# What internal temp does smoking stop?



## cookshack (Jun 19, 2010)

Hi everyone,

New to the site.

Does anyone have an idea at what internal temperature meat will stop accepting smoke? I have read that if you want a higher smoke content you smoke at a low temperature to keep your meat internal temperature down so it will accept smoke longer.  If you want a better smoke ring you go from the fridge right to the smoker.

I have had good smoke rings with tri-tip. I would smoke from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and stop with an internal temp of 140 degrees.

The boys love this when I use mesquite.

I'm smoking salmon today with my offset smoker since my second COOKSHACK came in damaged and I have to wait for a replacement. 

I was thinking of cooking the salmon in my alto-shaam and then going to the smoker. It's easier to control the heat variation than the offset smoker. Now I'm thinking if I cook it this way the salmon won't accept the smoke.

Any suggestion would be appreciated.


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## Bearcarver (Jun 19, 2010)

Great question!

I'm watching to see the answers to this too.

Bearcarver


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## pineywoods (Jun 19, 2010)

Check out this link

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/61546/smoky-flavor-vs-smoke-ring-wrt-temps


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## jaxgatorz (Jun 19, 2010)

From what i understand, it's only the smoke ring that stops forming after a certain temp... The meat will take "smoke flavor" for as long as it's in the smoke...Again, just from what ive read...Happy smokes


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## eman (Jun 19, 2010)

That's the way i understand it also. The smoke ring will quit forming but the meat will keep on taking in smoke.

 Now i think the more the outside surface of the meat cooks and forms a bark that it (may )

take in less smoke than in a raw state.

 But this is my thought .i have not backed it w/ scientific evidence.


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## dick foster (Jun 19, 2010)

I think the general rule of thumb is after 3 hours the meat doesn't pick up much if any more smoke. The internal temp depends on what kind of meat you're cooking. For pulled pork most say 190 - 200 then let it sit that that would be too much for fish or something.

Nor do you want too much or too heavy of a smoke or you're wind up depositing creosote on your food which doesn't taste so good. That's what they are talking about here with the TBS or Thin Blue Smoke all the time. Just a thin blue smoke coming out of the flue not heavy billowing white clouds of smoke.

Easy does it and take your time, you're after low and slow and not too much wood at once on a cold fire or you'll creosote your food.


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## cookshack (Jun 19, 2010)

Thanks,

That was a good source of information. I also read that smoke rings are not judged at a competition because you can manufacture them with the help of cure?  I will research this soon.

I found this but couldn't copy and paste on this site. This page also explains the formation of smoke rings.

http://home1.gte.net/res004na/ring.html

You can copy and paste this address in the address bar.


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## eman (Jun 19, 2010)

Dick foster,

 i would have to respectfully disagree w/ the thought that meat quits taking in smoke after 3 hrs.

 If you cook ,say a brisket at 225 -250 @3 hrs you may not even be up to the 140 degree safe zone depending on the temp of the brisket when put on to smoke.

 In my humble opinion  meat ,no matter beef pork ,fowl or fish will take on smoke as long as you apply smoke..

 There are alot more knowledgeable folks here than i. So maybe someone has done some research on this topic?


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## cliffcarter (Jun 19, 2010)

JaxGatorz said:


> From what i understand, it's only the smoke ring that stops forming after a certain temp... The meat will take "smoke flavor" for as long as it's in the smoke...Again, just from what ive read...Happy smokes







eman said:


> That's the way i understand it also. The smoke ring will quit forming but the meat will keep on taking in smoke.
> 
> Now i think the more the outside surface of the meat cooks and forms a bark that it (may )
> 
> ...


The smoke ring stops forming at 140F(see the very good post at the link provided by *Pineywoods*). You can very easily over smoke meat, I've done it and it was'nt pretty, in fact it was probably one of the worst things I ever ate.


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## cookshack (Jun 19, 2010)

My wifes opinion:

As long as the meat is smoking you will get more smoke flavor. The smoke ring will not go any deeper into the meat. It will concetrate into a heavier smoke flavor on the surface of the meat. She says this gives the smoke ring more of a bitter bite.


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## eman (Jun 19, 2010)

cliffcarter said:


> The smoke ring stops forming at 140F(see the very good post at the link provided by *Pineywoods*). You can very easily over smoke meat, I've done it and it was'nt pretty, in fact it was probably one of the worst things I ever ate.


I agree for sure you can oversmoke meat and anything else you smoke.

 I have over smoked veggies and a big pan of mac and cheese.

 and you are right oversmoked food is awful


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## dick foster (Jun 19, 2010)

I didn't say to quit cooking it after three hours, I said that most folks say the meat quits taking on smoke flavor after 3 hours or so and you can quit making smoke so you don't end up creosoting the food. Even ribs take 6 hours for me.   

Some folks even wrap their meat in foil after that period, to help keep the meat from drying out they say. However, I don't foil mine until after I take it out of the smoker. Execept for ribs (3,2,1). Once the lid goes down when I smoke, it stays down till the meat is at the target temp then it's time to yank it out.

The smoke ring is due to a chemical reaction in the red meat and the HC emissions given off by the fire. All sorts of stuff about myoglobin and what not so that's not about just time either.

Besides if you're cooking at 500 degrees I bet it would get up to temp in 3 hrs. unless you're cookin up a brontosaurus leg maybe. LOL It has always been about time, temperature and mass, never about time or temperature alone. Actually it gets a little more complex than that, it's also about what you're cooking.


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## flash (Jun 19, 2010)

JaxGatorz said:


> From what i understand, it's only the smoke ring that stops forming after a certain temp... The meat will take "smoke flavor" for as long as it's in the smoke...Again, just from what ive read...Happy smokes


What I was always taught was 140º, meat "surface" will continue to take on smoke. Meat interior will not.


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## pineywoods (Jun 19, 2010)

Flash said:


> What I was always taught was 140º, meat "surface" will continue to take on smoke. Meat interior will not.


Flash according to that thought you could just cut the outer part off of something that was over smoked and that has not been my experience


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## mythmaster (Jun 19, 2010)

A couple of insights from experience:

1) Meat will continue to take in smoke throughout the duration of the cook

2) It is quite possible to OVER-SMOKE something leaving it with a bitter taste

You will have to adjust your methods accordingly and for each cut.

This forum is great for planning future smokes, because, most likely, someone has done it before and shared their experience.


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## cookshack (Jun 19, 2010)

Just put a 5# wild Alaskan King Salmon fillet skin side down on my offset smoker. First time adventure with smoking fish.

I made a Kosher salt, seasoning blend dry rub. Put the Salmon in the fridge for 1.5 hours. Took it out and rinsed good with cold water. I

set the house A/C to 71 degrees, and let it set on a rack for 3 hours to develope the pellicle. Nice sticky texture. Then I brushed with

Maple syrup.

Now it's on the smoker. Slow smoke. I hour each for Maple, Cherry and then Apple. I'll work the internal temp up to 140 with the

smoking. After that I'll raise the smoker temp with more wood and hold an internal temp of 160 for 30 minutes.

.


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## jaxgatorz (Jun 19, 2010)

Be careful with fish.. Ive found that 135-140 is plenty for me anyhow.. You might wanna take a fork and see if it is flaking at 140.. You might just want to try right then


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## mythmaster (Jun 19, 2010)

I'm looking forward to the pics!

Start a new thread for this, please.


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## cookshack (Jun 19, 2010)

mythmaster said:


> I'm looking forward to the pics!
> 
> Start a new thread for this, please.


Will do. Won't have the pics till Monday.

Just taking the advise from this thread to smoke the Salmon to 140 degrees internal temp for flavor.


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## ddave (Jun 19, 2010)

Dick Foster said:


> I said that most folks say the meat quits taking on smoke flavor after 3 hours or so and you can quit making smoke so you don't end up creosoting the food.


Creosote isn't caused by long smoking times.  It is caused by improper combustion. 

How do you quit making smoke with a stick burner?  There are lots of folks who smoke with stickburners or charcoal smokers who DON'T foil and have no complaints about oversmoked meats.

I would bet that if you smoke a piece of meat for 3 hours and another one for 6 that you would notice more smoky flavor in the piece that was smoked for 6.

Dave


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## flash (Jun 20, 2010)

Pineywoods said:


> Flash according to that thought you could just cut the outer part off of something that was over smoked and that has not been my experience


The idea is that the pores on the meat close up at 140º, allowing no more smoke. Therefore only the surface area and possible thru the smoke ring will take on more. Possibly the density of the meat may or may not allow more also.  I don't over smoke stuff, so have never had to do any cutting.

 Remember Piney........








Good smoke on right.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





     Just in case you forgot.


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## dick foster (Jun 20, 2010)

Don't know about the stick burners I use lump and chunk. I'm also not going to belabor the point as all I have done is pass along what has been said many many times before on this and many other smoking boards. You can do with it what you want, personally I don't care. I take it all in, weigh all the info then do my own thing too.


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