Like most of you, I've done experiments and found that 225 increases only one thing: cook time. Nothing I've ever done, regardless of the cut, has been noticeably better tasting at 225 vs 250-275, and in fact many things benefit from the slightly higher temp in terms of bark. Certainly nothing wrong with 225 if that's what you prefer, and you have the time, but I feel that the "225 as the magic temp" myth has been pretty thoroughly debunked. My only advice is that the proof is in the results: chances are none of us are going to dramatically change our techniques based on something we read on the internet, so just go ahead and try it. You're certainly not going to ruin anything at 275, and you might find you like it. If you don't, it's only cost you that one afternoon and now you know. We can talk all day about it but really the best thing is to go out and do it. I have and found that 250-275 is fantastic. Go out and cook!
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In the case of larger cuts that you want to take to a high temp (ie. pork shoulder or brisket), can be several hours. Obviously depends on a lot of factors but generally speaking there is extremely little or no down side to cooking slightly hotter, and indeed can have upsides.Comment
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I cook at 250, just because that's where the Weber/SnS likes to run. I can do 225, but I end up fiddling with the vents whereas at 250 it just locks in and I can just let it rock 'n' roll. Sometimes it's as much about how the cooker works as it is precise temp control, heck your oven probably has 50 degree swings around its set point. AsErnest said, relax and enjoy the cook.Comment
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I'm over it the 225 thing, 275 is for me now I've switched. I'll bet anyone a case of bud Lite you cannot tell the difference in taste, texture, or juiciness. Doing 5 slabs baby backs Sunday, 275. I did about 20 BBQ competition cooks, at 225. Fighting to maintain that temp. After I quit doing competition. I went to 275. I believe I have much better results. Do you really want to watch that pit all day?Comment
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Bark is a myth. There I said it. HAHAHAComment
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And there it is.Originally posted by Meathead View Post
YOU may cook at whatever temp YOU feel works best for YOU,,,but the first goal is fire control. And some of those seem harder to hit than others...but that's ok, it's part of the learning curve. Once one can consistently nail a specific temp, one can do all sorts of things with any number of temp variations(pit & ambient)...and understand WHY some things work and why some aren't ideal.
As a photographer that started with film back in the dark ages...I had to fully understand the relationship between apertures, shutter speeds, and film speeds. (My first "real" camera didn't even have a built in meter.) Then I had to understand different developing chemicals and how different times & temps affected the outcome of the processed film. And then finally I had to learn different paper types, and the chemicals, times, & temps for that process.
Once I had the basics down and could control the outcome consistently...based a given standard, I was able to go off on many directions...knowing full well what the probable outcome would be. Without having a benchmark I would have been chasing far too many variables to claim consistency.
225 is still my goal on the WSCG. Not because I think it's "better" because it turns out some mighty fine stuff running a little hotter. But because I know the old WSM could hit that...and this beast should be able to run circles around that one... So while it's currently an exercise in frustration...I'm confident that it's just a matter of loading, lighting, and hitting the correct temp on the upswing with the vents. But to me anyway, the process is part of the fun.Comment
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Oh, and I do love the WSCG...it's a kettle on steroids...and I'm still trying to master it. I was looking to purchase another grill when Weber brought this out. I stopped in my tracks. One of the downsides to the BGE for me is that I tend to move every few years...so the weight of that beast would be a challenge. A friend that has one has had it in the same spot for years. Anyway, I hummed & hawed for quite a long time before I pulled the trigger on that one. Not the end all be all, but solid. -
I’m envious. We moved out of our condo and bought a house just before the WSCG was announced. I was so excited to have a charcoal cooker I literally went out and bought a Performer Deluxe as soon as we signed the papers. While it’s no WSCG, it’s easily one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. The WSM would be a close second. (I’m not counting that ring I bought all those years ago, lol.)
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"but the first goal is fire control. And some of those seem harder to hit than others...but that's ok, it's part of the learning curve"
Learning curves need to have a purpose though, not just be stumbling blocks. If it's very hard to maintain 225F but much easer to maintain, say, 275F *and* the results are the same or very close to the same *and* cooks at 275 are shorter (so doable for more people)... then why insist on 225?
I don't cook to impress people with my ability to maintain a fire for 14 hours at some temp. I cook to make really good food. As for learning to maintain a temp... again, there's nothing magic about being able to maintain at any one temp. The key is to maintain a consistent temp... 225, 250, 275.Last edited by rickgregory; December 23, 2019, 09:47 PM.Comment
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Well put, rickgregory . Maybe we can go one step further, and say the key is to make tasty food. Maybe consistency is also over-rated? 🤷ðŸ»â€â™‚ï¸
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Well, pellet heads still like 225 at least for a few hours as there is a noticeable drop off in smoke above that. SOmeone says the wood "burns cleaner" and that is does. So I like to do a couple hours at 220-225 and then bump to 260-270 range. When I am tossing chunks of wood on charcoal then the 265 target is from the get go. I hardly ever smoke on the gasser. Can't even get a kamado down to 225 very well... so 275 it isComment
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I’m going to cook some ribeyes on my Treager using reverse sear. I feel that I’d like to increase the smoke flavor, so I was thinking of starting below 225. What would be the lower limit to safely cook at so as to maximize smoke flavor. I’m thinking 200. What do you all think?Comment
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On a pellet grill 180-200 is good thing for an hour or three to get better smoke. I have strips reversing right now on the MAK at 225, but normally I’d be using 200 or the smoke setting. I just want them done faster since I started dinner late. For my charcoal grill doing bbq, I prefer 260-275 for cleaner smoke. The WSCG is too efficient and I think it gets dirty smoke at 225 from how choked down the airflow is.
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I do like 225, for a few reasons. For one thing, the temp doesn’t rise as much during the rest so you can take things off when they seem done and they don’t gain as much. In my early days with a COS doing ribs I would do the same thing every time and get cooks from 5 to 6 hours, so I just planned ahead in case it took 6 and planned to wrap & keep warm if it took 5.
I’m getting more used to higher temps as my Big Poppa just won’t run low, and I’ve been reading an learning from y’all but I still like 225 if my rig will do it.Comment
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My stickburner likes to run between 250-275°F…so that’s where I run it. Don’t notice any "side effects" with the hotter temp other than it cooks faster.
I DO notice a difference above 275°, especially with pork shoulder. The fat doesn’t render quite as nicely above 275 and it gets a little hard to pull.Comment
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Fact: Heat causes muscle fibers to contract and squeeze out moisture.
Fact: It takes time to render fat and melt collagen.
Fact: High temps can burn things like spices and herbs and sugar.
Fact: Some grills/smokers don't like 225.
Fact: Some skilled cooks can make great food at other temps. I that is you, go for it.
Fact: There will always be fads and trends.
Fact: Controlling temp on most grills and smokers (without thermostats) is tricky. So I have always preached that if you master three temps: 225 and 325 in the indirect zone, and Warp 10 (Give er all she's got Scotty) in the infrared direct zone, you can cook just about everything.
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rickgregory The secret is to boil first, then microwave on high to set the bark. 😂
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I recently smoked some fish at the lowest (175 ish) setting on my MAK pellet. It took a long time, but was the best most moist I’d ever done, I normally used 250°.Comment
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One more: Fact: Higher temps dry out the surface faster. This can produce better bark and bust through the stall.Comment
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I look at it like this.. .can you make great 'que at 225? Absolutely. But does anyone want to go tell Aaron Franklin that he's doing it wrong by running around 275? I doubt it.
It seems to me that you can make great BBQ at almost anywhere in the 200s. So people should do what they like and what their cooker seems to like, but it's counterproductive to tout any specific temp as the one and only.Comment
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Sure. My point isn't that you're wrong... but that there is no One Correct Way.
After all, you have a specific cooker too. As do I and everyone else here (well, a lot of people seem to have MANY specific cookers :P )
I think we're agreeing... but I see a lot of new folks here who talk about 225F as if it's the One True Temp and I think that's a damaging myth, esp for those of us who have cookers that don't like 225 but setting in at 250-275.Last edited by rickgregory; December 5, 2021, 01:33 PM. -
TO quickly finish that last point - I'd hate to see people worry about screwing up, say, a brisket because they have a hard time getting a cooker stable at 225 or to have them sweat over it and feel they're bad cooks because they can only get a cooker to run at 250 or whatever.
The proof is in the food and as many of us have posted, we get good results, justas good as at 225, at different temps in the 200s, where almost any cooker will run.
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