Bear,
I noticed in your recipe that you didn't use "any" cure #1 or TQ, but 1/2 cup salt, plus 6 Oz. to 2 qt. liquid, (1 c. salt, plus 12 oz. soy to gallon)
(I don't know how much salt in in soy sauce, but I'll assume the two together equals 1 1/4 -1 1/2 c. salt combined)
And you've slowly reached 134* IT at the 3 1/2 hour mark, then to take them off when they reach 145*. So far so good.
Except... you are using much less salty brine than I was told to use, and you say "How long this takes doesn't matter, just so they go to 145* IT". Good question. I can see how this could be confusing. I believe the actual rule is something like "from 39* to 135* in no longer than 3 1/2 hours", and that would be with no salt at all. Here we round it off to "from 40* to 140* in no longer than 4 hours", to make it easier to remember. I also said when I hit 134* at 3 1/2 hours, I bumped the heat up to 200*, so I'm sure that one piece gets to 135* in a very short time, and that was the thickest piece of all the pieces. All the rest of the pieces would be well over 135* by that time. My point was it doesn't matter how long it takes to get from 134*/135* to 145*, but it must get to 145*.
What am I missing, or not picking up on? It seems opposite to all I've been told. The above should explain it better for you.
It's easy for me to be confused. This can't be that hard. Millions of people smoke fish at home, and they don't all have internet. LOL
Most of my technique came from numerous University sites. I don't remember which ones, because it was 4 years ago, but if I had to I could find a couple of them.