What's your PERSONAL favorite cooking temp?

[Lantern]

Over the years my stomach has turned into a bit of a pansy when it comes to being able to deal with anything other than food cooked with an extremely clean burning fire. This has put all my charcoal and even lump charcoal burning cookers on the seldom used list and is what led me to giving pellets a try and settling on MAK. Now, not to say when I break out the brick Carolina pit or if I'm cooking on a decent stick burner that I can't get that clean taste as well, but it ain't like hitting a few buttons and I need time, room and preferably some good company for the others to be real fun.

I've noticed for no wrap cooks that 245 is about as perfect for me as I'm gonna get. The taste is great, my rubs and meat still shine through and there's no stomach troubles. Just fantastic looking food. I gave several temps a try. 235 was the start of where my stomach found its limit and 275 was where I felt the smoke started to be too light. Remember, these are straight cooks with no wrapping. If I were to start out low, wrap at a certain color and raise temps that opens up all sorts of variables.

So, what's your favorite temps for long no wrap smokes? Also, if you like to wrap and wanna shoot the breeze...LET HER RIP. I have no problems with my threads going way off topic.

[Pellet Smoker]

I like smoke. I usually run between 225 - 250. I also use a tube smoker.

[sliding_billy]

275 unwrapped, and then bump to 300-325 (if I need to) after I wrap.

[rwalters]

Great question!  I have pretty much settled on a Pellet Boss set temp of 210 for all of my low n slow cooking.  I know it's a really low temp, but I love the results!  Most of my cooks, unless large, are done on the upper grate.  The temp is about 15 degrees hotter up there... so things are really cooking at about 225.  I never wrap ribs and rarely wrap anything else for that matter.

[TMB]

RecTec pellet grill 225 - 235 for most cooks  + smoke tube
Home bult Pellet pooper  225 and up de[pends on what I'm cooking (no smoker tube needed) 

[FinsnFeathers]

I am all over the place......did ribs last night and was on smoke for about 3 hours. Then bumped up to 225.

For pork butts I like 215. For chicken wings, thighs and burgers 350 to 400.

The weather was so wet over this last Saturday that I had to pan fry some waygu ribeye inside.....but when I can I will put them in the MAK at 215. Take them off when internal temp. is around 125. Then crank it up and reverse sear. Looking forward to that!

[CDN Smoker]

225 to 250F is my normal range

[HighOnSmoke]

Most of the time I cook at 235. Doesn't matter which cooker I use, well except the Blackstone, I get the best results at that temp. For brisket and pork butt on my pellet grill I am sold on 215 unwrapped. For charcoal with brisket and pork butt it is 235 unwrapped and if I wrap I bump up the temp to 300.

[Lantern]

I'm loving how amazingly different our cooking temps and styles are!

[rwalters]

I'm loving how amazingly different our cooking temps and styles are!

Maybe this goes to show that it is neither the cooker nor the cooking temp... it is in fact the COOK that is responsible for the final results

[HighOnSmoke]

I'm loving how amazingly different our cooking temps and styles are!

Maybe this goes to show that it is neither the cooker nor the cooking temp... it is in fact the COOK that is responsible for the final results

You hit the nail on the head! Exactly our cookers are just tools of the trade!

[Roget]

I am typically a "low & slow" kind of guy, so my go to temp is around 220° -225°.
Since I got my pellet smoker I have started cooking more things a little hotter.

[Harriska2]

For pulled pork shoulder/butt I smoke for 2 hrs, then 230 for several, then might have to bump up to 250 if it takes more than 10 hours.  This is because I don’t tie it all together. For chicken breast I like 300-350. For pizza 375-400.  Don’t know for Salmon. Did 350 and it was rubber.

[smokeasaurus]

The MAK is usually set for 250 for long cooks.

On the offset I shoot for anywhere between 225-250.

I also got tired of the flavor of smoldering briquettes and wood chunks.

It is only straight wood these days......either pellets in a bag or splits from the blade of my axe.

[rwalters]

The MAK is usually set for 250 for long cooks.

On the offset I shoot for anywhere between 225-250.

I also got tired of the flavor of smoldering briquettes and wood chunks.

It is only straight wood these days......either pellets in a bag or splits from the blade of my axe.

Can’t remember how Tenthunter explained it... but there’s some advantage on the MAK to running at 245° vs 250°.  Something to do with the logic of the controller and the amount of smoke production. I believe you’ll get more smoke at 245°.  Tenthunter??