# Is it ruined?  Need advice



## Thom71gt (Mar 15, 2018)

Hello all. First post.

So, I smoke my Butts about 16 hours, low and slow. About 220 - 235 degrees.  I usually start them around 11PM, go to bed, wake up, stoke the fire if needed and then let it cook until about 4 or 5 in the afternoon, then wrap it in foil and let it sit till dinner.  Last night I started my fire, got it up to temp and set it to cook all night. I use a Kamado Joe.  Anyway, I must have closed the vent all the way at the top. When I got up this morning, my fire was out, the grill was cool and my meat had been sitting there all night.

It was in a closed "egg" and the outside temperature was around 30, however the thermometer in the meat said the internal temp of the meat was about 79. I went ahead and restarted the fire and it's smoking now, but I'm worried the meat might not be good now since it sat out all night.

What would you do?

Thanks in advance for replies.


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## Geebs (Mar 15, 2018)

That is a long time in the "danger zone". A few months ago I accidentally left a butt out on the counter over night and when I got up it was about that same temp. I threw it on the smoker anyway and it still turned out like great. Interested to see what others thoughts are.


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## SmokinAl (Mar 15, 2018)

What time did you get up & how long was the butt in the smoker? Did you take the butt right from the fridge & put it in the smoker? Did you inject it? Did it smell OK? Unfortunately our safety expert is in the hospital. If your smoker was up to temp when you put the butt in then the outside would be sterilized from the heat. If you didn't inject it & it is a bone in butt, then the inside is sterile too. If it's boneless then I would worry that it may be contaminated. So if it's a bone in butt and hasn't been injected, I would probably just cook it & eat it. There are a couple of other guys on here that know more about food safety than me & hopefully one of them will see this & comment. I PM'd 

 daveomak
, I'm sure he will have a better answer for you. In the meantime just keep cooking it.
Al


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## Thom71gt (Mar 15, 2018)

Thanks Al,

It's a bone in butt, but I did inject it.  It smelled fine and the outside was just a bit charred from the initial heat and getting it up to temp.

It was 6:50 AM and around 30 degrees outside when I checked it and started the fire back up.

I think that had this happened when the outside temp was warm, I would have tossed it, but being that the outside temp was colder than my fridge, I figure it should be okay. I'm still cooking it as of now.


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## daveomak (Mar 15, 2018)

Al has you covered...   Bone in, should be good if you cook it to 205 F for pulling...  150-160 ish, I wouldn't do it...  
205 "should" super pasteurize the meat and make it safe...


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## Thom71gt (Mar 15, 2018)

Awesome!!  Thanks Dave and Al. I appreciate the help.


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## gmc2003 (Mar 16, 2018)

daveomak said:


> Al has you covered...   Bone in, should be good if you cook it to 205 F for pulling...  150-160 ish, I wouldn't do it...
> 205 "should" super pasteurize the meat and make it safe...



Dave does that still hold true since he injected the butt? I thought injecting brought you back to 4/140 rule.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/possible-food-poisoning.270153/#post-1771063

Chris


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## Thom71gt (Mar 16, 2018)

An update:  I cooked it to an internal temp of 220. We ate it, it was yummy and nobody got sick.  Yay!


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## Geebs (Mar 16, 2018)

How did it turn out? Any off flavors?


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## Thom71gt (Mar 16, 2018)

Actually, because I ramped up the temp hotter than I normally do, the fat, along with the dry rub I put on it, charred to a really tasty and crispy crust on the outside. I had to scold my wife because while it was on the counter wrapped in foil while I prepared the other stuff, she kept coming by, picking it off and eating it.

I ramped up the temp because A) I needed to get the internal temp up and I needed it up faster since I lost basically 7 hours of cooking time and B) to ensure it was sterile. I normally keep it around 220, but I ramped it up to 280 - 290 for about an hour. 

I'm sure that the bourbon I drank with it killed any baddies too.  :)


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## Geebs (Mar 16, 2018)

Glad it turned out well and no one is sick! Dont forget this forum loves pics!


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## daveomak (Mar 16, 2018)

GMC, morning...
I missed the injection part....  but.....   read this....

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...-safety-haccp-test-study.237911/#post_1488477

Seems HAACP has debunked that theory BUT...  no one has change the rules...


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## gmc2003 (Mar 16, 2018)

Dave, I read your link. Very informative sprinkled with a little humor(the road kill post). Still most of it was over my head. If I understand correctly it should be fine to cook anything that's been injected, enhanced, sliced, probed or ground as long as it's taken to a certain temperature for a minimum amount of time, and as long as it's not visibly /physically  spoiled prior to cooking. Also in the link you mentioned the reduction in the temp for pork. I thought that was because pigs aren't fed garbage/slop anymore.

Chris


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## Thom71gt (Mar 16, 2018)

I appreciate everyone's help and advice. This is a great site and I'll be a frequent visitor I'm sure. I'll remember pics next time.


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## tallbm (Mar 16, 2018)

Thom71gt said:


> Actually, because I ramped up the temp hotter than I normally do, the fat, along with the dry rub I put on it, charred to a really tasty and crispy crust on the outside. I had to scold my wife because while it was on the counter wrapped in foil while I prepared the other stuff, she kept coming by, picking it off and eating it.
> 
> I ramped up the temp because A) I needed to get the internal temp up and I needed it up faster since I lost basically 7 hours of cooking time and B) to ensure it was sterile. I normally keep it around 220, but I ramped it up to 280 - 290 for about an hour.
> 
> I'm sure that the bourbon I drank with it killed any baddies too.  :)



Hi there and welcome!
I'm glad to hear that it came out well and everyone survived :)

I think you also learned that a Pork Butt doesn't care too much about your temp.  I do mine at 275F and rock on.  I also do my whole packer brisket at 275F as well because it also doesn't care :)


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## daveomak (Mar 16, 2018)

GMC...
_Dave, I read your link. Very informative sprinkled with a little humor(the road kill post). Still most of it was over my head. If I understand correctly it should be fine to cook anything that's been injected, enhanced, sliced, probed or ground as long as it's taken to a certain temperature for a minimum amount of time, and as long as it's not visibly /physically spoiled prior to cooking. Also in the link you mentioned the reduction in the temp for pork. I thought that was because pigs aren't fed garbage/slop anymore._...

I'm not positive about all of this BUT....  Folks used to feed pigs food waste/garbage from schools, cafeterias, grocery stores, and probably the local dump...  lots of pathogens in that stuff including dead animals, road kill, rats etc...   I think the rules for feeding stuff like that has changed, where it has to be pasteurized at X temp for X time before feeding..  for *inspected* pork ...  Some folks still feed their pigs garbage because it's less expensive...  and they should pasteurize it..
Remember, pigs were the septic tanks of yesteryear...  That's one reason, some dietary laws forbade the consumption of pork...    
I think the cooked pork temperature changed, because of laboratory testing of the pork..  better food, cleaner living conditions..  there are still many bacteria species that live in the soil etc...  stuff that can be transmitted by "wild" animals to farm livestock..  My neighbor has pigeons and starlings that crap in his cows feed..  he's out there with his shotgun driving them off...  lets folks in for shooting practice to drive them off...  Coyotes are bad also...  they eat dead animals in their travels then crap in his stockyard..  he's shooting them also.. 
About the only way to have pathogen "free" meat is to house the animals and feed them certified feeds.. but, as you probably noticed in the safety stuff I post, pathogens etc. can get introduced anywhere...
In closing, I don't know much, except for what I read...


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## gmc2003 (Mar 16, 2018)

Thanks Dave, your a wealth of information. 

Chris


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