Internal meat Temp - going DOWN ??

[KSims1868]

I have had my pork shoulder (9 lbs) on the UDS for about 14 hours.
It was at 174* an hour ago, and now it is at 172*.

I added a whole chicken about an hour ago to the rack. Did the chicken pull some of the heat out of the pork shoulder?

My UDS temp is about 240* and holding strong.
Why would the internal temp of the pork shoulder be going down?

[JazzyBadger]

Pork shoulders do that sometimes.. we had a case not too long back where someone smoked their pork butts for 22 hours, at the 22nd hour if memory serves their temps stared going down.

My personal opinion is there's simply more connective tissues melting down, which might be bringing it back down in temp.
But with pork butts.. nothing is for sure. It's simply done when it's done.
Shame those sammies taste so good, eh?

[HHpepper]

I dont see how that is possible. Is you temp gauge at grate level? If you have been running 240 for 14 hrs you should be over 190 internal.

ANytime you add fresh meat it will pull the ambient temp down in the cooker.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by KSims1868

I have had my pork shoulder (9 lbs) on the UDS for about 14 hours.
It was at 174* an hour ago, and now it is at 172*.

I added a whole chicken about an hour ago to the rack. Did the chicken pull some of the heat out of the pork shoulder?

My UDS temp is about 240* and holding strong.
Why would the internal temp of the pork shoulder be going down?

It happens a lot, it's just that most folks either don't notice it or don't really monitor the internal temp until the last several hours of the cook.

The reason behind the drop in meat temp is basically because the energy from the heat is going into the conversion process instead of into the meat. Think of it this way, the flow of liquefied collagen & fat is stealing heat (energy) out of the meat. As the conversion comes to an end, the heat starts going back into the meat, and the internal begins to rise.

[BBQchef33]

it happens... you're a the tail end of the stall..

its getting happy, the collagen is almost done breaking down..

Your temps may start to shoot up very soon and youre close to being done.

[Vince B]

Originally Posted by HHpepper

I dont see how that is possible. Is you temp gauge at grate level?

He was talking about the meat temp not the pit temp.

Originally Posted by jazzybadger

Pork shoulders do that sometimes.. we had a case not too long back where someone smoked their pork butts for 22 hours, at the 22nd hour if memory serves their temps stared going down.

My personal opinion is there's simply more connective tissues melting down, which might be bringing it back down in temp.
But with pork butts.. nothing is for sure. It's simply done when it's done.
Shame those sammies taste so good, eh?

^^^I would have to agree with the tissues breaking down this sometimes happens^^^.

Also I have seen this while the butt is in the stall zone as well. It will kind of hang out there temp wise and go up/down for a while. Then once in the 180's it will start to climb until it is ready. I normally pull between 195-205* then foil for a few hours in a cooler. Vince

[mwmac]

Patience, bbq is done when its done. I had two butts take 17 hours to hit 192F, then did a 4 butt cook that hit 192 in 12 hours, same cooker/fuel,start temp., cook temp.

[KSims1868]

Yep - now the temps are going great. It's up to 181* internal right now.
I suspect I'm about to pull it and wrap in foil for an hour or so rest in the cooler.

[Vince B]

I would let them go until the temp gets to 195*-205*. Then wrap in foil and rest in a cooler for a couple hours. If time is an issue and you do not want to wait until a higher temp is achieved unfoiled, foil while they are still on the smoker. This will accelerate the temp rise of your butts and help them get done sooner. Then remove the foiled butts and rest for a couple hours. Hope this helps. Vince

[barbefunkoramaque]

Let me help you out. Stop giving a **** about IT and have some fun. You can thank me now or in a year or two from now when you realize I am right.

If you want to learn more I am down the street from you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecsp5X-kivM

[barbefunkoramaque]

Originally Posted by mwmac

Patience, bbq is done when its done. I had two butts take 17 hours to hit 192F, then did a 4 butt cook that hit 192 in 12 hours, same cooker/fuel,start temp., cook temp.

Like the brother said!

[KSims1868]

Yep - it's going well.
Temp hit 195* shortly after I asked this question. It is now quietly resting wrapped in foil and a thick blanket in the cooler.
Should pull it here in about 30 minutes (will have been resting almost 2 hours).

[Vince B]

Originally Posted by barbefunkoramaque

Let me help you out. Stop giving a **** about IT and have some fun. You can thank me now or in a year or two from now when you realize I am right.

If you want to learn more I am down the street from you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecsp5X-kivM

Ok after watching that video what were we discussing here again?

[Solidkick]

If you want to see a little fat man panic, let this happen at a contest! And it usually does 2 or 3 times a year...you think you've got the timing down, and then they'll hang up and go the other direction on you...Panic! Uusally about the time we introduce the ribs into the cooker...the cold(er) meat starts taking the heat.

Yes it happens.....

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by KSims1868

I have had my pork shoulder (9 lbs) on the UDS for about 14 hours.
It was at 174* an hour ago, and now it is at 172*.

I added a whole chicken about an hour ago to the rack. Did the chicken pull some of the heat out of the pork shoulder?

My UDS temp is about 240* and holding strong.
Why would the internal temp of the pork shoulder be going down?

This freaked me out the first time it happened to me too...The phenomenon is known as the "BBQ Plateau". As Thirdeye said , it is a result of the connective tissue really starting to break down. That process needs additional energy, so the internal temp stalls until the process is done, and then starts to rise again. This will happen in any of the dense meats(shoulder, brisket, etc.) The plateau is a big part of what makes bbq great.