Ordered #3 yesterday

[UWFSAE]

Remember, the 1.5 hour per pound calculation is a a rough calculation for stick burners, gas smokers, and electric smokers alike.  Even competition cookers will agree that depending on a wide variety of variables (meat characteristics, environmental factors, initial cooker temperature, air movement and humidity, etc.) that directly impact cooking time.

The plateau with electric smokers tends to be a bit longer than others ... I still recall being 50% freaked out and 50% pissed when I saw dropping on my meat probe when it hit 163.  Three hours later and it finally started crawling upwards again ...

Remember ... it's done when it's done.  Perhaps give yourself 1.75 hour per pound plus your 60-90 minutes of resting time; if it's done early, you wrap it and put it in a cooler.  If it takes longer, open another beer.  ;D

 

[swthorpe]

Thanks, Joe!  When I first started the smoker, I was amazed by how fast the butt came up to about 140F and thought to myself, wow...this thing will be done early!  Now I know.  I can't wait to try another butt, and this one is NOT coming off the smoker until 200F.  I may even budget myself for 2 hours per lb and see what happens.

I am going to do some more research on the SMF site regarding other factors.  For example, the butt that I had did not have a lot of fat on the top and I wonder if that affects cook time.  Truth be told, I am not even sure if I had the fat side up in the smoker, which may be another issue.  Much to learn!

 

[Thin Blue]

I smoked the two 7# butts at 235d, best I could tell, on the #3.
I smoked the 2 turkey breast on my 5 year old Brinkmann vertical electric
Smoker. I let the Brinkmann warm up for 1.5 hrs. With the water pan full
of water.  It held at 225d for the full cook 3.5hrs.. The breast temps
were 162d and 163d when I wrapped in double foil and put in cooler for
2 hrs.. I then removed from cooler and sliced as company consumed.
They were completely done.  Probably could have taken out sooner and they
would have been moister.  It is amazing how much cooking progresses
when meat is wrapped and given time to rest in a cooler.

Happy cooking.

 

[DivotMaker]

If you're pressed for time, you can "fast forward" through the stall (like Joe said, around 163) on large cuts by using the "Texas crutch."  The Texas what??  Simply put, pull the meat and wrap in heavy foil, or place in a foil pan and cover tightly with foil, and continue the cook.  The stall, or plateau in temperature occurs when the fat and connective tissue in the meat begin to liquify and all that juice rises to the surface of the meat.  Why does the temp stay steady for so long, or actually go down a bit?...evaporative cooling!  Just like us when we get hot outdoors and start to sweat - the breeze will cool our bodies (pretty sure we were designed that way.  Cooking meat is the same.  The Smokin-It smokers are pretty tight, but there is still air flow through them (if there wasn't, our wood would not smoke).

Pros to the Texas crutch:  Will shorten cook time up to 2 hours on a brisket or butt.  When foil wrapped, you'll see the temp steadily climb because evaporative cooling is stopped.

Cons:  The bark is not as dry and chewy.  One option is to wrap until temp reaches about 180, then finish the cook unwrapped to firm-up the bark.  The other option is to just enjoy the flavor and moistness you'll have in your finished product.

If I have a lot of time to kill, I'll let it work it's way through the stall on its own.  If I want to shorten cook time, I'll foil.  I usually never foil a pork butt.

Here's a great explanation of the stall from amazingribs.com, and one on the Texas crutch, too:

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/the_stall.html

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/texas_crutch.html

 

[Thin Blue]

Intriguing, I have never finished prduct in foil, may be time to try.
Thanks for info Tony 

 

[Spresso]

Hi guys, good to hear some activity from all!
No worries, I smoked the PP in the garage but both doors were open, in fact the rear door too, so there was a draft. My garage is not attached to the house and the cars are outside due to the backyard project.  Only the tools got smoked  a bit 

HUGE surprise though.
My fave place ran out of pork shoulder so I went to another place.  They only had 1 piece left a 3.5 pounder. That looked a little too lean.  No choice.  Had to get it.

Put it on before 9 am today.  12 hours later.  yes twelve! 9pm the meat was still only at 172.  Had no choice . pulled it and waited only 10 minutes.....  Oh well.
The taste was great , but not pulled.  Sliced nicely though .
I have never seen a meat that would need 5 hours per pound before....

So first smoke in the #3 was a hmm.....
By the end I had 4 thermometers running as I was getting freaked out a bit.  Had a few beers that calmed me down
I only used 3 oz of wood but there was plenty of smoke flavor.  Unlike my other "smoker" that needed a half a bag of chips  for a smoke.....

 

[UWFSAE]

Wow ... that's a new one.  A couple of troubleshooting questions:

1.  Were you using a water pan to stabilize the chamber temperatures?
2.  Were you opening the door or leaving it shut?
3.  Were you keeping an eye on both the meat temp and chamber temp?
4.  Was it bone-in or boneless?

With a 3.5 lb pork butt I'm a bit shocked you only hit 172 after 12 hours.  The good news is that you were right on the mark well for sliced pork (my personal favorite).  Glad the flavor was spot on, though.

 

[Spresso]

Yeah huge suprise for me too.  never happened before.....
I can only think that it must have been the meat as it was unusually lean...

by the end I had 4 thermometers going and had teh door latched .  did not open until the 4 hour mark to peak....
no water pan....  but the temp was good. never below 200.  sometimes as high as 250....

 

[UWFSAE]

That blows me away ... you should have been able to smoke a piece of meat nearly twice as large in the same time.  Well, once is a fluke ... but to be sure I'd avoid that market like the plague in the future. 

 

[DivotMaker]

Wow!  That doesn't make any sense that a piece of meat that size should cook so slowly.  Ben or Steve might shed some light on this one.  I cooked a 4-lb pork loin (very lean) up to 155 for slicing in about 2 1/2 hours.  If I'd have kept it in, it wouldn't have taken much longer to get to 195.  Granted, a loin is shaped like a tube instead a big round hunk like a roast, but still, mass is mass.  And, a 3 1/2 lb shoulder just isn't a very big piece of meat!  This one's a real head-scratcher!

 

[Spresso]

I think that pig must have been a freak of nature
NO other rational explanation....

I have done countless smokes in my Weber before and cooked on open fire etc....
I haven't seen anything like this before....
I'll avoid that market for sure.  I was just desperate to get a piece of meat for my first smoke in the #3 so I got that piece of meat against my better judgement.

We'll see how my next smoke goes.  Might have to wait a little for it as I'm short on time at the moment....

 

[Thin Blue]

Few questions:

Meat or rock?
3.5# or 8.5#?
Your elevation above sea level?
Brown out?
GFI?
Extension cord?
How many times was the door opened?
Water pan?
Top grill or bottom?
Did you monitor the smoker the total cook time?
Any solar flares nearby?
Did you pay the electric bill on time?
Low octane electric?
Was the butt in the smoker?

Your breaking the laws of physics!  .
Try again with 3.5 # butt.

Best of luck, keep us informed!

 

[Spresso]

PLaced it right in the middle.  2 probes in the smoker initially.  By the end 4!
The temps around the meat was perfect. Honest, GOV!

Must have been the curse of the angry wife. (who did not know I was getting the smoker for sure until it showed up in the garage

Btw Thin Blue sorry for hijacking your thread, but it seemed to have turned into a nice all around discussion of the #3!!!
Zed

 

[Thin Blue]

Zed, its all good.  We are all interested in use and developments with Smokin-it Smokers.

Based on your post, the truth is starting to surface. The fact is someone unplugged your smoker for a period of time.

Not pointing any fingers, but.   

 

[Thin Blue]

Couple of nice 5# rubbed breast for the 4th. 

 

[DivotMaker]

Couple of nice 5# rubbed breast for the 4th. 

Nice pair, Blue!  :-* Give us details!  Rub, how long, wood ...always want to know more about turkey breasts!  Good thing we keep it family-friendly here!  You've opened a door here that we have to have discipline to not go through!  lol

 

[Thin Blue]

WOW, senior members know just what to not
say.

Stubs rub, 2 chunks Hickory, 225d,
Brinkmann vertical water smoker, take to 160d, about 3.5 hrs.
wrap in foil, put in cooler for at least hour,
the ladies love it. The Turkey.   

 

[Thin Blue]

Correction: Stubbs

 

[DivotMaker]

WOW, senior members know just what to not
say.

Stubs rub, 2 chunks Hickory, 225d,
Brinkmann vertical water smoker, take to 160d, about 3.5 hrs.
wrap in foil, put in cooler for at least hour,
the ladies love it. The Turkey.   

Hehe...yeah!  Comes with "experience!" Hahaha!  ;D Like I said...discipline!  Really, though, that sounds good.  Can't go wrong with Stubbs - it's from my neck of the woods (Hot Springs, AR).  Gotta try them in the Smokin-It next time, though!

 

[Thin Blue]

Before and after pics of my new #3 butt weight reduction system. 
4th of July pics