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Fire went out overnight - Butt temp at 165

5thgenTexan
5thgenTexan Posts: 3
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Hi, all.
Had my first fire go out overnight in a number of years. 2 7lb butts were at 165 when I went to bed late and dome temp at 200.

Woke up with fire out, no temp in dome and butts at 95 internal temp.

Fire is back on and butts are back on, so what do I do next?

1) I got the meat to the safe zone (right?), so just get them up to 200 internal temp and keep with the original plan?

2) Toss them? (I will be sad.)

3) Go get some ribs and get back to work (the dinner is tonight at 5pm).

Thought I built a good fire but now doubting that, and the brand of lump coal I bought. Thanks, all!

K
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Comments

  • GirlyEgg
    GirlyEgg Posts: 622
    If you were at 165 last night, I'd go with #1... I don't get too freaked out if the butt temp gets to :woohoo: 160 at least...but that's me...
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  • BBQMaven
    BBQMaven Posts: 1,041
    under 140 for over 4 hours is too long... you will find many opinions and thoughts...
    tough call
    Kent Madison MS
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  • FSM-Meatball
    FSM-Meatball Posts: 215
    Tough call. The meat did make it to 165 so any bad stuff is dead. The concern is the time it spent under 140. I guess it depends on how long you slept. It probably took the system a few hours to actually get down to that temp after the fire went out. Since You will be bringing it back through that zone to 195 it should again kill any bad stuff. If it was just for me I would eat it, but I still observe the 5 second rule.

    This happened to me once but the butt temp was still 130 so I fired it up and finished the cook.
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  • 5thgenTexan
    5thgenTexan Posts: 3
    For timing, 11:45pm was when I went to sleep and 6:45am was when I awoke. Checked egg at both times.

    Darn wind.
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  • Susan Egglaine
    Susan Egglaine Posts: 2,437
    5thgenTexan wrote:
    For timing, 11:45pm was when I went to sleep and 6:45am was when I awoke. Checked egg at both times.

    Darn wind.
    Just wondering, what did the wind have to do with anything? You were cooking on an egg weren't you?
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  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
    200? Wow... way too low, no wonder it went out. Always do low and slow at 250 dome as the egg cruises at that speed. Nothing to do with the wind.
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  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,677
    Not always true. I have 1 egg that will cruise all day at 180°-200° while the other large likes 250°. Agree that 200 dome for a butt is too low as grate temp is way below the target temp of the meat
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  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
    Swap thermometers.
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  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,677
    thermometers are all calibrated and have had the egg for 13 years,, this one will cruise below 200 while the other will not,
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    Agree. Wind not a big factor most of the time. If you start with a strong wind and then the wind stops might be a factor.
    If the wind picks up it will normally spike the fire a little.
    Bottom line is 200 dome temp is low for butts.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
    Ah... yes you have one of those 'special' eggs... :laugh:
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  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,677
    strange but true. It does come in handy for bacon and other low temp smokes. Even 150 is not a problem for a few hours. Can't explain it but like the differences.
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  • 5thgenTexan
    5thgenTexan Posts: 3
    The end of the story....
    Put the butts back on and cooked for another 4 hours until internal temp up to about 195. Let rest for 4 more hours in cooler and everyone ate and enjoyed. No one got sick.
    Thanks for the help and I learned a few good lessons.
    K
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  • Feeding Frenzy
    Feeding Frenzy Posts: 87
    You won't knw if anyone got sick for 12-36 hours. And they wont be to willing to share the storied of the "D" they had. Honest, hope all are well. Flirted with the dark side imo. How long did it take to get back up to the 190s? Honest though, bringing back to mid 190s should kill the critters. Ill just say you have more ba!!s than this old fool does. Hope all is well with all and happy egging ahead.
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  • Pork Butt Mike
    Pork Butt Mike Posts: 2,584
    YOUR INTERNAL IS AT 95 AND YOU WANT TO KEEP THIS. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG THE FIRE WAS OUT. IT IS NOT WORTH TAKING A CHANCE. ANOTHER THING I BEEN DOING BUTTS FOR A FOR YEARS AND MY SET TEMP IS 200 TO 225 TOP FOR DOME TEMP. I PULL AT 196 EVERY TIME. I WOULD NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT KEEP IT. GOOD LUCK
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    I used to have two smalls that behaved very differently. I did the same test with the two of them swapped and got the same results. Just two different Eggs, I reckon.
    The Naked Whiz
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Actually, some "bad stuff" produces toxins that are not destroyed by heat, so heating back up to 195 is no guarantee that the food is safe.
    The Naked Whiz
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