Hi all - just bought a new pellet grill and started smoking a shoulder at midnight. The smoker setting is around 180 degrees. Woke up at 8 am and the digital temperature on smoker said 160 and the thermometer on hood said 150. I raised the temperature to 200 and about 30 minutes later stuck thermometer in shoulder and it showed around 138. Given the meat was under 140 for 8 plus hours, should I toss it and start over? Having lots of guests over and don't want to get everyone sick! Thanks for your reply!
140 degrees in 7 hours safe
- Thread starter jvisco
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Whole muscle meat is considered "sterile" on the inside... Bacteria are considered to be on the outside of the muscle...
It would have been much safer if you started the smoker at 225-250 for the first hour or two, then lowered the temp to 180...
That being said, the USDA has a time / temp table that tells when pathogens have been destroyed....
The table below shows meat at 138 deg. F for 18 min. is safe... I use these tables but I extend the time significantly for "insurance" that the pathogens have been killed...
Since you were smoking the meat, at a lower temperature, cure #1 would have been a good ingredient to add to the meat..
PM Chef Jimmy J for his opinion.... I can only provide some information.. YOU will have to decide if it is safe....
Government Pasteurization Tables
The pasteurization times for beef, lamb and pork are listed in Table C.1. Table C.2 lists the pasteurization times for chicken and turkey.
Table C.1: Pasteurization times for beef, corned beef, lamb, pork and cured pork (FDA, 2009, 3-401.11.B.2).
Table C.2: Pasteurization times for a 7D reduction in Salmonella for chicken and turkey (FSIS, 2005).
It would have been much safer if you started the smoker at 225-250 for the first hour or two, then lowered the temp to 180...
That being said, the USDA has a time / temp table that tells when pathogens have been destroyed....
The table below shows meat at 138 deg. F for 18 min. is safe... I use these tables but I extend the time significantly for "insurance" that the pathogens have been killed...
Since you were smoking the meat, at a lower temperature, cure #1 would have been a good ingredient to add to the meat..
PM Chef Jimmy J for his opinion.... I can only provide some information.. YOU will have to decide if it is safe....
Government Pasteurization Tables
The pasteurization times for beef, lamb and pork are listed in Table C.1. Table C.2 lists the pasteurization times for chicken and turkey.
Temperature | Time | Temperature | Time |
°F (°C) | (Minutes) | °F (°C) | (Seconds) |
130 (54.4) | 112 min | 146 (63.3) | 169 sec |
131 (55.0) | 89 min | 147 (63.9) | 134 sec |
132 (55.6) | 71 min | 148 (64.4) | 107 sec |
133 (56.1) | 56 min | 149 (65.0) | 85 sec |
134 (56.7) | 45 min | 150 (65.6) | 67 sec |
135 (57.2) | 36 min | 151 (66.1) | 54 sec |
136 (57.8) | 28 min | 152 (66.7) | 43 sec |
137 (58.4) | 23 min | 153 (67.2) | 34 sec |
138 (58.9) | 18 min | 154 (67.8) | 27 sec |
139 (59.5) | 15 min | 155 (68.3) | 22 sec |
140 (60.0) | 12 min | 156 (68.9) | 17 sec |
141 (60.6) | 9 min | 157 (69.4) | 14 sec |
142 (61.1) | 8 min | 158 (70.0) | 0 sec |
143 (61.7) | 6 min | ||
144 (62.2) | 5 min | ||
145 (62.8) | 4 min |
Temperature | Time | Time | Time | Time | Time | Time |
°F (°C) | 1% fat | 3% fat | 5% fat | 7% fat | 9% fat | 12% fat |
136 (57.8) | 64 min | 65.7 min | 68.4 min | 71.4 min | 74.8 min | 81.4 min |
137 (58.3) | 51.9 min | 52.4 min | 54.3 min | 56.8 min | 59.7 min | 65.5 min |
138 (58.9) | 42.2 min | 42.7 min | 43.4 min | 45.3 min | 47.7 min | 52.9 min |
139 (59.4) | 34.4 min | 34.9 min | 35.4 min | 36.2 min | 38.3 min | 43 min |
140 (60.0) | 28.1 min | 28.5 min | 29 min | 29.7 min | 30.8 min | 35 min |
141 (60.6) | 23 min | 23.3 min | 23.8 min | 24.4 min | 25.5 min | 28.7 min |
142 (61.1) | 18.9 min | 19.1 min | 19.5 min | 20.1 min | 21.1 min | 23.7 min |
143 (61.7) | 15.5 min | 15.7 min | 16.1 min | 16.6 min | 17.4 min | 19.8 min |
144 (62.2) | 12.8 min | 12.9 min | 13.2 min | 13.7 min | 14.4 min | 16.6 min |
145 (62.8) | 10.5 min | 10.6 min | 10.8 min | 11.3 min | 11.9 min | 13.8 min |
146 (63.3) | 8.7 min | 8.7 min | 8.9 min | 9.2 min | 9.8 min | 11.5 min |
148 (64.4) | 5.8 min | 5.8 min | 5.9 min | 6.1 min | 6.5 min | 7.7 min |
150 (65.6) | 3.8 min | 3.7 min | 3.7 min | 3.9 min | 4.1 min | 4.9 min |
152 (66.7) | 2.3 min | 2.3 min | 2.3 min | 2.3 min | 2.4 min | 2.8 min |
154 (67.8) | 1.5 min | 1.5 min | 1.5 min | 1.5 min | 1.5 min | 1.6 min |
156 (68.9) | 59 sec | 59.5 sec | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min | 1 min |
158 (70.0) | 38.8 sec | 39.2 sec | 39.6 sec | 40 sec | 40.3 sec | 40.9 sec |
160 (71.1) | 25.6 sec | 25.8 sec | 26.1 sec | 26.3 sec | 26.6 sec | 26.9 sec |
162 (72.2) | 16.9 sec | 17 sec | 17.2 sec | 17.3 sec | 17.5 sec | 17.7 sec |
164 (73.3) | 11.1 sec | 11.2 sec | 11.3 sec | 11.4 sec | 11.5 sec | 11.7 sec |
166 (74.4) | 0 sec | 0 sec | 0 sec | 0 sec | 0 sec | 0 sec |
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