Cooked a pair of chuck roasts. 1 sucks, 1 awesome. Why?

[larry0071]

So i began this cook at 2am this morning for my local bars Christmas party. Different folks are bringing in food.

So i bought 2 packs of 2. Both from the same store, same prep, same cook at the same time in the same grill.

I took it to around 160-165 (about 5 hours) at 200 degrees cook temp and then foil covered it in foil pans that it cooked in from the beginning (open top to 160) so that it was collecting all of the juices. This covered cook went to 250 degrees. This went on until 10:30am. So both got into the low 200's internal, but one was nasty and could barely pull meat apart. The other, I could barely lift without it falling apart. So i ended up tossing 6 lbs of chuck into the trash and pulled the other. It was like the grain on the pan was still fully integral with the fat and binding, even though I'm at 203-208 degrees. My wife said to stop measuring internal temp and just keep on going by using my hands to check pull ability.... but every video I watch talks about the 200-205 finish. Should i have just kept it going until it eventually broke that down?

What happened? What did I do wrong?

 

[Redoctapus]

So i began this cook at 2am this morning for my local bars Christmas party. Different folks are bringing in food.

So i bought 2 packs of 2. Both from the same store, same prep, same cook at the same time in the same grill.

I took it to around 160-165 (about 5 hours) at 200 degrees cook temp and then foil covered it in foil pans that it cooked in from the beginning (open top to 160) so that it was collecting all of the juices. This covered cook went to 250 degrees. This went on until 10:30am. So both got into the low 200's internal, but one was nasty and could barely pull meat apart. The other, I could barely lift without it falling apart. So i ended up tossing 6 lbs of chuck into the trash and pulled the other. It was like the grain on the pan was still fully integral with the fat and binding, even though I'm at 203-208 degrees. My wife said to stop measuring internal temp and just keep on going by using my hands to check pull ability.... but every video I watch talks about the 200-205 finish. Should i have just kept it going until it eventually broke that down?

What happened? What did I do wrong?

Hi Larry. I'd bet the tough one never go hot enough. Do you have a reliable instant read thermometer like a Cooper-Atkins or comparable?
My PBV5 has 2 probes and there is 10 to 12 degrees difference with them side by side in the same cup of oil.
I have had the same problem then I make it worse by opening the door so much... I have had this happen with 4 pork butts in same smoker. 3 were perfect so I didn't checkbthe 4th until I was pulling them.
Also a lot of tenderize happens whet the meat is resting for an hour in a cooler.

 

[larry0071]

I did use my external handheld probe and verified some temps, and I did toss them all into my Rtic cooler for an hour to relax and suck back some of the juice.

I did notice with the hand probe that the one tray was firm compared to the other, and I ignored it and pulled it anyways since I was seeing 200-210 and afraid that o would over do it and mess it up.

 

[Jimsmokes]

I did use my external handheld probe and verified some temps, and I did toss them all into my Rtic cooler for an hour to relax and suck back some of the juice.

I did notice with the hand probe that the one tray was firm compared to the other, and I ignored it and pulled it anyways since I was seeing 200-210 and afraid that o would over do it and mess it up.

ALL of us have been bit by going by a certain temp. Instead of when each cut is probe tender.

 

[larry0071]

I talked to my buddy who is a lifetime butcher and recreational smoker, he says that I got one great cut of beef from one cow and one crappy piece from another cow.... that's the best he could offer. But he also thinks I should put the temp prices away and go buy feel. If it hasn't yet broken down the material to where it's starting to fall apart, keep going.

I think I'm getting caught up in times and temps that guys in YT talk about and when I see the targeted 203-205 internal I'm pulling out even though it may not be ready for another hour or 2.

I do know that every piece of pork and even the beef brisket worked fabulously. I've done 6 chuck roasts and 2 were good.... I'm starting to think that pork ribs and pork shoulders are easier to score a win with than beef?

 

[Redoctapus]

I talked to my buddy who is a lifetime butcher and recreational smoker, he says that I got one great cut of beef from one cow and one crappy piece from another cow.... that's the best he could offer. But he also thinks I should put the temp prices away and go buy feel. If it hasn't yet broken down the material to where it's starting to fall apart, keep going.

I think I'm getting caught up in times and temps that guys in YT talk about and when I see the targeted 203-205 internal I'm pulling out even though it may not be ready for another hour or 2.

I do know that every piece of pork and even the beef brisket worked fabulously. I've done 6 chuck roasts and 2 were good.... I'm starting to think that pork ribs and pork shoulders are easier to score a win with than beef?

Don't give up on the beef. Your friend is right. The chuck roast that was good would have pierced easily with a probe and with the other you would have felt resistance. There is definitely a learning curve.

 

[Cowboy1955]

I talked to my buddy who is a lifetime butcher and recreational smoker, he says that I got one great cut of beef from one cow and one crappy piece from another cow.... that's the best he could offer. But he also thinks I should put the temp prices away and go buy feel. If it hasn't yet broken down the material to where it's starting to fall apart, keep going.

I think I'm getting caught up in times and temps that guys in YT talk about and when I see the targeted 203-205 internal I'm pulling out even though it may not be ready for another hour or 2.

I do know that every piece of pork and even the beef brisket worked fabulously. I've done 6 chuck roasts and 2 were good.... I'm starting to think that pork ribs and pork shoulders are easier to score a win with than beef?

I never go off time. Only internal temperature
It saves you a lot of headache

 

[Holysmoker]

I talked to my buddy who is a lifetime butcher and recreational smoker, he says that I got one great cut of beef from one cow and one crappy piece from another cow.... that's the best he could offer. But he also thinks I should put the temp prices away and go buy feel. If it hasn't yet broken down the material to where it's starting to fall apart, keep going.

I think I'm getting caught up in times and temps that guys in YT talk about and when I see the targeted 203-205 internal I'm pulling out even though it may not be ready for another hour or 2.

I do know that every piece of pork and even the beef brisket worked fabulously. I've done 6 chuck roasts and 2 were good.... I'm starting to think that pork ribs and pork shoulders are easier to score a win with than beef?

I have smoked very few chucks, but your butcher's comment as to quality of the cuts probably indicates the poorer cut may have had less moisture to release to get through the stall. I suggest monitoring the chucks at 150°F and if one is not moving through the stall then crutch it like a brisket and add a cup of beef broth made from any trimmings you had. It might be losing all of its moisture before continuing past the 150°F - 160°F stall like a choice brisket does sometimes.

 

[Holysmoker]

I tried the Royal Oak charcoal pellets in my Laredo 1000 Platinum. The auger was struggling to keep them moving and the jamming could be easily heard from outside the grill. I let it run long enough to get some in the fire box but the crunching sounds og the auger forcing them through was too much for me and I pulled them out of the bin and from the auger, using a vacuum to pull them out of the fire box before ignition while constantly manually feeding (easier to pass with hopper empty at auger feed). The edges of the ROCPs are more sharp edged and the edge more hard/brittle than Pit Boss pellets. Maybe tumbling them in a barrel for a half hour would ease the hard edges?

 

[txflytyer]

So i began this cook at 2am this morning for my local bars Christmas party. Different folks are bringing in food.

So i bought 2 packs of 2. Both from the same store, same prep, same cook at the same time in the same grill.

I took it to around 160-165 (about 5 hours) at 200 degrees cook temp and then foil covered it in foil pans that it cooked in from the beginning (open top to 160) so that it was collecting all of the juices. This covered cook went to 250 degrees. This went on until 10:30am. So both got into the low 200's internal, but one was nasty and could barely pull meat apart. The other, I could barely lift without it falling apart. So i ended up tossing 6 lbs of chuck into the trash and pulled the other. It was like the grain on the pan was still fully integral with the fat and binding, even though I'm at 203-208 degrees. My wife said to stop measuring internal temp and just keep on going by using my hands to check pull ability.... but every video I watch talks about the 200-205 finish. Should i have just kept it going until it eventually broke that down?

What happened? What did I do wrong?

Should have just listened to your wife

 

[Steve In Pa]

Should have just listened to your wife

I still need a lot more experience but in the past year I’ve learned a bit about that feel concept. Just did a couple briskets over the weekend. True, I use a temp probe and it told me brisket one was probably done. Backing that up was a squish test. Using my insulated gloves I squeezed that brisket and it “squished” just right. Squeezing the other, that the temp probe said it was 185F internal, it was much firmer. So it didn’t past the squish test.. A few hours later it was acceptably squishable.

 

[BigO58]

I tried the Royal Oak charcoal pellets in my Laredo 1000 Platinum. The auger was struggling to keep them moving and the jamming could be easily heard from outside the grill. I let it run long enough to get some in the fire box but the crunching sounds og the auger forcing them through was too much for me and I pulled them out of the bin and from the auger, using a vacuum to pull them out of the fire box before ignition while constantly manually feeding (easier to pass with hopper empty at auger feed). The edges of the ROCPs are more sharp edged and the edge more hard/brittle than Pit Boss pellets. Maybe tumbling them in a barrel for a half hour would ease the hard edges?

Not sure about tumbling, but I read somewhere to mix them with your choice of wood pellets in a certain percentage (50/50, 60/40, etc). Experiment until you get the mix that works for you. Maybe that will help. I bought some charcoal pellets to try out to see what sort of difference they make in the smoke. I’ll need to try that & report back one day. It’s pretty cold in KY right now so it’ll have to wait for warmer temps!

 

[larry0071]

Okay... I'm back to pork shoulder butts. 15 lbs between the pair of Costco butts. Why is one dragging behind the other?

I've now lowered my cook temp to 200 to try and hold still the more hot 195 degree one, while I drag the 185 one up to meet its buddy at 195-200 before I push the cook temp back to 225 and get my finish 205 internal.

But I've swapped left to right, front to back, and I'm always dragging this one behind by 10-15 degrees. Should i be mad? Does this just happen and I need to get over it?

 

[larry0071]

We got the first one done around 3:30pm and rested 30 min, pulled and ate it. Now the second one is close enough that I'm pulling it. I've got both proves in it in different areas. I'm going to rest, pull and vacuum pack this one for another day.

The pictures of meat is from the first one.

 

[Jimsmokes]

Every chunk is different and trying to get them all finish at the same time just don't happen. It's easier to hold the early ones.