Takes Longer to Reach Internal Temps

Smokerboy,
If you go through some of the Archives you will find mention that the times listed in the smoker's cookbook and manual are often shorter than what actually occurs. And from reading other comments the last couple months,the smoke escaping should lessen as the seasoning gets on the sides and doors and helps to seal it in. You might run a search in the Owners forums.

Smokerboy.....Ditto to what KathyE states. The forum will provide you with the best info on expected smoke times, although no such thing as absolute smoke times (hence Smokin' Okie's tried and true "It's done when it's done" rule of thumb...).

You and your Model 50 (same unit I own) will come together very quickly and through taking good notes during your smokes, you'll have your own customized manual/book. For my particular smoker, avg 7.5-8lb pork butts are taking 15-16 hours smoked at 225, pork spare ribs go for 6 hours at 225, whole briskets different 'every' time with minds of their own. I have not done any chicken or turkey breasts so far.

Are you using a remote thermometer to monitor internal temps during your smoke? It's the only way to go to ensure you're getting the results you want although the more experienced smokin' chefs can tell by touch/feel (I'm not anywhere close to that expertise).

Regarding smoke coming out the door, I have that too at beginning of smokes when the wood first catches, but then subsides the rest of the way. Very common from what I understand. Good luck! IBSPY

quote:

Originally posted by SmokerBoy:
[qb] ...All meats required longer cooking times than those listed on the smoker. By longer I mean several hours longer. Is this to be expected? [/qb]

Well I don't have one at the house, so I don't know what was listed on the smoker, if you want tell us what it said. Nor do we recommend you use the times in the book, since there are 3 or 4 versions of CS books out there, we don't know what times you used.

Try and be specific, tell me what you cooked what it weighed, what temp you set the smoker at and what internal temp you pulled it at.

Go with the recommend times you get from forum posts and always remember:

It's done when it's done

That last is not to be taken lightly, nothing is perfect in BBQ and there are enough variables that you cook might not be the same time as my cook. That's why it's good to keep your own notes and learn your lessons and apply that.

Go with one topic and we'll be happy to jump in and try to help.

Smokin'

I threw in the door issue because I thought someone might respond "The door may be the problem for longer cook times". I was trying to provide all the information I could, not to cover more topics.

No, a little smoke out of the door, with new smokers is normal. Over time it won't be a problem.

Didn't point that out in the reply because it wasn't part of the problem.

It's just hard to know how to read posts sometimes to figure out the problems, more details is better since we're not there.

Smokin'

Received this from Smokerboy, thought someone could comment I just am swamped. Little busy today finalizing the details on the Relief Cook this weekend.

quote:

Here is the information on my smoke times regarding the post where my cook times appeared to take longer than those recommended by cookshack.

5 pound pork butt:

I put in a 5 pound pork butt. Cookshack Cookbook dated 2003 indicated pork butt should have an internal temp of 190 for product to be pulled.
180 for product to be sliced. I was shooting for 190. The book recommended 225 degrees for 10 hours. At 13 hours my internal temperature was 167 and rising only a few degrees per hour. No other meat was in the smoker. I took it out at 13 hours and finished it in the oven.

Turkey Breast:

I put in a 6 pound turkey breast The decal on my smokette says 3 to 4
hours @ 225 for a whole chicken. Book says internal temperature for chicken should be 180. After 5 hours internal temp was 156 and rising less than 6 degrees per hour. I assumed a small turkey breast (6
pounds) to be about the size of a whole chicken.

I use a temp probe during cooking with an outside digital readout so the door was never opened. I checked the probe against another thermometer and they both seemed to read the same.

That is about all the information I have. Any response would be appreciated. Possibly these smoking times are not out of line. Being new to the world of smoking, I just wanted to know.

smokerboy,
I am not sure where to find the information on temperature plateaus.Maybe it is in pork butt 101-should be-but the butts and briskets seem to linger for HOURS at one temperature.The 167 you mention is at that point..164,167..somewhere in there.All you can do is wait and watch the remote.According to the experts on this Forum there is a technical reason.It seems like the brisket has a point around the 170's..someone here can tell you. that is why Smokin' and others can't be as specific as you might like.
When the heat is so low it takes a long time to tenderize.Maybe what I said isn't helpful but you really can't hurry things to much without risking it being dried up or burnt.

Well,since we're just sitting here watching Ophelia spin off the Cape,I'll give a couple of thoughts.

As suggested your times and temps should come from the forum,as the book is in the process of being updated.

If I were going to eat soon after the butt was ready,I'd take it closer to 200� internal.

I'd cook at a measured temp around 235�.

Time vs weight is not a straight line.

You can cook a 1/4 inch slice,across a butt,fry at 350� for 30 sec on a side and reach 190�.

There is no way you could chew it.

Are you gauging 225� by the dial setting,or with a probe setting beside the meat?

The cooker may not be delivering the temp you expect?

Probe placement in the meat,will throw off internal temp readings.

You can check several places on the butt with an instaread ,when you think you are close.

Touching bone,or in a fat pocket,will cause false readings.

At 225� cook temp,it would not be unusual, for it to set in the plateau around the 160�s for four hrs and then climb quickly.

It would not be unusual for butts to take two hrs/lb, at low cook temps.

If it was boneless,or previously frozen,it could take longer.

The cookers tend to cook more evenly,with less temp swings,the more full they are.

A turkey breast is going to have more mass than a young chicken.

160� internal is where you would pull it.

My guess would be,if you checked the actual cooker temps ,next to the meat and find what is 235�,buy a bone in butt,about 8 lbs,non injected-if possible-and cooked to an internal over 195�,foiled it with a little apple juice,and let set for at least two hrs in a towel-all your questions will be answered and solved.

Cook that turkey breast,as hot as your cooker will run,until 160�,foil with some juice for about an hr.

Those questions will be answered.

Hope this helps a little.

Tom,
Are you getting rain? I am wondering how far South the rain is going? kathy

It's parked about 70 miles East of Tom's house and from the radar looks plenty close enough that Tom's probably got the cover on his smoker.

Smokerboy,
Tom got it pretty well covered for you. SmokinOkie's Pork Butt 101 guide is a must read. Time/weight guidelines are just that - approximate guidelines. As Smokin sez, a butt can take 1.5 hrs per pound and it can take 2.5 hrs per pound. I recently did a 5 lb butt and it was 2.5 hrs per pound. The plateau range for a butt seems to be approx 160-170 deg. and like Tom sez, it may take several hours before the temp moves out of that range.

As for the turkey. the meat in turkey is denser than most chickens so it will take longer. Your post did not indicate if it was boneless breast or bone-in. That will make a difference. And it makes a difference if the breast was injected, brined or marinated. It also makes a difference what the meat temp was when you put it in. These are all variables that come into play. IMO turkey breast should have an internal temp of 170 before you pull it out.

It does take practice but the practice itself can be fun. I know you want variety but try to work on one thing at a time until you get the hang of it. Butts are one of the easier things to do, so do a few of those until you like the results and keep notes on what you are doing. When you get that, then move on to something else.

Read Smokin's guides and follow forum recipes. Don't get impatient. If your smoker is new, it does seem to take 5 or 6 smokes even after properly seasoning the smoker to get things somewhat stabilized - smoker and chef both. Have fun with it and don't stress.

It is a mite soggy out and reaching hurricane strength.

Made five gallons of red beans,ham,sausage,pickled pork,and rice -in honor of New Orleans.

Fed about 50 folks.

Hopefully it will start to move north.

Probably start the five gallon pot of chili tomorrow and have a storm going away party,we hope.

All that practice brisket,comes in handy.

We are joining cookshack at the Orlando restaurant show on Sunday and don't need this storm.

Thanks for the valuable input.

I forgot to add that the results so far have been great and my family has really enjoyed the fruits of my labors.

It is super to have input from so many sources who have already learned the "art" of smoking.

Regards,

SmokerBoy

Smokerboy,
The thermometer is a great tool to use, as others have said. You can place one inside the smoker just to check the temperature of the smoker itself. Maybe yours isn't cooking at the temperature that you set.
We're also watching Ophelia going all around. We've had lots of wind and rain for the past 3 days. But she's supposed to be going to the east now. The weather reports have her making a loop and coming back, continuing to the northeast, or swinging back to the west. Right now we have pretty high wind, occasional sun. No rain. Hey, it's like you all say, it's done when it's done!
Peggy

I an crossing my fingers it goes into Ga instead of FL if it swings back into land.Is that bad?

Hi all,

One of the reason I believe there is a plateau is that the fat is essentially turning physical state - going from a solid to a liquid. Any change in physical state requires a lot of energy, in this case heat from the Cookshack. All the energy for this rendering process is absorbed and instead of the internal temperature going up it is spent on physical state change. As soon as the fat is rendered at the completion of this plateau, you will notice that the internal temp will rise much quicker.

Thats one of the reasons why Smokin' says "Its done when its done". Despite having a wonderful smoker and circumstances that should be repeatable, we throw an ingredient into the mix that we have no control over - meat from an animal that may have more or less fat,sinew,etc., or may have been larger, smaller, younger, older, etc. This is a factor we have no control over and is hard to gauge when looking at a plastic wrapped piece of meat in a grocery store.

By the way, I see this plateau in my other smokers too, its not just a Cookshack phenomena.

Rembember this is barbecue, we have graciously embraced "low and slow" as the embodiment of our cooking process, speed is for those troubled and ignorant souls who boil ribs, microwave their meat and partake of copius amounts of liquid smoke for their barbecue.

Take care,
Preston D

Hey Preston,

That's the best thought on the plateau that I've heard yet. You are one bright guy.

Hook

Hey Hook,

Brightest thing I did was:

1. Marry smart (she let me get the Smokette and the all the other smokers I got too) and she loves my barbecue.

2. Bought smart and got a Cookshack Smokette

Take care,
Preston