 bones per rack.
6. Timeline. Serve time minus 30 min to slice, minus rest (brisket 2 hr, pork 1 hr, ribs 15 min), minus a stall cushion (15% of cook, at least 1 hr; ribs 30 min), minus cook time at the slow end for your pit temp and largest piece. Light the smoker 1 hr before the first meat.

Cook rates

Brisket: 1.5 / 1.25 / 1.0 hr per lb at 225 / 250 / 275°F. Pork butt: 2.0 / 1.6 / 1.25 hr per lb. Baby backs: 5 / 4.5 / 3.5 hr. St. Louis: 6 / 5.5 / 4.5 hr.

Sources

• Texas A&M brisket yield and hold research, published in Meat and Muscle Biology (Iowa State Digital Press) and covered by AMSA.
• Texas A&M barbecue guidance on about 50% brisket yield.
• USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.
• Experienced cook consensus from BBQ Brethren, The Virtual Weber Bullet, and Cookshack forums.
• Rib bone counts and per person guidance from destination-bbq.com, Tasting Table, and BBQ Host.

Some values, like teen and kid multipliers and the 250°F pork rate, are starting points tuned from real cooks. If your crowd eats differently, adjust appetite in the planner.