Is it better to probe later in the smoke???

[pineywoods]

Deltdude is correct it has a lot to do with food safety. If you puncture the meat in any way you have 4 hours to get the meat from 40 degrees to 140 degrees internal according to the USDA. If you do not puncture the meat the USDA says you can follow the "intact muscle rule" and only need to get the outer 1/2 inch past 140 degrees in that same 4 hours. Using the intact muscle rule is much easier and generally is easily done at temps over 200 degrees. So if I have a smoke that I know is going to take a long time I don't bother to put a probe in for about 4 hours but if I'm doing something I know will be done in 4 hours or less I'll go ahead and probe it from the start. Ground meats must use the punctured meat rule.

 

[ddave]

Well . . . if you are a flipper, which I'm not but some are, it's a lot easier to flip the meat without the probe in there.

I'll usually put a probe in pork shoulders at about the 5 hour mark. With briskets I'll let them go 6 or 8 hours before I put the probe in. I'm not really to worried about what the temp is prior to that.

Interesting concept on lowering the temp of the smoker if you think the meat is cooking too fast. I would think that if the smoker is constant in the 225° to 250° range that the meat temp rise and collagen break down would still happen on it's way to the finish temp. I wouldn't think it would be necessary to lengthen the cook time. But I can't say for sure. I'm not a scientist nor do I play one on TV.

I can say however that I've had a 12 pound brisket take 16 hours to get to 195ish in my 240ish degree UDS and I've had a 12 pound brisket finish in 11 hours under the same conditions and both were very tender. The one that finished fast really surprised me. I thought my Taylor thermos were nuts but I checked it with the Thermapen and the probe went in with very little resistance so it was definitely done. Just a speed brisket I guess.

Dave

 

[moltenone]

i insert the probe right off the bat and have never had any problems.

Mark