Plateau/Stall and Raising Temps

In my opinion the stall time helps the meat become more tender by breaking down the collagen. Its kinda like relaxing in a hot tub. When you first get it its hot then you relax and feels great as your muscles relax but if your in too long you over cook a bit! Here is a little info on collagen:
Juiciness and tenderness are two very important factors when it comes to meat quality. Both factors are influenced by the cut of meat you choose and how long the meat is cooked. The more a muscle is used, the stronger, and therefore tougher, the cut of meat will be. And the longer meat is cooked, the more liquid it loses and the tougher it becomes. Factors that also influence tenderness and juiciness are: The animal's age at slaughter, the amount of fat and collagen (connective tissue) contained in particular cuts, and, to a small degree, brining.
Collagen is a long, stiff protein that is the most prevalent protein in mammals. It's made up of three separate molecules composed of amino acid chains, twisted around each other, something like the way fibers are twisted around each other to form a rope. This structure is what makes the collagen so strong; this strength is also what makes it more difficult to break down. The more collagen there is in a piece of meat, the tougher it is to cut and to chew. Skin is mostly collagen, as are the tendons that connect muscles to bones. For cuts that are high in collagen, cooking with methods that use slow, moist heat, such as stewing or braising, are the best. Collagen is soluble in water and when it is cooked slowly with moist heat, it becomes gelatin. You can also make collagen less tough by slicing up meat into smaller pieces, which makes the fibers smaller and easier to break apart.
Weight-bearing muscles and muscles that are constantly used contain higher amounts of collagen than muscles that aren't used for support or aren't used as frequently. Cows and pigs have higher amounts of collagen in the legs, chest, and rump. Pork is generally more tender than beef because pigs are usually slaughtered at a younger age than cows, and so their muscles are less developed and have less collagen than do those of cows.

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Originally posted by Wilber:
Pork is generally more tender than beef because pigs are usually slaughtered at a younger age than cows, and so their muscles are less developed and have less collagen than do those of cows.

I had a top cook explain to me, that hawgs and chickens are raised in fallows/pens, so they don't over use their muscles by running....whereas a young steer might want to chase the others to the hill top of a 2 section pasture, just for the heck of it.

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Originally posted by Countrypete84:

Yesterday I did my third brisket, and the temperature reading was stuck at 171 for several hours. In order to facilitate a quicker exit from the stall, due to time constraints, I jacked up my 025 to 300F. Within an hour, the temperature went up to 185.

Is there any known detriment to utlizing this method?

In my opinion, no detriment. Most comp cooks I know generally cook at 250, be it stick burners or pellet rigs. I find 225 too slow for my liking, time frame wise. There are those who use "hot and fast" ... 300 and up. Myron Mixon is one of those. His cooker provides a LOT of steam (via water pan) and it's been rumored that his brisket has more of a pot roast flavor.

Many of the Luling/Lockhart TX BBQ shrines use cinder block floor pits and they tend to run them hot...turning out packers in 6-7 hrs.

My suggestion would be to stick with what you like and keep the temp steady.

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Originally posted by Countrypete84:
Once the temperature hit 185, I shut the smoker off and left the brisket in overnight.

Did the temp of the meat stay above 140 all night? Wouldn't want to get anyone sick.

Wilbur;
Thanks for the informative post. I like learning the science of cooking.

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Originally posted by cal:

quote:

Originally posted by Wilber:
Pork is generally more tender than beef because pigs are usually slaughtered at a younger age than cows, and so their muscles are less developed and have less collagen than do those of cows.

I had a top cook explain to me, that hawgs and chickens are raised in fallows/pens, so they don't over use their muscles by running....whereas a young steer might want to chase the others to the hill top of a 2 section pasture, just for the heck of it.

cal, that's very true, I have been chased by a steer or two! We had a young one that would chase anything that was in the pasture!

You will find all kinds of theories on temperature for cooking brisket. Low and slow; hot and fast; low until wrapped, then bump up heat; etc., etc.

Beef will cook well either low or high temp.

But pork shoulder is less forgiving at high temps. The texture just does not seem to be as good if cooked hot and fast; although many will debate that with me too. I would just plan to cook at 225-250 if doing double duty and cooking beef and pork at same time.

I also believe that Cookshack/Fast Eddy cookers will have improved smoke flavor at lower temps, for what that is worth.

Some great feedback everyone. Thanks.

It was 28F or -2C, so by the time the smoker cooked down, the meat would also cool down.

I'll know the results tomorrow after serving it at my brother's party, and post photos too.