Brisket internal temp dropping?

[BMStroh]

I’ve been fighting to hold 225 on my propane smoker today, between direct sun taking it too high and it simply blowing out and dropping to 180 before I happened to check the iGrill app, but I’m not sure how to explain one of the two halves of a brisket flat dropping from 145 to 133 while the other kept going to 161.

Still a way to go, but seems like this would be a bit quicker if the temp would increase vs decrease - holding steady at the stall for a while is something I expected, but I haven’t seen a drop before.

This make any any sense to anyone else? I’d appreciate any logical explanations, particularly if it’s something I can control or avoid.

Thanks!

[ecowper]

Did you move or relocate the hunks of meat or the probes in them?

[BMStroh]

Not before the temperature drop, no. I moved the brisket to one side later on in an effort to isolate the ambient probe a bit more while I was fighting temp, but haven’t touched the meat probes at all. It’s on the way back - up 4 degrees in 35-40 min, so I’ve got that going for me. Still a few degrees to go before it’s back to where it was 3 hours ago, but...

My ambient spikes appear to be a propane regulator issue - after too many hours of massive temperature swings, I shut every valve from the tank to the smoker and re-lit, and it’s been in a 10 degree band since...

Still worse ways to spend a Sunday, though.

[Jerod Broussard]

Nothing surprises me with water's ability to cool one's self, especially on the surface of meat.

The key with briskets and butts is to cook for bark, and leave the stall temps for a graph to view later and wow others.

If you are struggling to hold 225 I'd be willing to bet that piece got a "cool run of air" and the moisture took advantage, as it always does. (Darn you H₂O when your cooling properties are not to my advantage!!!)

[ecowper]

yeah, I think I agree with Jerod Broussard

[Ahumadora]

Crank it to 300f and see if it is steadier there. Come join the hot n fast club.