BBQ coming to correct heat?

[AlexJ]

Ok, I guess I know the correct answer in that I need a separate temperature probe for ambiant temp......however has anyone else had issues with the fact that long cooks literally take 2x longer than exptected.

I've just tried a 4lb flat brisket a few days ago which I started in the morning and literally fell asleep cooking even after wrapping and bumping temp up to nearly 300. Today.....I'm on hour 8 of a small 4.5 lb pork butt.....smoked on 250 the whole way through. According to everything I've ready. It should be just over 1 hour per LB.......

I'm lost.....New store smoking. Love what I've done so far, but everything needs so much extra time!

Pictures of what I've cooked so far. Everything's been amazing.....just not as "fall apart" as it should be! Struggled to get the probe over 180/190. Certainly never got to 205 on the brisket or the pork. Pizza though....YUMMY!!!

 

[Goneincognito]

You can't cook to a set time. Time is only a very rough guide.
The meat will be done when its good and ready.

 

[AlexJ]

You can't cook to a set time. Time is only a very rough guide.
The meat will be done when its good and ready.

bbaaaahhhhhh i get it. but seriously, theres a rough guide, then theres doubling it...every damn time! Like seriously. I can't say lets start cooking at 7am to eat at 7 pm every time, when its only a small cook.

 

[JpsBBQ]

bbaaaahhhhhh i get it. but seriously, theres a rough guide, then theres doubling it...every damn time! Like seriously. I can't say lets start cooking at 7am to eat at 7 pm every time, when its only a small cook.

Bbaaaahhhh! Raise the pit temp if it’s not going fast enough.

Pretty hard to believe that the meats take that long particularly if you wrapped in foil. Something is not right. Hard to say. I’ve had at least a hundred cooks. Dozens of low and slows without issue. Poor cuts (select and some choice) take much longer than well marbled ones. That said, I repeat, something not quite right here. Temp is temp. Either the temp is off or the story is off. Good luck. Stick with it.

 

[Bruno]

I believe the SmokeFire runs at least 25 degrees off the temp shown. I will use my thermoworks smoke to monitor on long smokes from here on out.
Your food should have had no problem coming up to 205.

 

[AlexJ]

I believe the SmokeFire runs at least 25 degrees off the temp shown. I will use my thermoworks smoke to monitor on long smokes from here on out.
Your food should have had no problem coming up to 205.

So if I think I’m at 250 I could only be at 225? Makes sense…..I’ll get a second thermometer

 

[Bruno]

So if I think I’m at 250 I could only be at 225? Makes sense…..I’ll get a second thermometer

I’m going to be honest with you guys on this one, everyone knows I love my SmokeFire but I was annoyed as hell once I monitored the temps on a separate probe and a Weber air probe. All three had different temps the whole time. It was all over the place and I just couldn’t watch.
Now I just cook and hope it works out. I did end up with a brisket taking longer than I thought and it was a little dry in the flat. I will monitor my next brisket big time.

 

[Goneincognito]

I’m going to be honest with you guys on this one, everyone knows I love my SmokeFire but I was annoyed as hell once I monitored the temps on a separate probe and a Weber air probe. All three had different temps the whole time. It was all over the place and I just couldn’t watch.
Now I just cook and hope it works out. I did end up with a brisket taking longer than I thought and it was a little dry in the flat. I will monitor my next brisket big time.

I set mine to whatever temp I want and if that's what the screen says then that's good enough for me.

 

[Dassman5]

My ex4 runs pretty close to set point temp after it has had a chance to settle in. This photo was taken yesterday during a 7 hour cook of back and country style ribs. The Maverick was monitoring the temp in the upper rack, while the ambient air probe on port #4 was monitoring the lower rack right above the water pans. The other probes are meat probes.

 

[JpsBBQ]

Too much mental horsepower spent worrying about exact temperature imo. Heck there is significant fluctuations within the cooking chamber of any cooker. Right side vs left side. Front edge or rear edges vs middle. Top rack vs lower rack etc. it’s all part of the “craft” which is BBQ. Enjoy!

 

[Dassman5]

Too much mental horsepower spent worrying about exact temperature imo. Heck there is significant fluctuations within the cooking chamber of any cooker. Right side vs left side. Front edge or rear edges vs middle. Top rack vs lower rack etc. it’s all part of the “craft” which is BBQ. Enjoy!

I agree!

If more people understood that the same thing happens with all cookers and even your house oven, they would get over worrying about temperature fluctuations around a given set point.

My use of backup temperature probes, like a Maverick, on my ex4 is limited to long cooks and serves simply to provide “Under-Over” alarms. That is no different for the ex4 than for my Summit s-670 or my WSM 22”…fluctuations are normal and are only of concern in the case of a very significant departures from target.

 

[abmet]

For me pork but is usually closer to 1.5 hours per pound, but as others said there is no ate time and every piece of meat is different. I’ve had small ones take over 2 hours per pound. If I’m trying for dinner o shoot for being done couple hours early and wrap in towels in a cooler. I used to run extra ambient probe but now I just temp I want and go knowing that true temp going to fluctuate some from set point and what controller shows.

 

[Mr. X]

I have always run my pork butts starting the night before to give myself ample time. Of course most of the ones I have done are typically closer to eight or 10 pounds. I’d rather have the food done early then have to hear my wife say what time will it be ready one more time.

 

[Bruno]

I have always run my pork butts starting the night before to give myself ample time. Of course most of the ones I have done are typically closer to eight or 10 pounds. I’d rather have the food done early then have to hear my wife say what time will it be ready one more time.

Dear lord can i get an amen!!

 

[Bluesmoke]

Amen. Problem is solved by starting the briskets and pork butts the night before. Never had an issue with letting them rest wrapped in a cooler if they are done a little early and I don't hear my wife asking what time it will be ready.