Is 165 OK For Overnight Cook?

[landarc]

Now, I thought one of the reasons for getting a pellet grill was for the ability to get some sleep. No? I thought the way it worked is that you set it, let it run for 4 hours, get up and fill more pellets, make sure the temp is still right and then go back to sleep. Repeat.

 

[darita]

I reason for my original cook method was that I have read several posts on a Traeger thread that said they butts at follows...
165 to 180 overnight, then up to 225 in the morning when they wake. I guess they are taking big risks with that method. Do you think I'll be safe at 200 overnight, then 225 in the morning, just to slow things down a bit or is 225 the only way to go safely?

 

[landarc]

To me, 200F is safe in a thermostat controlled cooker. I would not do it in a small charcoal burner as fluctuations would possibly cause problems.

 

[darita]

OK...someone on another forum said that it's the final temp that I should be concerned with because that's the temp that kills any bacteria new or old. Tell me why this reasoning is faulty? I'm not arguing here at all, I just want to make sure I understand what is safe and why and I know you guys are the experts.

 

[landarc]

Many of us tend to follow the rules for Serv-Safe requirements for food safety. That means we try to avoid letting the meat or food of any kind sit in what is commonly considered to be the danger zone for bacterial growth. In a way, it is safer to rely on scientists who understand the risks of spoilage mechanisms.

That being said, most spoilage mechanisms we worry about are bacteria, and these little guys are remarkably resilient. While it is commonly considered safe to eat food at the temperatures we cook at, some spoilage bacteria are not killed at temperatures below boiling. That would be 212F. Even at that temperature, some bacteria can survive these temperatures for 15 to 20 minutes. If you think about it, your meat internal temperature will never achieve these temperatures, hopefully. So, if you allow the bacteria to start growing, and you have held the meat in a stage on your cooker or in storage that these bacteria have time to get into the meat, you have created a situation where you cannot kill them under even rather extreme cooking temperatures.

 

[Bacon_99]

No need to ever cook below 225 F IMO... Maybe 200 in an oven or perfectly controlled and insulated cooker... But nto worth risking food poisoning. When my butts are done early, I just pull em and put the meat in the fridge. Then I heat up some sauces, throw the pp in the pot with the sauce and bring to a simmer, personally I find it even better this way. Actually, pp the next day is even better as the smoke flavor permeates the meat even more.

I wouldn't worry about holding hot - but I'm a crazy canuck :crazy:

 

[bluetang]

A higher starting temperature,+,- 200* , prevents botulism from surviving. Sausage and meats that are smoked at lower temps should be "cured" to prevent the occurrence of food poisoning during the longer (and lower temp) cooking process. Botulism gets real happy in an environment of low acidity, low oxygen, good nutrients(like in meats),moisture, and temps in the 40 to 140 range. As I see it, if you're smoking at 165, your meat will be in that range for long enough to kick in the bugs.

 

[JD McGee]

A lot of great advice up there for ya brother smoker...^^^...:thumb:

225 is a good number...plan on 1 1/2 to 2 hours per lb at that temp for your butt to hit 190-200 internal (guestimation) depends on if it's bone in or boneless and how much fat-meat ratio ya got in there too.

As mentioned you can foil and wrap with towels then cooler for 2-3 hours without any worries. Have fun...and don't forget the pics!

ps...relax...it's just cookin' meat...:becky:

 

[1_T_Scot]

I wouldn't do it. Smoke it at 250 then reheat when needed.

 

[SmokinMAK]

I went 4 hours today with a pre-heated cooler. Pork was still steaming and juicy!

 

[smokedinvt]

I got to go with the prevailing wisdom here. I think you have to be up at 180 or better just to kill off critters. I don't do anything at less than 225 just so I can feel good about killing off the bacteria and making sure the meat is cooked through.

 

[Hawg Father of Seoul]

OK...someone on another forum said that it's the final temp that I should be concerned with because that's the temp that kills any bacteria new or old. Tell me why this reasoning is faulty? I'm not arguing here at all, I just want to make sure I understand what is safe and why and I know you guys are the experts.

The temp may kill MOST microbes, but the microbes are still there. We are preventing the growth of additional microbes. Do you let you chicken hang out on the counter all day before you cook it?

A lot of people get sick with the flu shot, and that is dead microbes.......

BTW at 225 a butt should be ready in ~ 8-9 hours. Go ahead and sleep.

Fred

 

[Dave Russell]

BTW at 225 a butt should be ready in ~ 8-9 hours.
Fred

Ready for what? Slicing?

Most folks want it to fall apart, and at a cooking temp of 225, 2hr/lb. allotted for the cook is better planning. It it's done early, no problem, as I've kept 'em hot for over six hours in a decent preheated cooler.

 

[PorkQPine]

OK...Glad I asked! If I go 225 for the entire cook, it should take about 16 hrs. When IT is 200, how long can it sit wrapped and in a cooler?

As another Roseville smoker, I don't think it will take 16 hours. What are you cooking on?

 

[PorkQPine]

OK...Glad I asked! If I go 225 for the entire cook, it should take about 16 hrs. When IT is 200, how long can it sit wrapped and in a cooler?

Coolers are ok, used them for a while, I would check Craigs list and get a Cambro and it will only lose one degree per hour.

 

[Hawg Father of Seoul]

Ready for what? Slicing?

Most folks want it to fall apart, and at a cooking temp of 225, 2hr/lb. allotted for the cook is better planning. It it's done early, no problem, as I've kept 'em hot for over six hours in a decent preheated cooler.

Good eye. I meant to say 240. I actually think that the UDS is hotter in the middle than at the side, where the thermo is.......

 

[jestridge]

Lot of people will eat steak at 135 and don't think a thing about it. so what the difference

 

[landarc]

135F for a steak is okay, for a pork butt, not so good. Medium rare for most pork is probably not a good thing.

 

[darita]

Coolers are ok, used them for a while, I would check Craigs list and get a Cambro and it will only lose one degree per hour.

Hey! A Roseville smoker! I'm using a GMG Daniel Boone. It's been very consistent and easy to use. Aside from a few grease leaks, I couldn't be happier with it.
I think I'm getting the message, but what about all these "low and slow" guys that keep telling me to go 180 till an IT of 140, then up to 225...all these guys are really taking a risk! I think you'd be surprised at how many are saying this.

 

[landarc]

There are many ways to get to a finished product, some of which may not be as good as some others. I think there is a tendency for some folks to form into 'camps' surrounding certain techniques. One of them is certainly to go as low as possible on temps to get a maximum smoke ring and smoke flavor. I am not sure this is even true, but, it is out there. Others believe that going very low at first leads to a more tender product.

All of this may, or may not be true, but there is certainly a risk in going that low with the temperature. Speaking just for me, I would feel terrible if someone I cooked for got sick. Botulism or salmonella can knock an adult down for several days (trust me here, I know), it can outright kill a child, I just can't countenance that risk against an extra 1/16" of smoke ring or a skosh more tenderness. I think part of this is the creation of pellet cookers with thermostat controls that allow more people to cook at ultra-low temperatures with little to no attention. If you were to try and keep a stick burner or charcoal smoker at 180F and no lower for 15 to 20 hours, you would find that temperature to be hard to manage.