I've been opening my smoker way too much to check the meat

For years I thought I needed to peek every hour to make sure things were going okay. My brisket was always a bit dry, and I blamed the meat or the weather. Then I watched a video from a pitmaster in Austin who said 'if you're looking, you ain't cooking.' He explained that every time you open the lid, you drop the temp by like 50 degrees and it takes 15 minutes to recover, which really messes with the cook. I got a simple probe thermometer with a remote monitor for $40, and now I just leave it shut. The last pork shoulder I did was the juiciest one ever. How do you guys fight the urge to check on it?

3 comments

3 Comments

faithg262mo ago

That pitmaster saying is so true, it's like a rule to live by. I had the same exact problem with my ribs for the longest time. Getting a probe with a remote was a total game changer for me too. Did you find it hard to trust the probe at first? I kept second guessing the numbers and almost went back to peeking out of pure habit.

ninal912d ago

You ever read about how pitmasters say the meat will tell you when it's done, not the clock? That really stuck with me. I heard this one guy say that if you're poking the meat and it feels like butter, then it's ready no matter what the number says. That helped me trust my probe more, even when my brain was screaming "open the lid!" Now I just remind myself that the probe sees what I can't, and it's saved me from dry ribs more times than I can count.

luna_green2mo ago

Trust the probe" is a nice idea, but honestly, I still peek sometimes. Old habits, you know?