The subject of meat stall has been on my mind lately and there has been some discussion in other threads that have swerved into the subject. So I thought we could have a open discussion about the Stall specifically, what causes it, how to beat it and how it differs from whole muscle meat to sausage but also how it all may be similar. All input and experience is welcome, questions too.
As most of us all know, the stall happens when meat moisture is pushed to the surface and causes evaporation cooling. We first must understand what causes it to understand how to beat it. In whole muscle bbq or sausage the cause is the same but they appear differently and show up at different temperatures.
The Cause:
Is collagen.
Meat fibers are bundled like wires and wrapped in collagen, these wrapped bundles are connected with connective tissue. This is the purpose of cutting or slicing meat against the grain to in effect shorten these bundles for a bite and good chew. When we start the cook process thermal energy pushes into the meat causing the internal temperature to rise. As the temperature rises, the collagen wrapped around the meat bundles begins to constrict, in effect squeezing the ~75% moisture in the meat bundles out. This actually begins in the 120’s internal temperature range, and generally stops around 170ish. As the temp rises the collagen constriction increases squeezing even more moisture out.
In whole muscle meats like brisket and pork butts we see the extracted moisture come to surface and pool on the meat exterior. This in turn evaporates and causes a cooling effect on the surface stopping internal temp rise until all the moisture is squeezed out and the meat is relatively dry inside, at this point the internal temp can begin to rise again. We can stop this effect by wrapping in butcher paper or foil to stop the evaporative effect and push past the stall. Easy enough.
But what about sausage? It’s a bit different since it’s already wrapped in a casing. So one might think the stall would be more manageable in sausage but in my experience it’s a bit more complicated than that. The meat inside the sausage, while cut into small bits, is still largely the same structure just smaller than a whole muscle piece. So collagen plays the same roll here and squeezes the meat bundles and causes moisture extraction. Even though the meat is ground it’s cased so the effect is basically same as whole muscle.
Trouble is that this evaporative effect isn’t visible per se on the surface of sausage like it is in bbq. None the less, a lot of evaporation occurs and starts actually in the 120’s internal temp and accelerates approaching 130’s. Here we can start to see temp stall especially if the smoker is overloaded. As we start increasing smoker temps to push over we now risk another problem,
Dry Ring:
In the laws of physics, every action has an opposite and equal reaction. When we apply thermal energy (heat) to meat there is an opposite and equal reaction inside the meat. This is the stall. As we try to overcome the stall it’s very easy to cause dry ring on sausage or meats. This is where the thermal energy finally overcomes surface moisture aided by air flow, this dries the surface of the meat. This in effect seals the remaining moisture inside and starts deflecting the thermal energy outside. This stops thermal (temperature) rise inside the meat. Stall.
In sausage, my experience is to try to avoid the dry ring if possible, if not then a water finish either by poach or SV is a good answer.
Bbq meats though, are also effected by a dry ring potential. This is why a lot of old timers used mops or spritzing to moisten the surface, and of course why the “Texas crutch” of wrapping came about. Not only to stop the evaporation effect but also the dry ring effect. Some may have even experienced a second stall somewhere in the mid 180’s to low 190’s, my experience is dry ring as the cause.
These are just my thoughts and experiences. What say you? Thank you if you made it this far.
As most of us all know, the stall happens when meat moisture is pushed to the surface and causes evaporation cooling. We first must understand what causes it to understand how to beat it. In whole muscle bbq or sausage the cause is the same but they appear differently and show up at different temperatures.
The Cause:
Is collagen.
Meat fibers are bundled like wires and wrapped in collagen, these wrapped bundles are connected with connective tissue. This is the purpose of cutting or slicing meat against the grain to in effect shorten these bundles for a bite and good chew. When we start the cook process thermal energy pushes into the meat causing the internal temperature to rise. As the temperature rises, the collagen wrapped around the meat bundles begins to constrict, in effect squeezing the ~75% moisture in the meat bundles out. This actually begins in the 120’s internal temperature range, and generally stops around 170ish. As the temp rises the collagen constriction increases squeezing even more moisture out.
In whole muscle meats like brisket and pork butts we see the extracted moisture come to surface and pool on the meat exterior. This in turn evaporates and causes a cooling effect on the surface stopping internal temp rise until all the moisture is squeezed out and the meat is relatively dry inside, at this point the internal temp can begin to rise again. We can stop this effect by wrapping in butcher paper or foil to stop the evaporative effect and push past the stall. Easy enough.
But what about sausage? It’s a bit different since it’s already wrapped in a casing. So one might think the stall would be more manageable in sausage but in my experience it’s a bit more complicated than that. The meat inside the sausage, while cut into small bits, is still largely the same structure just smaller than a whole muscle piece. So collagen plays the same roll here and squeezes the meat bundles and causes moisture extraction. Even though the meat is ground it’s cased so the effect is basically same as whole muscle.
Trouble is that this evaporative effect isn’t visible per se on the surface of sausage like it is in bbq. None the less, a lot of evaporation occurs and starts actually in the 120’s internal temp and accelerates approaching 130’s. Here we can start to see temp stall especially if the smoker is overloaded. As we start increasing smoker temps to push over we now risk another problem,
Dry Ring:
In the laws of physics, every action has an opposite and equal reaction. When we apply thermal energy (heat) to meat there is an opposite and equal reaction inside the meat. This is the stall. As we try to overcome the stall it’s very easy to cause dry ring on sausage or meats. This is where the thermal energy finally overcomes surface moisture aided by air flow, this dries the surface of the meat. This in effect seals the remaining moisture inside and starts deflecting the thermal energy outside. This stops thermal (temperature) rise inside the meat. Stall.
In sausage, my experience is to try to avoid the dry ring if possible, if not then a water finish either by poach or SV is a good answer.
Bbq meats though, are also effected by a dry ring potential. This is why a lot of old timers used mops or spritzing to moisten the surface, and of course why the “Texas crutch” of wrapping came about. Not only to stop the evaporation effect but also the dry ring effect. Some may have even experienced a second stall somewhere in the mid 180’s to low 190’s, my experience is dry ring as the cause.
These are just my thoughts and experiences. What say you? Thank you if you made it this far.
