What was supposed to be a short smoke... Qveiw

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

the iceman

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Mar 8, 2009
534
10
Sun Devil Country
Well anyway, the best laid plans...

I pulled out a small 3 1/2 to 4 lb pork roast out & figured I would have a nice afternoon smoke. At 1.5 hours per pound I figured I would be done for dinner enjoying some pulled pork sammies. Oh well.

Here it is after the rub & on the smoker at 225° with some mesquite...


2119094120103969340S600x600Q85.jpg


Here we are stalled. I sprayed it with AJ about every hour or so. It hit the plateau at about 145° to 155° & stayed there for a good 2 1/2 hours, so much for dinner...


2912746930103969340S600x600Q85.jpg


Once the temp started to climb again & reached about 175° I wrapped it in foil with a dash of Capt. Morgan & let it finish off in the foil...


2353914400103969340S600x600Q85.jpg


Once it got to about 200° it was wrapped it towels & let to rest for an hour or so...


2101917530103969340S600x600Q85.jpg


What I figured to be about a 6 hour smoke turned out to be closer to 9. Came out with a nice bark. Ready for the pull...


2462510970103969340S600x600Q85.jpg


It pulled perfectly...


2680791760103969340S600x600Q85.jpg


What was intended for dinner turned out to be a late night snack. Still dang tasty...


2556244630103969340S600x600Q85.jpg


Thanks for lookin'.
icon_cool.gif
 
It does, at times, boggle the mind how a large hunk of meat that you expect to take forever is done in half the time allotted and the smaller chunks take twice as long! Still, a good looking pulled pork sandwich was the reward!
 
That looks great! Gotta throw some
points.gif
your way!

I did two about the same size as yours. One finished right on time for supper, the second one about two hours later. They both tasted great, but I learned the rule "It ain't done til it's done" that day.
PDT_Armataz_01_12.gif
 
Everything looks great and you can throw out the best layed plans when smoking something that might stall. It will and try to ruin a good meal. Your sammie looks pretty good but wheres the slaw?????
 
ICEMAN, looks like a mighty fine smoke to me!

I couldn't tell from the pics if it was boneless or bone-in...that can make a difference in stall temps and times.

My personal experience with varying sizes of cuts has been that with low and slow cooking, they will all hit a plateau. I've even noticed this when hot smoking chops and steaks. I'll stab a probe or pocket therm in from the edge towards the center a few inches when I think I'm in the 130-140* range, and I can watch a small cut hang in the mid/upper 140's for 30 minutes or more.

That said, I really don't see size as having any correlation with the actual occurrence of stalls. I think it's mostly a connection with chamber temps. Some would argue that the sectional density of the cut (thickness vs width/length), amount of connective tissue and interior fat, the type of meat (beef vs pork), etc, can have an effect on the stall, and I do agree that these and many other characteristics of the meat can effect stall temps and overall cooking time. There are other factors to consider as well.

Starting chamber temps and average temps (peaks and valleys combined) seem to have a great deal of influence on stalls. I've experimented with the stall game on 15-16lb briskets and 8-9lb butts many times, and have actually extended the plateau into a 6+ hour event. If I remember correctly, I once had a brisket hold onto a 8+ hour stall.

It all seems to correspond to the absorption of thermal energy into the meat. A high chamber temp at the start of a smoke can increase the temp when the stall starts, and also reduce the duration of the stall. This goes against the reason behind low and slow, as the plateau is where the connective tissues in the meat begin to soften and melt...what turns your nastiest cuts of meat into a deliciously tender Bbq treat.

If I start with below normal chamber temps for a hot smoke, say 170-200* for the first 30 minutes while building the fire up, I will generally see a longer duration and lower starting temp on the stall. Also, if I was running 250-260*, and then drop chamber temps by 20-30* about 30 minutes before I think the stall will hit, it will extend the stall for a few hours longer than I would normally expect to see for these large cuts, or it could generate a second stall in the low/mid 160* range.

It may just be that some of us don't notice the stall if it's a short one, and we're not looking at the temp probe reading when it happens. I've had shorter stalls blow right past me, completely unnoticed.

Just my personal observations on the subject.

Eric
 
I had the same thing with some boneless chicken breasts.  They were huge though, almost 3/4lb each, and I figured maybe an hour of smoking at the most...turned out to be just over 2 hours.  Blew past dinner and had to eat them the next day...haha

Had I known they were going to take 2 hours I would've thrown a fatty on the smoker too..oh well.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky