Smoker went out... temp issue

[DDave]

I was kinda afraid to ask, but yeah... might as well have the rest of the story...

I hope everything was fine as well but it's not likely that anyone is going to come back and say "Hey guys, I disregarded your advice and have been puking my guts out and crapping at high velocities for a couple of days now. Guess I should have listened to ya".

And Mark, I know the rule is flexible and it depends how long the meat is held at a certain temp as well as a number of other things I'm sure I don't know about. He stated that he injected in the opening post and I'm pretty sure he would not have had any effing idea what the pH of the injection was. We can only hope that he handled the meat properly prior to cooking but he may be really new and isn't even aware of what proper handling entails. I didn't when I first started smoking. While all those details are nice, there were already several unknowns that made Bear (and I) comfortable saying TOSS IT.

Yeah, I'm sure I pissed a couple of people off but based on what I have learned from bbally I will continue to give the same advice when members post stories like this. I don't need to go into details about the 25 unknowns that could make it alright when there are already enough unknowns expressed to make eating it a bad idea.

And if I'm wrong and the meat was fine then, bummer, someone is out a few bucks. Much better than someone telling them to eat it, it will be fine and then turning out to be wrong.

As far as him leaving the smoker unattended, it sound like there were some pretty extenuating circumstances and, again, experience will teach him that, yes the smoker needs attention. Like Mark said, even an automated controller can quit or otherwise act up. I love using the Auber but you need to watch it OR use a datalogger to be really sure. And I have had the flame go out on my propane powered SnP on windy days.

Hopefully beentown and thisiskevin 32 won't let this episode scare them away for good. In general there is very little drama here and all in all a great forum. We have our moments like any other family but we put the fun in dysfunctional.

Dave

[crusty ol salt]

Hopefully beentown and thisiskevin 32 won't let this episode scare them away for good. In general there is very little drama here and all in all a great forum. We have our moments like any other family but we put the fun in dysfunctional.

Dave

Ya know just 'bout every drama here at Smoked-Meat has centered around food safety

[DDave]

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

Per bbally

If it is whole muscle meat and HAS NOT been injected or pierced, then it is considered safe if the outer 1/2 inch reaches a temp of 140° (or 139° ) within 4 hours.

That's the reasoning behind not inserting a probe into a big hunk of meat before the 4 hour mark.

Dave

[DDave]

Ya know just 'bout every drama here at Smoked-Meat has centered around food safety

Yup.

Anyone up for a good ol' fashioned "cure your jerky" debate??

Dave

[crusty ol salt]

Per bbally

If it is whole muscle meat and HAS NOT been injected or pierced, then it is considered safe if the outer 1/2 inch reaches a temp of 140° (or 139° ) within 4 hours.

That's the reasoning behind not inserting a probe into a big hunk of meat before the 4 hour mark.

Dave

Its always a good day when this ol' fart learns something new

[Bearcarver]

FYI:

I never inject, and I wait until 3 hours in, on large pieces of meat, before I insert my therm probe. This way I don't have to worry about the 40* to 140* rule.
I also wipe the meat probe with an alcohol wipe (after cleaning it good earlier). Those alcohol wipes they use before you get a shot are cheap at the drug store if you get a box of 250.
I never do all night smokes, because I need my beauty sleep more than most, especially in the last 18 months. I start in the wee hours of the morning if it's gonna take long, and finish up before bed time, or stay up a little later.
My Electric MES 40 is on my front porch, about 50 feet from my Recliner, and my remote control & digital ET-732 receiver are right beside me, but I still go out every half hour to an hour to check things, and to take a look through the window of my MES.

BTW: Some wait longer than 3 hours to insert the probe, but some things can take less than 4 hours to smoke (like a Prime Rib).
And some insert at 2 hours, and say it's safe, which it probably is if you're using 225* or more smoker temp, but I don't smoke any large piece of meat that will take less than 3 hours, so I stick to 3 hours before inserting my meat probe.

Bear


.

[Bearcarver]

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. :)

Mark,
See my post above (Post #51).
Your reasons are the same as mine, and I believe I also mentioned that he injected it & needed to get to 140* in 4 hours, in my first post (Post #2).

Bear

[TBSTBS]

it all depends

It all depends.

When I cook for others, I go to extremes in sanitizing everything. I don’t believe in taking chances with other people’s health. But when I cook for myself, anything goes. Food left out all night? No problem. Green things growing on food? Wash it off.

I had lived in areas where there was no refrigeration, and meat was sold in hot summer with flies all over all day long.

If you have Chinese stores, restaurants in your area, you know that all their roasted pork, ducks, chickens are hung un-refrigerated all day long. Billions had been sold for thousands of years; no one has gotten sick so far.

In your case, it is clear to me that you should toss the meat. You have no knowledge of other people’s physical conditions and their tolerance to bugs.

TBSTBS

[Mark R]

Mark,
See my post above (Post #51).
Your reasons are the same as mine, and I believe I also mentioned that he injected it & needed to get to 140* in 4 hours, in my first post (Post #2).

Bear

Yup, I was jus tryn to explain in detail.

It all depends.

When I cook for others, I go to extremes in sanitizing everything. I don’t believe in taking chances with other people’s health. But when I cook for myself, anything goes. Food left out all night? No problem. Green things growing on food? Wash it off.

I had lived in areas where there was no refrigeration, and meat was sold in hot summer with flies all over all day long.

If you have Chinese stores, restaurants in your area, you know that all their roasted pork, ducks, chickens are hung un-refrigerated all day long. Billions had been sold for thousands of years; no one has gotten sick so far.

In your case, it is clear to me that you should toss the meat. You have no knowledge of other people’s physical conditions and their tolerance to bugs.

TBSTBS

I question the "no one has gotten sick so far.".
All of the Oriental stores and restaurants in this State (Florida), have to comply with the same Health Dept regulations and inspections as all other restaurants and stores.
A few were just shut down in the last week or so.

[DDave]

I question the "no one has gotten sick so far.".

Aw c'mon Mark. You doubt the anecdotal evidence?? Doesn't that trump science any day??

Dave

[HawgHeaven]

I was a newbie once, and thank God I got over that experience... and thank God for this forum! Some of the things I did back then, I could have made my audience very sick. Luckily, I didn't. I've learned a lot aboot food safety through the years, and apply it ALWAYS! I too, hope that nobody got offended for us trying to keep them and their loved ones safe...

[Bearcarver]

LOL----I learned most of what I know about safety beginning about 4 1/2 years ago.

There for awhile I felt like I was "bbally's" puppy!!!

There's the guy who knows about safety!!!!


Bear

[redruff]

Soooo....those pheasants sitting in the back of my truck all day are not a good idea?

[SmokinOutBack]

I don't say much on these type of threads, but I read them all and learn.

[Checkered Past]

I don't say much on these type of threads, but I read them all and learn.

X2 ^^^^^^^