Question: IT and smoking temps

[matt r]

 I have an MES 30 and have had some great success so far, but there is one thing that I cant seem to wrap my head around.

Can you over-cook something in the smoker? For instance, a pork shoulder. Im going to do one tomorrow, 6.27 lbs and have it marinating right now. I plan on putting it on at around 8-9am and smoking it to an IT of 220 at temp of 225. Hopefully to eat it around 6 or 7pm. That's roughly 11 hours.

Now, if I cook it at a higher temp, say 275, will that cook faster and dry out? Can it dry out? How important is the temp that you cook something at, providing that your cooking to IT?

Thanks everybody!

 

[geerock]

Matt
sure you can overcook anything. And if you cook to an IT of 220 you will over cook it. Not sure where you got the idea of 220 but 195 to 200 tends to be right for pork shoulder. My suggestion to you is to start around your planned time but smoke it at 250. This should get you pretty close to around 1 1/2 hrs per lb. assuming the masterbuilt temps are correct ( which they rarely are). Pull at 190 to 195 for sliced, around 200 for pulled. Remember you want the meat to reat for a while anyway. If you are an hour or 2 early just leave in wrapped in foil with a towel around it and drop in a cooler. She'll stay for a good 2 to 3 hours. Always good to be a little early instead of being late and folks waiting to eat

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I smoke pork butts/shoulders at 285 all the time and they don't dry out and it does drop the cook time considerably. As mentioned 220 IT is too high. I take mine to 200-205 for pulled, 185-190 for sliced. Minimum rest time (wrapped in foil) prior to slicing of pulling 30-4inutes.

 

[matt r]

thanks for the tips guys. Im glad I asked! So...1 1/2 hours per pound is a good gauge of roughly the time it should take to get to 195-200 IT

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Matt , hello . Don't know if your MES will get to a high temp. (I see most go to around 225*F) , however at that temp. you'll be fine .  I smoke with wood only and in the time to smoke an average Butt , they don't get dry. Butts are hard to mess-up .

But I concur with Case , and aim for 200*F. Unless you REALLY like Bark

  

Have fun and . . .

 

[foamheart]

 
thanks for the tips guys. Im glad I asked! So...1 1/2 hours per pound is a good gauge of roughly the time it should take to get to 195-200 IT

Really good advise

No, its all depends upon your techique. If I smoke on my MES 30 a butt, I smoke at 220 and actually plan about 2 or 2.5/lb., 1 1/2 is more for using the Texas Crutch method. And I am not so sure it would hold there. But I put the butt in the smoker, I will open the smoker once later to insert the temperature probe (Usually about 2 hours later), Then I may open it once more before its done just to take a picture.

I set my alarm to 203. Then I do the toothpick test. Then I pull it, set it in a pan on the kitchen counter and cover with a towel till its cool enough to pull, then I just embarass myself while I pull that baby.

You never know exatrctly what a butt will do, I have had a 10 lber cook for 22 hours (thats my norm), but a few weeks back I had a 10 lber cooked done in 13 hours. Pigs are unreliable!

Make sure and leave your smoker's door shut. Everytime you open it costs you 10+ mins in heat recovery time, if you only open that door once every hour, on a 12 hour smoke you have added an additional 2 hours of cooking time. It adds up in not only added time, lost moisture, additional electricity ....but also lost smoke.