Smoker died during brisket cook

[JAM490]

I know there are a lot of posts about this, but my situation is slightly different. I started a brisket last night at 10pm. I typically don’t use technology in my cooks (I use a big green egg) but opted to use a Thermoworks Signals and Billows fan to keep the temp overnight. I set the fan temp to 225° and it ran for about an hour and 15 minutes (once I put the meat on) before the signals froze up and the fan stopped running. I didn’t get a low temperature alarm because the thermometer was frozen so it showed the temp sitting at 226° for just under 4 hours, but that is not accurate. The temperature would have begun to drop shortly after it froze as there wouldn’t be much air to continue to feed the fire. BGEs can hold temp well, but when I woke up at 3am, I noticed the temperature hadn’t changed for hours and I went down and restarted the thermometer. At that time, it read that the inside of the BGE was 136.9 degrees. I did start the smoker around 830pm so the ceramic was good and warm before putting on the meat. Here are the concerns. I did inject the brisket… mostly because it was a lower quality brisket than I usually do and I didn’t want to have to wake up to spritz it throughout the night. I also did not put an internal temperature probe into the meat as I was planning to do so when I woke up (4-6) hours later and then use it throughout the cook. I don’t know if the meat ever reached 140 IT. The injection was a mix of beef broth and a salt/flavor enhancing mixture from the store. I opted to restart the smoker and move the temp to about 275. I just checked the internal temp of the meat and the flat is at 170 and the thickest part of the point is about 153. Since the meat is not intact I am assuming this is a situation where I should toss it since I don’t know the IT previously. This brisket was supposed to be for a birthday so it’s not just for personal eating.

 

[SmokinAl]

If it was just you eating it, I would say go for it, the salt in the injection would be as good as if you didn’t inject. If you toss it, what is the back-up plan? We lost our food safety expert, but I think he would say it’s OK to eat, but I’m no expert, so don’t quote me. Let us know what you do, it would be very hard for me to toss that chunk of meat!
Al

 

[BigW.]

You may have already read this:https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/my-smoker-died-is-my-meat-safe.302466/

 

[slavikborisov]

I wouldn't throw it away, I would keep cooking it and once it probe tender let it rest, cut it and eat it.

 

[missmargaret]

Omg, I've read this and my heart is beating so fast. This case is so sad...

 

[jcam222]

What was the meats temp when you discovered the issue? How long between starting it and that?

 

[Jonok]

You were almost at 140f when you looked…
Bring it up to 180 or probe tender, and then hold it wrapped for 12 hrs in your oven at 150 or so. Staph exotoxin won’t have been produced with the heating profile you described (4 hrs from 40-140) and you’ll have killed just about everything growing from your injection with a cook to 180+ and a hold at 150 for that long

 

[Jonok]

You were almost at 140f when you looked…
Bring it up to 180 or probe tender, and then hold it wrapped for 12 hrs in your oven at 150 or so. Staph exotoxin won’t have been produced with the heating profile you described (4 hrs from 40-140) and you’ll have killed just about everything growing from your injection with a cook to 180+ and a hold at 150 for that long

But that’s just me, with an MD, a surgical residency, and a surgical infectious disease fellowship, among a few others.

 

[Jonok]

During which I was investigating intestinal pathogens like E coli 0157-H7