" Meat stops taking smoke at 140°F ". This is a frequent statement and is only partially true and only partially applies to electric smokers. There is not enough Nitrogen generated by the pellets to make much of a smoke ring if any...
As far as smoke penetration goes, smoke is made up of Gasses, some containing Nitrogen, Particles of assorted chemicals, most of which have a pleasant flavor, and some Tars and Oils. As the meat is being smoked many of these Gasses dissolve into the meats surface moisture. Since in the early stages this moisture can move in and out of the outer 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the meats surface we get flavor from these Gasses and in a chemical reaction between the Nitrogen Gas and the Myoglobin, the stuff that makes meat Red and does NOT contain any Blood, we get a permanent color change from red to pink. A Smoke Ring! During this chemical reaction the smoke Particles start building on the surface of the meat. Since they are too big to penetrate very far, the particles only accumulate on the surface with some of the smaller ones being carried an extremely short distance in with the surface liquids. Bottom line is Smoke is made up of many chemicals and gasses. The Gasses can combine with the meat juices, it will Absorb Smoke, and enter the meat until about 140*F when the muscle fibers contract to the point that very little passes in or out...BUT...The flavorful smoke Particles will continue to built up on the surface, it will Take Smoke, as long as smoke is being applied to the meat.
So, no more " Smoke Ring " penetration after 140*F but " Smoke Flavor " will keep building until you remove the meat from the Smoker...
Yes you can separate unburned pellets, but it is a bad idea to store the unburned pellets in the
AMNPS because they easily absorb moisture from the air and if they don't disintegrate will be too wet to burn. This requires that you bake or microwave them to use. Since you will have to remove the pellets to dry, you will have a mess of ash and anything that dripped on it in the pellets, on the floor and in the microwave...
You can figure each row will burn about 3 hours, so add accordingly. It is best to store pellets in air tight containers and even then microwaving 60-90 second before loading is a good idea. I hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to PM me...JJ