On Sun, 7 Feb 2010 01:31:08 -0800 (PST), tutall >
wrote:

>>
>> I've done them at 350 with excellent results
>
>Didn't want to scare him.
>
>Barry, smaller cuts like ribs seem to do better at the lower temps,
>but big chunks of meat like butt or brisket? Not so much. Crank er up
>to whatever is easy on your cooker. On raw wood, mine runs hot, so I
>save raw wood for things that can:
>A. take a lot of smoke
>B. tale a lot of heat.
>
>Brisket and butts! And chix, don't forget the chix.
>
>

Sure, very logical if you think about it. The meat needs some time at
160 degrees for the collagen to break down. On a thin rib, it hits
and passes 160 very fast so you don't get the reaction needed if you
cook at a high temperature. With a butt with a cross section of 6" or
more, it takes a while for the heat to penetrate, for the fat to
render, so the collagen is breaking down for some time, much longer
than the thin strips.