Im new to smoking, but I would like to know how effective is smoking at 400 degrees? Can you achieve the same cook as if you smoked at 250 for 10-12 hours?
Generally speaking smoking is a slow process for a couple reasons, one is that it takes a while for the smoke to penetrate the meat. You want around four hours minimum in the smoke for decent smoke penetration. And second, most meats that we smoke are tough cuts, active muscle meat, and these cuts contain a lot of connective tissue which takes a good bit of time at temperature to break down. There is research out there to help understand the time/temp relationship for breaking down the connective tissue. So to 'smoke' meat, low and slow is the only way to go, but how slow is really a matter of practice. I push my brisket and am able to get good results in the 8 hour range but it really does take a lot of practice. Keeping the meat from drying out is a challenge too. I wrap my meat earlier that most guys do and use foil instead of butcher paper because I don't want to risk getting dry. I might not get the same bark a lot of guys like but honestly unless you are a "smoke" (passionate about your smoked meat) you don't really know what bark is anyway and I still get a lot of great remarks. Your smoker makes a difference too. I had a Masterbuilt 560 and got good results then recently switched to a Masterbuilt 600 and the little bit of smoking I have done with the new smoker has been much better. I am on my third third different smoker and this one has given me the best results yet. There are meats that you "smoke" for shorter times but the smoke is more of an accent flavor than the target and the meats don't need to break down the same either. Ribs for example, I usually only have them open to the smoke for 1-2 hours but they will get a dry rub or a sauce cooked on which is where you get most of the flavor. I also cook burgers on the smoker in about 15 minutes at around 400. Now fish is a totally different matter, a very soft meat that will absorb smoke quickly and doesn't need to breakdown to be tender. Your wood and or charcoal makes a huge difference too. I had used the same charcoal for years then suddenly it just got hard to light and wouldn't heat properly so I assume the manufacturer changed something and I had to find something else. Different woods like apple or cherry will give different results too. I usually use mesquite just because to me that is the Texas barbecue that I love. Smoking is very individual, do your research but in the end practice is the only way to figure out what works for you.
Im new to smoking, but I would like to know how effective is smoking at 400 degrees? Can you achieve the same cook as if you smoked at 250 for 10-12 hours?
Generally speaking smoking is a slow process for a couple reasons, one is that it takes a while for the smoke to penetrate the meat. You want around four hours minimum in the smoke for decent smoke penetration. And second, most meats that we smoke are tough cuts, active muscle meat, and these cuts contain a lot of connective tissue which takes a good bit of time at temperature to break down. There is research out there to help understand the time/temp relationship for breaking down the connective tissue.
So to 'smoke' meat, low and slow is the only way to go, but how slow is really a matter of practice. I push my brisket and am able to get good results in the 8 hour range but it really does take a lot of practice. Keeping the meat from drying out is a challenge too. I wrap my meat earlier that most guys do and use foil instead of butcher paper because I don't want to risk getting dry. I might not get the same bark a lot of guys like but honestly unless you are a "smoke" (passionate about your smoked meat) you don't really know what bark is anyway and I still get a lot of great remarks.
Your smoker makes a difference too. I had a Masterbuilt 560 and got good results then recently switched to a Masterbuilt 600 and the little bit of smoking I have done with the new smoker has been much better.
I am on my third third different smoker and this one has given me the best results yet.
There are meats that you "smoke" for shorter times but the smoke is more of an accent flavor than the target and the meats don't need to break down the same either. Ribs for example, I usually only have them open to the smoke for 1-2 hours but they will get a dry rub or a sauce cooked on which is where you get most of the flavor. I also cook burgers on the smoker in about 15 minutes at around 400.
Now fish is a totally different matter, a very soft meat that will absorb smoke quickly and doesn't need to breakdown to be tender.
Your wood and or charcoal makes a huge difference too. I had used the same charcoal for years then suddenly it just got hard to light and wouldn't heat properly so I assume the manufacturer changed something and I had to find something else. Different woods like apple or cherry will give different results too. I usually use mesquite just because to me that is the Texas barbecue that I love.
Smoking is very individual, do your research but in the end practice is the only way to figure out what works for you.
that should be "smokie"
Thank you. I recently smoked a pork loin for about 6 hours unwrapped and an hour wrapped in foil. It came out okay. I'll just keep working at it.