When do you apply Smoke? At the beginning or end of a cook?

smoker pete

New member
Smokin an 11 lb turkey right now to continue my education with the MAK! Applying smoke for an hour and then will bump temp to 325ºF till IT hits 165º.

I have always been in the habit of smokin my meats, poultry, etc at the front end of a cook yet I read where others do the smokin at the end of a cook.

Which do you prefer and why? When I first started smokin I read many articles that claim meats only accept smoke until they reach a certain temperature. Anyone else subscribe to this theory?
 

ITFD#15

New member
I am new but I do all my smoking at the start of the cook and I believe in an earlier post about this same topic that you did not get any more or very little smoke penetration after the IT temp was above 130.
The later part of my cooks I generally increase my temps.
 

Rip

New member
At the beginning.

Even if you don't buy into "smoke penetration ceases once the meat temp passes a certain point", it's much easier to do smoke at lower temps, then raise temps, than to lower temp at the end to produce smoke. (Especially if you like to raise even more towards the very end to crisp/brown the exterior).
 

3Bs-Bar-B-Que

New member
when your idems you smoke aka beef chicken pork gets to 140 IT it will stop taking on smoke so at the end will not get it done just my 2 cents
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
Ok first off the meat does stop accepting smoke...but think of it...If you wait too long and the cook is too far along you are toast....I actually never cookanything on smoke i cook at 225 as my lowest and slowest temp
 

TentHunter

Moderator
Pete, can't wait to see the turkey! :)

I'm in agreement with the others; apply smoke at the beginning. I often wondered about this "meat sealing at 140°." What I've learned from other good sources is that it all has to do with osmosis & the surface temperature of the meat.

Two important things happen when meat hits 140° F:
1) Myoglobin denatures making meat turn tan & juices turn clear (myoglobin's the protein that makes meat look red). Therefore, the smoke ring stops forming.
2) Collagen & meat fibers tighten forming a sort of wall & squeezes juices towards the center of the meat. Smoke particulates can no longer permeate cell membrane (osmosis) so little if any more smoke is transferred.

That's why I like putting meat on COLD & apply smoke in a moist environment (moisture lets Nitric Acid form for the smoke ring).

Meathead at Amazingribs.com has lots of good (and more detailed) info on this.
 
Last edited:

scooter

Moderator
I've never tried waiting to near the end to smoke something. Smoking from the beginning has worked so well I can't see why I'd do it any other way. I've heard about the 140 rule Scott and tent mentioned above and agree with BP that if you wait too long your window of opportunity will shut so why wait to apply smoke?
 

jimsbarbecue

Moderator
:rolleyes: I usually baste with the liquid smoke early so it soaks in. If I wait until the end the exterior of the meat has seared over and the liquid smoke appears to run off.
 
Top Bottom