Whats special about 225°

[Torch&Tone]

it's the physics of heat transfer. There's chemistry involved, too (Maillard Reaction for one), but it isn't much of a concern

Physics is only heating it up, chemistry is the flavor & texture that result, a.k.a. why the heating-it-up part matters! Just kidding, all the science is neat.

 

[thirdeye]

Temp is like the accelerator on a vehicle. The higher temp, the faster the cook/smoke will go, and visa versa.

A recipe is ONE successful way to do something for that author, but it does so at the expense of instinct. My wife can only cook by recipe. Period. I'm self-taught using recipes, but often find them lacking flavor or using ingredients I don't like or have any desire to purchase.

If temperature is like an accelerator, wouldn't the finished product be like an odometer reading? In other words, a specific temperature over time often results in an end result that may have a nice appearance, color, flavor and texture..... and once we figure out the combination of variables, we tend to hover around that sweet spot. This brings us to a barbecue trend in the last 10 years of so of cooking hot-n-fast instead of low-n-slow. Hot-n-fast works but the window of perfection is very small. For example, team Blues Hog won whole pork shoulder at the last Memphis In May competition and I was told the total cook time was around 6 hours, and this is for a 20# shoulder that I would cook 18 hours or longer.

Recipes are a great starting point, but I think it's better to learn technique. With a recipe you can make one dish well. If you know technique..... you can create many recipes.

 

[noboundaries]

If temperature is like an accelerator, wouldn't the finished product be like an odometer reading? In other words, a specific temperature over time often results in an end result that may have a nice appearance, color, flavor and texture..... and once we figure out the combination of variables, we tend to hover around that sweet spot. This brings us to a barbecue trend in the last 10 years of so of cooking hot-n-fast instead of low-n-slow. Hot-n-fast works but the window of perfection is very small. For example, team Blues Hog won whole pork shoulder at the last Memphis In May competition and I was told the total cook time was around 6 hours, and this is for a 20# shoulder that I would cook 18 hours or longer.

Recipes are a great starting point, but I think it's better to learn technique. With a recipe you can make one dish well. If you know technique..... you can create many recipes.

I agree with every word!

 

[SmokyMose]

Cookbooks, recipes, and training programs will have us believe there is a specific way to smoke/cook something. Nope.

Hear! Hear!

 

[civilsmoker]

If temperature is like an accelerator, wouldn't the finished product be like an odometer reading? In other words, a specific temperature over time often results in an end result that may have a nice appearance, color, flavor and texture..... and once we figure out the combination of variables, we tend to hover around that sweet spot. This brings us to a barbecue trend in the last 10 years of so of cooking hot-n-fast instead of low-n-slow. Hot-n-fast works but the window of perfection is very small. For example, team Blues Hog won whole pork shoulder at the last Memphis In May competition and I was told the total cook time was around 6 hours, and this is for a 20# shoulder that I would cook 18 hours or longer.

Recipes are a great starting point, but I think it's better to learn technique. With a recipe you can make one dish well. If you know technique..... you can create many recipes.

Over the past few years I have moved to a moderate hot-n-fast for many proteins and have found its easier to get repeat results and much better timing which again yields a better meal will things served and the perfect time.....for example starting a butt or brisket before I start work and then have it for dinner.......It means having it more because I don't have time for a 16 to 18 smoke....

 

[noboundaries]

Pork butts can be cooked at ANY friggin' temp, especially if there's no sugar in the rub. Here's proof.

I took a 12.89 lb butt out of the freezer Sunday morning (yes, you read that correctly. 12.89 lbs, one bone-in pork butt). I threw it into a cooler with water and ice to thaw. My intentions were to cook it Monday night with 4 hrs in the Kettle and an overnight finish in the oven at 250F (my WSM is out of commission right now mimicking a petri dish). Well, that plan flew out the window when a non-covid bug flew in on Monday.

Wednesday morning I got up at 0630. Set the oven at 375F. Trimmed the fat, seasoned it with Pappy's Low Salt and McCormick Taco seasoning. The butt filled a 9x13 aluminum pan. Double panned and placed it in a 15" paella pan with handles just to make it easy to handle and move in and out of the oven. Tossed it in the oven uncovered and went back to sleep.

Checked the Internal temp at 5 hours. 188°F. An hour and 15 minutes later, 205°F and probed tender in 90% of the roast. Took it out of the oven, vented the oven heat into the house, wrapped the panned roast in foil, then set it back in the oven at 170F for 4 hours.

Juicy, tender, and delicious dinner Wednesday night. That's the fastest I've ever cooked a butt of ANY size, especially a Godzilla like this one.

Butts don't care what temp you use. Going to do the next one in the Kettle at high temp since it worked so well in the oven.

 

[GrumpyGriller]

Lots of great (and science-based) comments so far. I have done 225 for briskets, butts, and other proteins as well, initially because my pellet grill has Super Smoke up until that pit temp. That being said, I've finally started to cook at whatever temps makes sense for what I am making because I use 1 or 2 smoke tubes that likely do more than the SS feature. I've only been doing this for a relatively short time (compared with many on this forum), but as long as we keep the 4-hour rule in mind, play with it and see what works best for you and your equipment.