# Help Yall!  The smoker went out last night!



## tad1 (Oct 26, 2010)

So I started smoking a boston butt last night bout 730p in my weber kettle. I smoked it for at least 3.5 hours about 225 degrees.  I'm guessing it cooked no more than 5 hours but at least 3.5.  So it could have been setting for about 6 hours.
Well I know i took a big risk and went to bed and u guessed it this am at 600 the thing was cold.
Before yall wear me out about it I have done a brisket this way and the darn thing smoked thru the night. But not the case this time around.
So I double wrapped it in HD foil and its been in the oven at 275 since bout 630.
Guys what are the implications of this? You all can imagine how paranoid the wife is about food safety!!!
        Gimme some thoughts please.  It smells like heaven in the house!
                                 Thanks, 
                                          J.T.


----------



## blues brother (Oct 26, 2010)

What was the internal temp of the meat when you wrapped in foil?
Implications are food poisoning...not fun. The ambient temp last night(at my house ) was around 68...prime temp for them little buggers to grow in your boston butt. Especially if it did dot get hot enough(160) to kill them.

The more I think about it...to long in the danger zone!
Feed it to the dog. A 15 dollar butt is not worth getting sick over.


----------



## Jeff C. (Oct 26, 2010)

blues brother said:


> What was the internal temp of the meat when you wrapped in foil?
> Implications are food poisoning...not fun. The ambient temp last night(at my house ) was around 68...prime temp for them little buggers to grow in your boston butt. Especially if it did dot get hot enough(160) to kill them.
> 
> The more I think about it...to long in the danger zone!
> Feed it to the dog. A 15 dollar butt is not worth getting sick over.



Wouldn't it be ok as far as food poisoning, if he went ahead and brought it to temp in the oven, Mike??? 

Good chance it would be over-cooked though!!


----------



## blues brother (Oct 26, 2010)

Jeff, I don't know for sure...It might be ok and it might not. All I know is I wouldn't want to take a chance on it...I would go get another butt and start over.  I just don't like the thought of both ends running off  cause I "thought it might be okay".  Just my 2 cents.


----------



## Gabassmaster (Oct 26, 2010)

my dad always does all his smoking in a cardboard box believe it or not.? might be cause he is a hill billy idk?


----------



## Twenty five ought six (Oct 26, 2010)

Jeff C. said:


> Wouldn't it be ok as far as food poisoning, if he went ahead and brought it to temp in the oven, Mike???
> 
> Good chance it would be over-cooked though!!



It will be o.k. if you bring it up to 220-225.


----------



## Jeff C. (Oct 26, 2010)

Twenty five ought six said:


> It will be o.k. if you bring it up to 220-225.



Yes....that's what I was thinking. Seems it could be salvaged to some degree.


----------



## Jeff C. (Oct 26, 2010)

Gabassmaster said:


> my dad always does all his smoking in a cardboard box believe it or not.? might be cause he is a hill billy idk?




Seems I've heard of this before....
Care to elaborate, I would like to hear it again???


----------



## tad1 (Oct 26, 2010)

I was also thinking that if I ge it good and how in the oven it should I'll off any bactera too.   But it does make ne paranoid, specially the wife


----------



## CAL (Oct 26, 2010)

The more I think about it...to long in the danger zone!:banginghe:banginghe
Feed it to the dog. A 15 dollar butt is not worth getting sick over.[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> Exactly,I wouldn't take a chance under any circumstances.You can cook another one to easy.


----------



## Browtine (Oct 26, 2010)

There's no way I'd chance eatin' any meat that sat at ambient temp for +/- 6 hours. Common knowledge seems to be that anything over around 2 hours is where the danger starts. You're estimating around 6 hours. Nope, I would not chance it.


----------



## Twenty five ought six (Oct 26, 2010)

Browtine said:


> There's no way I'd chance eatin' any meat that sat at ambient temp for +/- 6 hours. Common knowledge seems to be that anything over around 2 hours is where the danger starts. You're estimating around 6 hours. Nope, I would not chance it.




Do you deer hunt?

I've eaten LOTS of venison that was above ambient temperature for several hours -- I haven't become ill and no one that has eaten any has become ill.

Food at room temperature becomes dangerous if it's not cooked -- no one is suggesting that he make steak tartar out of this.  You can leave a steak out all day, and cook it, and it will be just fine-- I do that and bet there are plenty of other people here who do that too.


----------



## tad1 (Oct 26, 2010)

I'm with 2506 so far.  Two hours probably refers to post cooking time. The butt is still in the oven at 275 I haven't checked internal temp but I plan on gettin it up to 200 +.  
The house is smellin awesome!


----------



## Browtine (Oct 26, 2010)

Twenty five ought six said:


> Do you deer hunt?
> 
> I've eaten LOTS of venison that was above ambient temperature for several hours -- I haven't become ill and no one that has eaten any has become ill.
> 
> Food at room temperature becomes dangerous if it's not cooked -- no one is suggesting that he make steak tartar out of this.  You can leave a steak out all day, and cook it, and it will be just fine-- I do that and bet there are plenty of other people here who do that too.



Ya'll do whatever you want. I've had food poisoning and won't risk it if I can help it. Maybe I occasionally throw away some good meat that I could have eaten. It's worth it not to eat bad meat one time in my opinion. I ain't tellin' ya'll not to eat it. I simply said what I'd do...


----------



## stev (Oct 26, 2010)

Throw it away .


----------



## CAL (Oct 26, 2010)

Browtine said:


> Ya'll do whatever you want. I've had food poisoning and won't risk it if I can help it. Maybe I occasionally throw away some good meat that I could have eaten. It's worth it not to eat bad meat one time in my opinion. I ain't tellin' ya'll not to eat it. I simply said what I'd do...



This is my stance also.You ask for opinions and I gave mine!Old local Dr.told me once as I was letting it out of both ends at the same time that one can take a whole plate of hamburgers and the germ be in just one part of one hamburger.I don't think the germ will kill ya,it will just make you think you will die and at a point or two make you wish you would die!Good luck to all!

P.S.  get 25-06 to check it out for you with the taste test! (just had to do it 25,couldn't resist.no hard feelings!)


----------



## tad1 (Oct 26, 2010)

Ok yall, i cooked it in the oven at 275 for about 10 more hours till bout 5 this eve.   The finished temp was about 220 internal. Then i pulled it up.   super tender and juicy.  my wife microwaved hers and the sis in laws.   I threw mine on the plate and dug in!!  It was some kind of good.   
I will be sure to let yall know if I'm laid up tomorrow.  Thanks for all your responses on the matter.  
                                  J.T.


----------



## lanierjm (Oct 26, 2010)

Just curious, can you normally get a kettle to smoke all night? Ive never tried it, but would think 3.5 hours would be about as long as it would go.  Anybody have any luck smoking all night with a kettle?


----------



## tad1 (Oct 27, 2010)

LJ  I will ring the coals rond the outside of grill bout 5 wide the coals will slowly burn around in a wick like fashion controlling the temp faily well and allowing a long burn time.  Be been successful w this method on a butt and brisket before.  The othe night A bunch of ash fell down in one of the bottom vents I thnk that was my issue.  Bottom line it's good to check up on it every couple hrs at least


----------



## Twenty five ought six (Oct 27, 2010)

CAL said:


> This is my stance also.You ask for opinions and I gave mine!Old local Dr.told me once as I was letting it out of both ends at the same time that one can take a whole plate of hamburgers and the germ be in just one part of one hamburger.I don't think the germ will kill ya,it will just make you think you will die and at a point or two make you wish you would die!Good luck to all!
> 
> P.S.  get 25-06 to check it out for you with the taste test! (just had to do it 25,couldn't resist.no hard feelings!)



No problem.

I was going to offer to have him bring it over when he got through cooking it if wife didn't want to eat it.   



If you are really interested in this, you can conduct a little experiment that I did (at the suggestion of some BBQ pros on another forum).  This experiment was conducted in response to the same discussion that was carried on there.

Get a digital remote reading thermometer.

Get a 20 lb. piece of meat --shoulder, ham, or so on.

Cook at 200-225--

Insert probe into thickest part of meat,  and take a reading every half hour.  You will be surprised how long it stays in the "danger zone" --especially if you add in any time the meat sat out at room temperature.  The fact that it cooks for several hours outside the zone is what makes it safe.

That is also one reason that I don't smoke turkeys over 16 lbs.  There's not enough cooking time to overcome the danger a big bird presents.   I don't know anyone that has gotten sick from cooking a big bird, but the thermometer doesn't lie.

BTW, just to show that I'm not totally nasty, I will offer this helpful hint that I picked up from the UGA meat science folks-- if you dip or spray your meat or fowl with common white vinegar, it will kill all the nasties without affecting the taste -- which will also let you age it with less risk of spoilage.


----------



## Jeff C. (Oct 27, 2010)

Twenty five ought six said:


> BTW, just to show that I'm not totally nasty, I will offer this helpful hint that I picked up from the UGA meat science folks-- if you dip or spray your meat or fowl with common white vinegar, it will kill all the nasties without affecting the taste -- which will also let you age it with less risk of spoilage.



Vaulable info there....Thanks 2506!!


----------



## CAL (Oct 27, 2010)

Thanks 25 for the helpful hint.I did not know that and I do very much like the taste of a little smoked meat with a little vinegar put on it.
My grocery store owner told me that the way the meat mkt.is kept clean has a lots to do with cleanliness of the meat and bacteria.Makes sense anyway.My Piggly Wiggly store here at home is unreal how clean they keep it.Has no spoiled meat odor whatso ever!
Don't be telling on ya self now 25.I for one never thought you was a nasty guy.


----------



## Y.T. (Oct 28, 2010)

Bacteria numbers double every hour they are left in the 'danger zone'....don't chance it.


----------

