When to start smoking?

[HCT]

Is there an ideal temperature to start burning the bisquettes. Here's the scenario, I heat up the smoker to 210 degrees. The pork should is at room temp. and I place it in the smoker. The temp of the smoker drops to 150, maybe a few degrees lower. Do I start burning the bisquettes at this temp or do I wait until the smoker returns to 210 dgs. which takes a little while. In the past I started smoking as soon as I put the shoulder in, and it came out great. If I start at 210 will it come out better? TIA.
Mike

[Gizmo]

Smoke on as soon as the meat goes in unless you are drying the surface of the meat out before the smoke is applied.

[West Coast Kansan]

Giz, is on. Once the meat really starts to heat up and cooks on the outside it will absorb less smoke flavor.  Thus low and slow.  ;D sort of...  ;)

[CLAREGO]

i always apply this low and slow for at least the first 4 hours on most meats!!! unless of course you have smaller cuts

[begolf25]

Smoke on as soon as the meat goes in unless you are drying the surface of the meat out before the smoke is applied.

I usually have my smoke rolling before I add the meat. I am not sure if I am right or not but I believe at a certain temp. the meat no longer absorbs or accepts the smoke. I am pretty sure Habs knows this.

[Habanero Smoker]

I've look for an explanation in the past, and really could not find any thing definitive on this. Common thought is that when the outside surface of the meat reaches 140°F, smoke will not longer penetrate.

According to McGhee several things happen when the temperature goes beyond 140°F. Some things that occur between the temperatures of 140°F - 150°F are that the meat gets firmer, releases a lot of juices, and the connective tissue shrinks becoming very tough, and the protein fibers become more densely packed. So there may be something to this.

Smoke will continue to adhere to the surface, though as the surface temperature rises, the smokes capability to bond to the surface lessens.