# Question About 40-140 Rule



## ozzieb (Nov 24, 2010)

The Idea is to kill bacteria that may be in the bird within the 4 hours right?  But say you dont make the 4 hour mark , but still cook intill the bird is 180 in the thickest part of the meat?   wouldnt it be safe?  and all bacteria be killed anyway?  Or No.


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## pineywoods (Nov 24, 2010)

Not all the nasty stuff can be killed by taking it to the proper temps. There are some nasties that are heat resistant and smoking/cooking to the proper temp to eat it would not kill them and if you took it to the temps needed to kill the nasties the meat would be unedible


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## ozzieb (Nov 24, 2010)

I see.  well the reason i asked ,  and i know alot of people are asking the same question is i bought a 18.28 bird. i was going to buy 2  birds smaller.  and smoke them.  but i was in a rush and just desided to try smoking the big bird.  I thought i would start at 300-320 for about a hour and then turn it down a bit.  and see if i hit the mark, Ideas Pineywoods.


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## mballi3011 (Nov 24, 2010)

What Jerry said. He said it I believe enough said. Now it was apretty good idea but after all thats why we say to smoke a smaller bird then you would do in the oven.


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## pineywoods (Nov 24, 2010)

You could either Spatchcock the Turkey or smoke at the higher temp till you get it through the danger zone then turm the smoker down or leave it at the higher temp to finish


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## ozzieb (Nov 24, 2010)

So high temp to 140 then lower temp.  Or Open up the Bird.


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## rbranstner (Nov 24, 2010)

You can do either or both it doesn't matter. A lot of guys always Spathcock their birds. I have yet to try it but I really want to.


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## eman (Nov 24, 2010)

No matter how you do it or what temp you smoke at it needs to be at 140° in 4 hrs to be considered safe.


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## ozzieb (Nov 24, 2010)

I will cut the bird and cook at 225-275 .  i would hate to see 89 year old grandma , holding the john.  and the rest of the family in line.    shoud i brine it now that its open?


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## pineywoods (Nov 24, 2010)

Personally I would brine or inject one or the other


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## shamong9 (Nov 24, 2010)

Ozzieb,

Why not put a thermometer in it and which the temp.  When you reach the temp 140, then cut back on the temperature to finish cooking..


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## raptor700 (Nov 24, 2010)

shamong9 said:


> Ozzieb,
> 
> Why not put a thermometer in it and which the temp.  When you reach the temp 140, then cut back on the temperature to finish cooking..


The temp it's gonna require to get 140* int. is going to reach havoc on the skin! Unless you foil it. Then why not just put it in the oven?


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## tatts4life (May 18, 2014)

Ok so I've been reading this thread and some others and have a question about the 40-140 rule. I've read in cook books and on here that cooking a pork butt at 225 until an IT of 195 takes about 16 hours. Seems to me if I'm to get to 140 within 4 hours the pork butt would be done way faster then 16 hours.


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