Smoker went out... temp issue

[Mark R]

Well I'm kinda late to this knife fight, an I only brought a toothpick.....
Butt if the thang had just been smoked whole no problem, it ran 4 hours @ 230-250°. The surface had to have reached 140°, be fine. Butt it was injected...hence a dilemma, ya can't know if the injection points and fluid got "cooked" -sterilized. If ya did a good job injecting I doubt it. It's a strange case of if ya did a good job injecting, the meat is questionable.
The 40 to 140° rule is actually 39 - 139° and there is flexibility depending on conditions of temp and meat prep, curing agents, ingredients, Ph and salinity of a marinade or brine. If the injection "marinade" was of Ph 5 or below, no problem. Higher than 5.5 ehhhhhh noo so good. Butt that depends on the salinity also..... A fine line, and not a good fine line to tread close to if your new to the ballgame.
Without knowing the injection Ph or salinity, I would have to reluctantly say TOSS THE MF.

I don't care how it came out or if everyone was fine (well I hope all were well), It's a bad exercise of judgement to let folks eat this.

I don't really want to hear if all was well because it will encourage others to chance this kind of question. IF it is in question, toss it. If your not sure, toss it. It's not worth the consequences.

Mark

[Richtee]

I don't really want to hear if all was well because it will encourage others to chance this kind of question. IF it is in question, toss it. If your not sure, toss it. It's not worth the consequences.

That is really a big issue here. And why Smoked-Meat.com's position is one of no tolerance for unsafe procedures. We..and I...and you.. do NOT want to be responsible for any questionable food products.

I applaud Kevin for having the sense to ask as well.

And as if there's any question on how S-M in general will respond... we will err on the side of safety.

[Slanted88]

I stayed back eyes wide shut...my daughter is looking at a small business loan to open a butcher shop/seafood gig...she has the smarts...her thoughts on this was...where was it bought, how clean is the place, prepped, machines sterilized, sterile is paramount in that business...lot's of variables were her last word's. me...in da can

[Mark R]

I stayed back eyes wide shut...my daughter is looking at a small business loan to open a butcher shop/seafood gig...she has the smarts...her thoughts on this was...where was it bought, how clean is the place, prepped, machines sterilized, sterile is paramount in that business...lot's of variables were her last word's. me...in da can

Mike she has a lot of the right questions but not all of them, she on the right track! Butt you cannot replace experience wit dis chit soom time.

[Bearcarver]

LOL---I always stick my neck out in cases like this, but I made the first comment, and after 3 comments I was Down 2 to 1.
I was real glad a bunch of you came through, especially "DDave".

The only thing we knew for sure was it started at 236* smoker temp (if the therm was correct), and 7 hours later the meat was at 95*.


Bear

[redruff]

I stayed back eyes wide shut...my daughter is looking at a small business loan to open a butcher shop/seafood gig...she has the smarts...her thoughts on this was...where was it bought, how clean is the place, prepped, machines sterilized, sterile is paramount in that business...lot's of variables were her last word's. me...in da can

Injected overrules a lot of other safety procedures!
As soon as you shove an injector into the interior of that meat, all bets are off!

I don't even like sticking a meat probe in after I've wiped it with alcohol.

[Richtee]

I don't even like sticking a meat probe in after I've wiped it with alcohol.

You can safely do that once the meat surface has attained 140+. Don't insert probes in raw hunks. Why? You know it's 40 or below. Or..should be As meat comes up to temp then insert probes.

[Fat_Head_Carl]

You can safely do that once the meat surface has attained 140+. Don't insert probes in raw hunks. Why? You know it's 40 or below. Or..should be As meat comes up to temp then insert probes.

Then comes the question: what type of alcohol are you wiping it with...the kind you drink?

[Slanted88]

Well simply stated because i'm in the airplane fixing business and have taken risk management training & my son's have. You have to look through every task you do. What will be the cause & effect if this ain't right...when something happens the investigators ask...recommendations? So I take every task whether cooking, fixing an airplane or whatever...risk management has got to be in the skull! I tried so hard to not respond but in me brain I had to as well as other members...cause & effect...

[Mark R]

LOL---I always stick my neck out in cases like this, but I made the first comment, and after 3 comments I was Down 2 to 1.
I was real glad a bunch of you came through, especially "DDave".

The only thing we knew for sure was it started at 236* smoker temp (if the therm was correct), and 7 hours later the meat was at 95*.


Bear

Bear, love ya guy! But while I agree with your assessment, not necessarily why it was a problem. If it was whole meat it would have been fine! The problem is the injection. How many of us inject a butt or brisky....and cook in for 9 to 14 hours? Almost all of us!

Maybe the answer here is to not start a smoke if you can't properly tend the smoker.
If you are there (and awake Rich) there is no question, you know.

Even with the "New" blower controllers, I have had them shut down. Ya still gotta pay attention.
And that's the key to this craft, attention to detail. :)

[Bama BBQ]

Smoker went out... temp issue

I say lay up with the seven iron. (I'm gonna 3 putt anyways and I might get a nice wedge shot in for a chance).

I sanitize my temp probe with Star San prior to injection.

I don't use gas. (Tanks go dry at the wrong time)

I brine vs inject. (Just me)

And I don't leave the smoker all day. (I may putter around the house but I'm walkin by from time to time.)

When unattended I use the iGrill graph feature so I know what happened when I walk by.

...all so I don't have to worry about 40 to 140 (surface temp) in 4 hrs.

[Mark R]

Well simply stated because i'm in the airplane fixing business and have taken risk management training & my son's have. You have to look through every task you do. What will be the cause & effect if this ain't right...when something happens the investigators ask...recommendations? So I take every task whether cooking, fixing an airplane or whatever...risk management has got to be in the skull! I tried so hard to not respond but in me brain I had to as well as other members...cause & effect...

That kinda sums it up! There is a simple rule...40 to 140, that does and doesn't apply to all situations. Ya gotta look at all the perimeters involved - and know you are within them!
Stay within what you do know, simple!

[HawgHeaven]

And never walk away from your BBQ pit unattended for that long. Period.

[redruff]

And never walk away from your BBQ pit unattended for that long. Period.

Yep, I've got a watt burner and I can't stand not checking on it every 1/2 hour! And even then it almost burst into flames!

I plan my day around the cook, if I'm smoking its what I'm mainly doing for the day! I putz but never far from the Swazie Smoker!

[crusty ol salt]

I find it sad that thisiskevin 32 and beentown have not rejoined the conversation. I am certain it is not our intent to be over bearing or to run folks off.

Food Safety has got to be at the forefront of everything we do. I will admit that my view on food safety has changes greatly since I became active in smoking and curing meat.

The perfect example is how and when I insert temp probes. When i first started the temp probe went in before the meat hit the smoker. Now at the 4 hour make from when the meat left the fridge. I wash and dry my probe with Cider Vinegar. Insert the probe into the meat and pray that it rolls above 140*f. If its not 140*f, is plan B time.

I would also like to ask thisiskevin 32 what he meant about taking temperature at 1/2" depth.

I checked the internal temp in the center, not the .5inch rule, and it was 95F.

I'm a little confused by this. oh well

I hope every one is okay