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BARK

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Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Everytime I smoke a butt, I am not getting any bark. I cook low and slow. Can anyone help me figure out what I am doing wrong?
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Comments

  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    Temps?
    Times?
    Internal Temps?
    Rubs?
    Pictures?
    Your cooking on an Egg?
    Cold beer helps too :laugh:
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  • Essex County
    Essex County Posts: 991
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    Hmmm....I always get bark. I slather with mustard, apply rub and smoke away at about 250. Are you, by any chance, putting a water pan in the egg?
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    No water. I rub and let sit overnight. Cook 250 to 275 for around 6 hours, use a combination of wet and dry hickory chips, but again no bark
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    :ohmy: :ermm: Steamed? :pinch:
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Are you saying use water?
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    With a 7-8# butt won't be 195 with those temps and times. Unless your dome thermometer is off and your actually cooking at 300-325+.

    Calibrate that thermometer (in boiling water) and smoke at 250 for 1 1/2-2 hours a pound. Ribs can be done in 6 hrs but not a sizeable butt. Not without extreme measures.
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    Nope....no water. I and most NEVER put water in the egg.
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Any ideas? Different wood chips, rub, temp, etc?
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    6 hours is nowhere near done, unless you are cooking a 3 pound butt. You don't need to put the rub on over night. I have cooked many a butt where the rub was applied just before the butt went in the Egg.

    How about you tell us more about your setup, how big the butt was, what was the internal temp of the butt, etc..

    Even with water in the drip pan you'll get bark.
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    250 dome, dry wood chunks, I prep w/mustard and a rub (Bad Byrons "Butt Rub" or One of Dizzy Pigs rubs) Then onto a stable egg for 12-16 hours. Till it hits 195-200 internal temp. I have a good supply of Apple, so thats all I use.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    i get more bark when i rub,work in a mustard slather, cover with more rub. ;) i use the dizzy pig coarse grind for the first rub in. and a different one for the second rub in. it looks like a black meteor when done :laugh:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    6 hours isnt right unless that dome gage is off, even a small butt needs more time. ;)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
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    He's done thousands of pounds of butts. Maybe more :ohmy: Actually he could show you the ropes at one of his cooks in August. I think he will be feeding about 2500 over 2 cooks. He could use an extra set of hands/forks/eggs. Wish I was closer
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Regular yellow mustard? Do I ever put foil on the butt?
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    people foil sometimes to avoid too much bark, dont foil, plain ole frenches yellow mustard or the cheapest yellow store bought you can find. a 7 to 8 pound butt takes about 14 hours plus or minus. you want to cook them in that size range.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    i also cook on a raised grate closer to the dome over either a pizza stone or drip pan, no platesetter and i trim most of the fat off the butt as it yeilds better bark that way, if you leave the fat on, the bark attaches to fat which gets discarded. ill leave just a little fat on and put the fat on the bottom, i like to pick tha fat of the grill and eat it with the dog while the butts resting. :laugh:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    THANKS!
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  • Essex County
    Essex County Posts: 991
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    I'll bet the dog doesn't get much! You must be the only guy who does butts direct. I've done ribs direct with good results but if I did the butt like that, I'd mess up and get one that even tastes like a meteor.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    ribs all the time, but butts just once direct just to see, didnt use mustard and not much bark considering it was a direct cook.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    I just have a drip pan beneath. I can usually tell when the butt is 3/4 done, 'cause the drippings begin to sizzle and dry out. Then I put just and ounce or two of water in to keep the fat in the pan from burning.
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  • Misippi Egger
    Misippi Egger Posts: 5,095
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    Essex,

    He said he uses a drip pan pr pizza stone. Those create an indirect cook. He just prefers not to use the platesetter.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,776
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    thats how i usually cook them, but this one here was a driect cook
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=507801&catid=1
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Bob V
    Bob V Posts: 195
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    Read through the rest of the replies, and no one asked this question: what temp are you cooking to? If you are cooking at 250-275 and pull at six hours, your average-sized butt probably isn't even at 160.

    Most people cook their butts to 195-200 before they pull them. Then foil them and sit them in a cooler for an hour or two to let the juices re-distribute.

    If you do try one to 200, expect a very long "plateau" around 160. It will hang there for what seems a worrisome amount of time the first times you do them. No worries, though. Just search for "plateau phase" or "collagen break" here on the forum and you will see technical explanations for why it happens.

    Bob V
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Mop during the process or smoke and rub only?
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