Had a delima with the first time I used the stoker. The stoker kept the temp right where i wanted it. BUT I had a really weird thing happen, The main meat was just a little 4 pound flat. I thought I would try to do it low and slow like 210 I put the meat on at 12:30pm the smoker was 212 and the meat was 42 degrees. At 4:30 the meat temp was bout 130, at 7:30pm it was at 139, at 9:00pm it was 141, at 10:30 I bumped the temp to 220 degrees it was still at 141. We are now 10 hours into the cook and no wheres near being done I was confused. By 11:30 the meat temp had barely made it to 152 so I bumped the temp to 250 degrees. I couldnt believe it so I pulled out my insta thermometer to make sure the meat thermo was working and it was within 1 or 2 degrees. I finally had enought about 2:30am and the meat temp was about 180 so I will probibly use it for chili or something. I took it off and wrapped it and put it in a cooler and it is still there. What a night.
First Timer needs help
- Thread starter M Smith
- Start date
First of all, remember that some cuts of meat have to go through a process that breaks down fat and connective tissue. This consumes energy and will not allow the temperature of the meat to rise until it is broken down. This is refered to as the temperature platue. Weird I know, but it happens to me every time I do a brisket, port butt and sometimes even a turkey. The leaner the meat, the less time it takes to overcome the platue. It's best not to push the temp up to much to overcome that, or you'll dry the meat or it won't tenderize properly.
#2, make sure your meat probe is calibrated. Place 2 inches of the probe into the center of boiling water for 30 seconds. If you are near sea level, it should read close to 212, I'm at 960 so I look for 210. You can do a search and find the formula for your elevation, but too much research becomes nit-picking, 2° is close enough. The instructions will tell you how to calibrate, kinda. You're probably better off finding it in the menu and figuring it out for yourself.
#2, make sure your meat probe is calibrated. Place 2 inches of the probe into the center of boiling water for 30 seconds. If you are near sea level, it should read close to 212, I'm at 960 so I look for 210. You can do a search and find the formula for your elevation, but too much research becomes nit-picking, 2° is close enough. The instructions will tell you how to calibrate, kinda. You're probably better off finding it in the menu and figuring it out for yourself.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
There is no benefit to cooking supermarket brisket at that low a temperature, especially a small flat. Lower/slower is not better, nor at all required.
Bumping up cooktemps to push a cut through a plateau will not cause it to dry out (drying out comes from overcooking) nor will it affect tenderization.
Butts vary in cooktime because of variances in cooking approach and/or conditions, not differences in the meat (the 'every butt is different' adage one often hears isn't--it's a myth). Commercial pork is rather uniform .
Bumping up cooktemps to push a cut through a plateau will not cause it to dry out (drying out comes from overcooking) nor will it affect tenderization.
Butts vary in cooktime because of variances in cooking approach and/or conditions, not differences in the meat (the 'every butt is different' adage one often hears isn't--it's a myth). Commercial pork is rather uniform .