check this uds site out youll get a kick out of this hahah

[ak1]

Sorry, double post.

 

[pandemonium]

Bear is on the prowl!! Good points there, and I have to agree it was AK being the smartass about it and you just called him out on it!! He didnt really answer the question?

 

[wingman]

Folks who have been doing this for a while may pretty much know from past experienced (they probed the meat and cook within a certain range 180 - 250) when things are in the safe zone. They may feel comfortable not doing it. And more then likely there will be no issues.

It would be wise for folks starting out (newbies) to learn the proper methods and understand the why behind it all. They can however take a chance and maybe even a bigger chance. Get salmonella or some other food poisoning once and you will do it right from that point on even if doing it right is probing until you feel 100% you got the timing and temps down to go it without probing.  

I throw my meats on the cooker and after a few hours do a firmness test so I know when (a guess) to put in the meat probes. I usually get it around 140 -150 degrees. Every now and then I miss the boat and get it at 135. But that's the core temp... I have always thought core temp was the target. Now if its the outer 1/2" (not punctured) the chances of error are much less.

Newbies, use your probes and at minimum you will have a the finished product cooked to the exact temp your looking for. Also, taking a food handlers safety class is not a bad idea if you have never taken one and want to get into cooking. Allot of folks who work or worked  in the food industry were required at one time to take these courses and they are very informative.

And those UDS (BDS) mentioned on page one by Pandimonium are still way too expensive! My opinion... Yes! Sorry...

OK... Just my 2 cents and on to page 8!

 

[pandemonium]

And those UDS (BDS) mentioned on page one by Pandimonium are still way too expensive! My opinion... Yes! Sorry...

OK... Just my 2 cents and on to page 8!

Snicker........Snicker

 

[pandemonium]

 

[ak1]

Bear is on the prowl!! Good points there, and I have to agree it was AK being the smartass about it and you just called him out on it!! He didnt really answer the question?

Thanks for having my back

And I did answer the question! 

My answer was, "I don't worry about it", and then I explained why.

 

[pandemonium]

well they way he laid your answers out was pretty good haha

 

[herkysprings]

If in doubt, throw a hunk of meat on a 200°+ smoker, wait 4 hours then probe the outer 1/2".  That's probably what was done in testing and how the recommendation came to be.

Dave

This is really your best bet here. Infact I have some what stopped using my Maverick completely in the meat. When I used it last, I only inserted after 3-4 hours anyway, as I wanted to flip the meat.

I stick with my therma pen for judging the meat at 2 times / temps:

1) Passing 140F

2) Done ness

This allows me to flip / rotate easier during a cook. If you maintain 200F+ and dont keep opening the lid, you'll learn then to check your temps after 3-4 hours. The therma pen is nice as the hole is small, but you still puncture the meat.
 

As luck as we all may have been, there are still some realities that need to be considered. Best practises I know have been:

1) Wash hands often

2) Try to always ahve a "dry" hand and "Wet" hand. This means one hand handles raw meat, the other handles rub / clean utencils. This will not only help keep your rub clean, but avoid cross contamination on to tools.

3) use gloves, and change them when needed

4) use clean equipment (trays / tongs)

5) use DIFFERENT equipment for raw meat vs done meat (past 140F)

6) dont lick your fingers after handling raw bbq meat / rub. ;)

 

[daddyzaring]

So is it you're not suppose to probe until the outside 1/2" reaches 140 within 4 hours, or is it just the recommended method for unprobed meat?  What is the time and temp, or method if it has been probed or punctured?  Unless you butcher the animal yourself, I don't know how you can be 100% sure your meat hasn't been punctured in some way?

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, I wasn't bragging, I was simply explaining why I personally don't worry about it. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you feel more comfortable knowing with certainty that the outside of the meat is in the safe zone then by all means go ahead and measure it after 4 hrs.

I haven't been having a problem. I read the post by bbally yesterday 3 times, and I'm sure it is confusing to "Newbis". I'm just trying to find a step by step answer to give newbis when one asks the same questions I tried to get answered here. I was hoping a simple answer would come up from one of you 10, 20, and 30 year experienced guys. For a Butt, Chuckie, or Brisket, Would it be safe to say, "Keep your box above 225˚ for the first 4 hours, without a probe to get the outer 1/2" up over 140˚"? "Then put the probe in at  5 hours"?

This is all I'm looking for, an easy way to tell others a safe way to get through the danger zone (both the outer 1/2" & the center).

I know how to explain "simply" how to cure & smoke anything with "Tender Quick", and have taught many on this forum exactly that, but I need an easy way to help others how to "safely" do their regular smoking.

I'm still not sure what to tell them, other than read bbally's post.

I'll accept a good explanation from anyone, but please leave out Assumptions, Guesses, Premonitions, Theories of physics and thermodynamics, and VooDoo. I have enough of them of my own.

Thanks,

Bear

BTW: I had a small 3 pound Chuck that I probed before I started. Had it at 230˚(ACTUAL) the whole first 4 hours. At 4 hours it was exactly 140˚. That would mean to me, at 225˚, it would not have been to 140˚ at 4 hours. I've seen a lot of posts that had Qview with probes in the meat at the start. I guess since nobody else has chimed up and told of a test, I guess I'll have to try it myself. I'll run something up to 4 hours at 225˚ without a probe. Then I'll take my Thermopen and test it 1/2" deep at various places to see what reading I get. If it's way high, I might probe deeper

 and record a few measurements. Then maybe I'll feel safe in telling others what my readings were, after doing those actions. I don't want to tell people it's safe because I assume it, or Centrifical force, Gravity, and the  Pythagorean Theory say it is.

 

[Bearcarver]

Thanks for having my back

And I did answer the question! 

My answer was, "I don't worry about it", and then I explained why.

Bet you help a lot of others with that answer.

 

[wingman]

You guys are cracking me up. Ok I'm buing this round! On to page 8!

 

[pandemonium]

Bear your cracking me up with the warlock and voodoo stuff lol am I missing something or is AK a warlock?

 

[ak1]

well they way he laid your answers out was pretty good haha

I enjoyed it!

However, as you know, it's hard sometimes to get the nuances down just reading words on a screen. Smiley's, Haha's, LOL's only help so much. We miss so much that gives true meaning and understanding to conversation. Especially in a thread like this where much of it seems to be some good natured BSing.

What I'm getting from Bear's posts is that he is very concerned about meat temps and want's to know exactly what's going on. So given that, my reply of going on "a Wing & a Prayer" may have been construed as frivolous, when in reality it isn't. I've cooked enough roasts over the years that I'm comfortable knowing how they are going to react. I don't need to use a therm, as I did with the first few. Same with chicken, turkey, pork, etc.

 

[ak1]

Bet you help a lot of others with that answer.

No, not really

I actually have a proper answer that I use when I want to help someone.
 

 

[ak1]

I haven't been having a problem. I read the post by bbally yesterday 3 times, and I'm sure it is confusing to "Newbis". I'm just trying to find a step by step answer to give newbis when one asks the same questions I tried to get answered here. I was hoping a simple answer would come up from one of you 10, 20, and 30 year experienced guys. For a Butt, Chuckie, or Brisket, Would it be safe to say, "Keep your box above 225Ëš for the first 4 hours, without a probe to get the outer 1/2" up over 140Ëš"? "Then put the probe in at  5 hours"?

This is all I'm looking for, an easy way to tell others a safe way to get through the danger zone (both the outer 1/2" & the center).

I know how to explain "simply" how to cure & smoke anything with "Tender Quick", and have taught many on this forum exactly that, but I need an easy way to help others how to "safely" do their regular smoking.

I'm still not sure what to tell them, other than read bbally's post.

I'll accept a good explanation from anyone, but please leave out Assumptions, Guesses, Premonitions, Theories of physics and thermodynamics, and VooDoo. I have enough of them of my own.

Thanks,

Bear

BTW: I had a small 3 pound Chuck that I probed before I started. Had it at 230Ëš(ACTUAL) the whole first 4 hours. At 4 hours it was exactly 140Ëš. That would mean to me, at 225Ëš, it would not have been to 140Ëš at 4 hours. I've seen a lot of posts that had Qview with probes in the meat at the start. I guess since nobody else has chimed up and told of a test, I guess I'll have to try it myself. I'll run something up to 4 hours at 225Ëš without a probe. Then I'll take my Thermopen and test it 1/2" deep at various places to see what reading I get. If it's way high, I might probe deeper

 and record a few measurements. Then maybe I'll feel safe in telling others what my readings were, after doing those actions. I don't want to tell people it's safe because I assume it, or Centrifical force, Gravity, and the  Pythagorean Theory say it is.

OK, here's the simple way to do it.

Make sure your probe is nice and clean, and before you insert it give it a good sterilizing wipe. To  be safe, you can wipe the meat with some alcohol where the probe goes in. Insert the probe just under the surface to no more than 1/2". Now, put the meat on the smoker/cooker/oven whatever, and make sure it hits 140 within 4 hrs. 
 

 

[pandemonium]

 

[wingman]

Guys maybe we are just making things way to difficult. Did you like the pitcher of beer? Anyway... This may help...

Actually these are no help... But this thing has gotten no where so... Lets go now where faster!

 

[pandemonium]

 

[daddyzaring]

I never got a reply on this?

 

So is it you're not suppose to probe until the outside 1/2" reaches 140 within 4 hours, or is it just the recommended method for unprobed meat?  What is the time and temp, or method if it has been probed or punctured?  Unless you butcher the animal yourself, I don't know how you can be 100% sure your meat hasn't been punctured in some way?

You do mean a strong drinking alcohol, right?  You should probably be a little more specific for those that they make warning lables for. lol


 

OK, here's the simple way to do it.

Make sure your probe is nice and clean, and before you insert it give it a good sterilizing wipe. To  be safe, you can wipe the meat with some alcohol where the probe goes in. Insert the probe just under the surface to no more than 1/2". Now, put the meat on the smoker/cooker/oven whatever, and make sure it hits 140 within 4 hrs.