How long does meat soak up smoke?

[fishingbouchman]

Why use the flavor pellets the entire cook? How long smoking before the meat doesn't soak up any more of that wonderful smoke flavor? Why not smoke for say 2hrs then finish with charcoal (less pellets used over the cook) if it isn't getting anymore flavor smoke?

 

[sparky]

till the meat hits 140°. after 140° no more smoke penatrates the meat.

 

[Scallywag]

Pellets are roughly $1.00 a lb.. unless your looking for a hight heat sear I see no point in using both pellets and charcoal. But I am lazy and am happy with 1 grill going..

 

[TentHunter]

Yep, 140° and the cell membrane starts to wall up and smoke penetration stops.

As for switching to charcoal, I have found charcoal to be about the same overall cost as just running pellets.

Example: for a longer cook of 4 or 5 pork shoulders in my offset smoker I'd usually go through about two bags of lump totaling about $14 - $16. I can easily fit 4+ shoulders on the MAK 1 Star and running it for 8 - 12 hours on a low & slow temp burns about 15 lbs. pellets totaling $15. So, for me at least, it's tit for tat on the cost.

 

[fishingbouchman]

What I was thinking apple for 2 hrs then charcoal pellets after just because they don't burn as many? Right now I am ok with just flavor wood for the whole ride just trying to get smarter? Did I just say that.

 

[CMack1]

You could also do flavor pellets until 140 degrees, then foil and toss into the indoor oven at the same temp. I would check the accuracy of your oven first, or in my case it's just safer to burn more pellets and stay out of the ol' lady's kitchen.

 

[So Cal Smoker]

Amen to that CMack, much safer.

 

[The Stig]

I did some testing on this a couple of years ago on some butts. I had read and also heard some folks say that smoke doesnt penetrate after the first 2-3 hours. So here is what I came up with after 2 days of testing.

Knowns.
4 butts
2 identical cookers
Lump coal
Hickory hardwood

Both cookers were setup the same.
The first day each cooker recieved 1 butt. Cooker A was rolled smoke for only the first 3 hrs. Cooker B rolled smoke for 8 hrs.

After the first day meat was blind tested by my family. They easily picked which one they thought was better which was cooker B with 8hrs of smoke. Also they did not know the difference between the 2. I just simply asked which one was better.

Day 2, same drill except cooker A rolled smoke for 8 hrs and cooker B for only 3. This was done to eliminate the cookers as a variable.
Results = The same.

While this does not enitrely answer your question I do know that that a butt will take smoke longer than 3 hrs. Like some of the other guys said it could be at around that 140 degree mark. I usually just play it safe and smoke for at least 3/4 of the expected cook time.