TEMPERATURES

[Gary]

I have smoked a long time on a Weber Smokey Mountain and I never used a smoke temperature of 180 or185. Is there something different with the Traeger? Lot of the recipes call for the lower temps for an extended period of time.

 

[corrado1]

The lower temperature/longer cook time is for the wood flavor. The lower the temperature and the longer the cook time is the more smoke flavor you achieve.

 

[Gary]

But you also risk bacteria growth at this low temperature. I can see maybe an hour but much longer is an invitation for problems.
What is the 40 140 Rule?
The 40 140 rule is an easy to remember rule for food safety temperatures. 40°F is the internal meat temperature when the cooking begins. This is the point where food is removed from the refrigerator at a safe temperature that it was stored at. 140°F is the internal temperature that meat must meet within 4 hours. It’s just as important that temperatures are maintained in reverse when storing food. Food needs to go from 140°F to the lower 40°F within 2 hours of refrigeration.