Stall temp...

[raselkirk]

I did my 3rd brisket a few days ago and noticed some strangeness with stall temp. My stalls have been all over the place temp-wise. I use small 3# briskets (I think ya'll call them "flats") and set the smoker for 225°. This time it stalled at 153°, I let it go for 15 minutes before bumping up the temp to 265°. At that time, the stall went from 153° to 163° and stayed there for prolly another 15 minutes before climbing as expecting. Seems like my 1st brisket stalled at 165° and the 2nd stalled at 143°. Both started with the smoker at 225°, so what determines the stall temp? I'm thinking it's most closely tied with the thickness of the cut? Weights were all pretty much the same...

BTW, this brisket was the best yet by far. I did not wrap it this time until the smoke ran out after 5 hrs, internal temp was 190° at the time. I wrapped it in foil and tossed it into a 275° oven until internal temp was 200°, then started "probing" with an ice pick and continued cooking until all was soft. When I opened it up, there was a bunch of juice in the bottom of the foil (luckily I put it in a pan) and the meat was purrrfect. Very soft, very juicy, and very tender!

Russ

 

[Inscrutable]

The stall is the result of evaporative cooling ... the cooling effect of the meat sweating and evaporating matches the energy input. It may vary with different cuts as to how much/fast that evaporative process is completed, and then the temp rises again.

So you can Just wait it out if you have the time, and maximize bark formation tho risking drying it out more ... or bump the energy input (as you have) to power thru it, with similar up/down side ... or wrap with foil or butcher paper to retain more heat/energy, in the former softening the bark and blocking further smoke absorption, the latter less so.

BTW 15 minutes is no time at all ... stalls can last for hours.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Are you sure the smoker temp is actually at 225 degrees by using a separate probe set up?

 

[raselkirk]

Agreed on the stall temp varying, though I've read elsewhere (on here) where some have the impression it's xxx° no matter what. It may be however, for them, they're using the same cut/size/shape/box temp all the time.

Are you sure the smoker temp is actually at 225 degrees by using a separate probe set up?

No, but that's my next step. I'm gonna find an industrial dial thermometer and (possibly) drill/mount it into the door face...

Russ