time/temp problem

[newb]

Hey all

2 chuckine ~6.5 hours and only 120 deg...what ya all think...too long in the 'danger zone'

Got it in the oven now at 350.

 

[bman62526]

Yep, I would do the same - finish in the oven, take it to at least 185 - 190° internal and then do the usual finish: wrapped in foil w/ a little liquid inside, into the cooler for an hour - then eat!

 

[timleo]

you only need to get the surfaces to 140 within 4 hours...the internal temp isn't a problem. Finish it in the oven and I'd feel fine about eating it.

 

[rickw]

I would toss it if it were me. One thing I don't take chances on is meat that was not properly handled of cooked. To long in the danger zone for me.

 

[flash]

That is strange. What temps were you smoking at?
I did two chucks today and had 120* after about 1 1/2 hours at best. This was at around 225* smoker temp.

 

[pineywoods]

If it did not get to 140 in less than 4 hours and did not meet the "Intact Muscle" rule than I couldn't recommend to someone they eat it. You may get away with it once or a thousand times but that one time you don't just isn't worth the risk to me

 

[pignit]

The best solution to that problem is to check your temps around 3 hours into the smoke and see if your gonna need to adjust your smoking temp. That will keep you from endin up in this spot again. From what I have learned and what I understand to be correct... and I'm sure this is gonna raise some eyebrows... the 140 in 4 hours rule applies to the first .5 inch of your intact muscle meat unless you have punctured in any way the intact muscle before the first half inch reaches 140. That means checking the internal temp with a probe, or putting a probe in the meat before you start smoking... or injecting. If you have compromised the intact muscle in any way before the first half inch has reached 140.... then the 140 in 4 hour rule for the internal applies. That's the guideline. If your confident that the muscle wasn't compromised and the outside half inch reached 140 in 4 hours..... chomp away without worry...... if you stuck your temp probe in before you started.... and you haev smoked it for 6.5 hours with an internal temp of 120..... look out... there is a high probablity of getting sick. Let us know what happens.

 

[meateater]

Are your therms calibrated? Sometimes the simplest things are overlooked.

 

[ddave]

What he said.

That is my understanding as well according to Post Number 2 in this thread.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=72852


Dave

 

[pineywoods]

Dave's info is correct for the Intact Muscle Rule.

If the chuckies didn't get over 140 in under 4 hours I would suspect either the smoker was not hot enough what kind of temps were you running in the smoker and what thermo were you using to monitor that or as was asked earlier have you checked the thermos to see if they are reading correctly?

 

[DanMcG]

Very well said PignIt!

 

[newb]

thanks for the replies all.

Meateater:
I didn't check my probes when I started so I might have one going on the fritz....that could explain some of it...I'll do so later today and report.

I was supposedly smoking at 225. Outside temp was in the 30's

PignIt:
Yes the meat was whole muscle and I didn't puncture it until I took a reading at the 120ish range.

RickW and all:
regardless dumping 25 bucks of chuckies is cheaper than dumping 25 x 5 for office calls to the doctor. Besides I had food poisioning many years ago in the Core and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

 

[pignit]

My guess is a problem with either the temp gauge on the smoker or the temp probe for the meat. A chuckie at 225 is going to hit 140 internal in 4 hours or less and certainly would hit a higher internal of 120 in 6.5 hours.
The only other possible cause would be opening the smoker a lot during the smoke. My guess is gonna be a therm failure. By guidelines... it should have been ok. But the number one rule of thumb.... especially when sharin your smoke... better safe than sorry. I had to throw away an entire whole loin I left sittin over night in the grocery bag on the dining room table one time. Good choice on chuckn the chucky.

 

[newb]

Problem found. Smoker temp probe is +30 deg...so instead of smoking at 225 I was smoking at 195 deg....UGH.

Take my loss as a lesson to all. Make sure u check your probes each and every smoke....I will for sure.


Side note - Now only if I had cured them :)