May the force be with you!

I dont think I have developed a good enough eye/feel for done so I still rely on a Polder to get me there. I can see a difference in cooking times between local grown, butchered, fresh meat vs store bought.

bob

I use at least one, sometimes two Polders, for anything except ribs. I've seen enough variation in butts to throw my expected cook off by 3 hours, so I like a fairly accurate indication of what's going on so I don't need to peek.

Cadillac, what part of Iowa are you from? I worked in Des Moines from 1980 until 1990, and I have a sister in Cedar Rapids and a brother in Iowa City.

I don't do comp at all and just Q for the fun and great taste. Yup, I rely on my Taylor quite extensively (with the exception of ribs, as Robbi said). I can't see wasting time opening the door to look or feel or poke. The only bad Q I've had was my first cook when I used too much wood. Other than that, everything has been fabulous! Nothing has been over or under cooked. I feel like I've got a good thing going and if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking those that don't use crutches, just satisfied with what I'm doing (for now).

I always use my Tru-temp.. every cook.. including ribs.. but, I haven't done babybacks.. only spares. Wouldn't cook without it. It tells me when I'm in the ballpark.. after that I might twist a leg or a bone.. but, it surely saves opening the box too often.. thereby adding more time to the cook...

I always use a thermo on heavy cuts of meat.

"...rather relying on the intuitive method and experience..."

drbodkin, interesting point. After I dropped and broke my electronic unit, I went back to a cheapo probe thermometer. I mainly use it as an icepick to check for tenderness. Dead giveaway for doneness...

Guess you can call me O-b-wan...or maybe I prefer Dark Vader...yeah, that's me DV.

I use the force most of the time.

I use a probe to get instant readings on chicken to make sure it's cooked, same for Pork Loins and Fish. On briskets and butts only near the end of the cook to see if I'm above 180 yet or not. Never done it on ribs.

I'll use a probe when I'm mapping the cooker or want to see how the meat is progressing (so I can report that info in the 101 series)

My final judgement is always the poke it method and the visual method. How does it feel and how does it look.

Darth

After 2 of mine puked yesterday morning as I'm shutting the door on a brisket, I'm down on these right now! Prior to yesterday everything but ribs got monitered. Yesterday's brisket was without for the first time. I cooked strictly according to time per lb derived from Darth Smokin Okie Vaders celestrial brisket 101. Perfect brisket is getting to be a real bore and this was another example of perfect!

I'm a computer geek by trade, which is a world where 1+1 always equals 2. But with smoking 1+1 may equal 2 today, 3 tomorrow, or 1 the day after.

So I'm slowly learning how to tell when it's done, since as Smokin' says, that's when it's done. Not when it's been in the smoker for x hours. Or not when my temp probe reads the desired temp. But those are good rules of thumb to get dummies like me started.

Well! I use two methods. One, a Polder placed at an angle in all meat smokings. I don't trust times in a smoker because of all the varibles. With any fish I use my middle finger (pointed down ) and press it against the fish. If the fish is a hot smoked salmon and starts to open up without being hard, its done. If its mullet, its done when it feels like the palm part of your thumb. If the fish is one that gets hard when slightly overcooked like halibut, I use two fingers and if it even starts to pull part its taken to the table. Now! Spanish Mackerel, its done when it feels like the skin between your thumb and index finger (that would be rare if a steak, but with Spanish, its done.

smokemullet