Getting smokette to temp

Sooko,
How long is the meat in the smoker when you get the 160* reading? What type of meat are you checking? Does the meat hang on that 160* reading for a long period of time?

williesQ

I'm doing a 6 lb pork butt. It took about 6hrs to hit that internal temp(160*) and have the unit on 225* -- Have to admit this is a learning experience for me -- I was going by the little book that came with everything and really don't know what to expect.

Any advice would be appreciated

Sooko, the times in the cookbook that come with the Smokette tend to be shorter than what is needed. After 6 hrs it is just getting started. You just need to keep cooking the butt more. Plan on 1.5 - 2 hours per lb and just wait it out. It will hit a plateau when the collagen is breaking down (I forget what temp that is) but once it breaks through that the temp goes up faster. Last 2 butts I did were a little bigger, almost eight pounds, I put them on at 225* at 8pm and at 6am the next mornig they were only at 178*. Total time was 15 hours. Like Smokin' always says: It's done when it's done!

If the Smokette is averaging 225* the meat should reach higher temps if you leave it in long enough. Think of a Crockpot - they cook around 200* on low and it takes all day to cook most anything.

If you do a search on pork butts or read through the archives on pork you will find a wealth of information. Good luck and keep trying.

Just start the butts at 200-225 until it hits that 160 or so plateau again and then turn it up all the way until the meat is 195 or so. You will see. You might want to start them around dark-thirty or so. It will be at the plateau in the morning.

Smoking is not about a recipe, it's about learning a "process".

Times and temps are general and will vary greatly depending on your own smoker, techniques and many variations.

That's why I came up with my comment It's done when it's done That just means that the meat will take time to get to the point and then after learning some techniques from the forum, you'll learn when to tell "it's done".

PB hit a plateau around 165 to 175 and can be there for hours. For me and my FE and CS150 PB typically takes 1 to 1.5 hours. Many with smokettes and 50's say 2 hours is a better planning factor.

The following quotes from SmokinOkie and Mudgie contain EXACTLY the information we beginners need to know! Some of the instructions that I've read in other posts/recipes are so far off base, that I became extremely discouraged with my model 50 some years ago. I realize that times can vary greatly do to climate, temp settings, door openings, etc., but when I'm reading that a whole brisket is done in about 4 hrs (allowing longer time for tenderizing) and my puny little 2lb corned beef takes 11+hrs just to be so-so ... that's not realistic. Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to wait the hours it may take to get it done, but I certainly needed this honest rule of thumb.
Many, many thanks to SmokinOkie and Mudgie (amongst others) for finally putting it all into true perspective!

quote:

For me and my FE and CS150 PB typically takes 1 to 1.5 hours. Many with smokettes and 50's say 2 hours is a better planning factor.

Sooko, the times in the cookbook that come with the Smokette tend to be shorter than what is needed. After 6 hrs it is just getting started. You just need to keep cooking the butt more. Plan on 1.5 - 2 hours per lb and just wait it out.

Amen!

Well I just posted a message about this very thing. Receipe said 160 for 8 hours for pulled pork. No way would this do the job. The receipes in the "Get Smokin' should be close to actual situations. Something like "Start at 225 or 250 until meat gets to 160 then soak for for so many hours" But by following the receipe (page 21) I really screwed up our pulled pork diner. Thanks for Microwaves.

rjameson,

Check your original post about this problem. Probably, there is nothing wrong with your Cookshack, just tuning into the learning curve. You will find better recipes here on the forum than in ANY cook book.

smokemullet

I agree that if the Cookshack cookbooks that are advertised as part of a desirable package of items coming with a new unit then what are we to think when told to "disregard" or "toss" by the Forum members. I have wondered myself why it can't be made a useful cookbook instead of something to be thrown away.This is a suggestion of many members on here..Also remember that not everyone knows about the Forum nor does everyone have a computer.

KathyE,

You are correct in that not everyone has a computer nor knows about this great Forum. Yes, Cookshack is leading new owners astray with that simple cookbook. They need to re-do it plus jump up and down on a table and suggest new owners visit the forums. And, CS needs to tell CS new owners if they do not have a computer or know how to use one then just visit their local library for some help pulling up the site.

Hopefully someone at CS will note this and take action.

I have had my 008 for two years and didn't have any problems with the included book. Looking at it now for pork butt, it says smoke at 225 for 10 hours and refers you to the 'internal temperatures' table. The table shows '180' as sliceable and '190' as 'product can be pulled. Not that far off the mark in my opinion. I see no references at all to '160 for 8 hrs' and I'm not even sure what that means. Set smoker for 160? No way that could be the case.

Just looked at the recipe the poster was talking about (160 for 8 hours) and sure enough, that's what it says and I think that *must* be a mistake and should be fixed pronto. The Get Smokin' boot was not what came with the 008 but the small book (Smoking at Home) I quoted from above (225 for about 10 hours or 190 internal) did.