When to use "Smoke" setting?

The primary thing I can tell you for whatever kind of a smoker you are using is that meats, or at least pork meat, absorbs smoke to a meat temperature of 140*F. I have and read this many times but I don't know if that means that the surface will not let the smoke pass through if it is 140*F or if it is a figure used meaning the center of the meat, which doesn't sound very scientific!

I am not so sure if I made my self clear!

Therefore, and what I have always heard, is the smoke can only absorbed in the beginning of the cook. I think when people speak about smoking during the end it is must me merely for heat! Just like the times you may have started smoking and they call you into the office. Hopefully the internal temp had made it to or over 140*F so you can through it in the oven and put the timer on or have someone on the household to turn it off when it's "done"!

Well there is my 2 cents, eh?

Smoke absorbtion is not real. Smokering is a chemical reaction that causes the pigment in the meat to become pink. That reaction stops at aprox 140� internal. If you want a larger smokering then start out on Smoke and keep the pit temps lower for the start of the cook allowing the reaction to last longer.

As the cook continues and you continue to have smoke in the cooker you will continue to lay smoke on the meat, at this point you will want to raise the pit temp and continue the cook. If you were to leave the cooker on the smoke setting it would be very long time to get a butt or brisket over 180� with the pit temp at that temp.
Jim

Just to clarify Jim's answer. The smoke flavor is absorbed by the meat the whole time it is in contact with smoke regardless of temp. Cooking a Pork butt the whole way at the smoke setting is not something I'd do. The center of the meat will be in the danger zone of 40f to 140f for more than 2 hours which exceeds HAACP guide lines. I plan on using the smoke setting for one hour to get a nice smokering as that is what stops at 140f. A clean burn does not yield a great smoke ring IME.
~Konrad

Thanks all, you have confirmed what I have always thought and that is the "smoke setting" on the FE100 is really only useful upfront.

When I used to smoke with my Hathorn Barrell smoker I would use wood chunks for the first part of the cook and then lay on lump charcoal (I used Royal Oak) for the rest of the cook. I never could understand the mindset of only using logs the whole way through. After a certain point (140), heat is heat..the meat is done with "absorbing smoke" to impart that hickory flavor and the smokering is either there or not.

Thanks again..and Jim, still waiting to hear from you on that bag of Hickory pellets. I sent you email yesterday.

I use the smoke setting for three hours when smoking salmon, after it has been marinated. Then I kick up the heat to firm up the fish. Works great. It comes out really moist and tasty.