Brisket Bark Question

FearlessTheEggNoob

I am not very satisfied with the bark I have been getting with my current method. I do however like the flavor I'm getting from my zero sugar rub. I'm thinking about adding a layer of brown sugar to my next packer and possibly a spray bottle of apple juice to blacken things up. Would this change likely result in a drastic change in taste?

cheeaa

Beef doesnt like sugar. At least it doesnt with me. You can get great bark with no sugar. How are you cooking? 

FearlessTheEggNoob

275 running lump with post oak chunks

cheeaa

I dont know man. I cook about there and get some pretty good bark. Maybe more rub? You using a water pan or anything?

bgebrent

Don't wrap if you're wrapping. Unnecessary in my brief experience. 

FearlessTheEggNoob

No water pan, but I do paper wrap at 170

The Cen-Tex Smoker

You still in Austin? I'll be glad to cook one with you or at least set it up. I think I can probably help with the bark. 

nolaegghead

Paper arrests bark development. 

FearlessTheEggNoob

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

You still in Austin? I'll be glad to cook one with you or at least set it up. I think I can probably help with the bark. 

That's a real fine offer! Nothing more precious than a person's time. That is very generous.

Unfortunately I only get back to Austin a couple times a month now days. I couldn't ask nor allow anyone to give up their weekend for something as trivial as this.

Apparently nobody thinks that some brown or turbinado in the rub would do the trick without royally screwing things up.   ???

I can't give up wrapping. It's what I do. In fact, I have a theory that I want to test that involves a large rectangular aluminum pan, a roast rack, some pink butcher paper, and a bottle of scotch.

nolaegghead

A little sugar won't hurt.

fishlessman

i cover the brisket in half a bag  of white sugar, wrap in syran wrap 3 hours, scrape/wipe off the sugar, salt and pepper rub, and cook indirect til done, no wrap. lots of bark. but im a northern yankee

Nature Boy

I am not a fan of sugar on brisket. Not sure what you are looking for with your bark, but a higher starting temp is not a bad idea. Experimenting is the funnest part, especially when it involves brisket
Happy cookin'. Chris

1voyager

Salt and pepper only. No liquid in drip pan. Don't crutch. No sugar on beef.

blind99

Bark is mystical. I don't know the secret. But I've done brisket with just salt and pepper, plenty of oak smoke, and gotten meteorites. No wrapping.

FearlessTheEggNoob

Im going to give this packer i just bought a month to age. Then im going to attempt a sugar cookie brisket. It's going to be epic! Or horrible. 

Foghorn

You might try wrapping just a little later to let the bark develop a little more.  A smart person once told me that butcher paper arrests bark development.

SGH

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

I am not very satisfied with the bark I have been getting with my current method. 

Brother Noob, as I have already mentioned in another thread (Smoke Ring thread) beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With that said, what are you looking for in a bark? Something extremely dark and wet looking, or extremely dark yet drier looking? 
With the above questions asked, I will offer a visual guide:
Wet, dark bark.

Equally dark bark, but a tad "drier" in appearance. 

If either of the above is what you are shooting for, let me know and I will PM you the method to obtain either. 
Good luck in the future my barkless friend. 

FearlessTheEggNoob

Bark #2 is what I want...it's what every white boy off the lake wants.

Teefus

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

Bark #2 is what I want...it's what every white boy off the lake wants.

So the classic meteorite look?

FearlessTheEggNoob

Yep, a sooty looking hunk o meat. Got the taste I want. getting more consistent on the texture, I even manage a satisfactory smoke ring now. Just need to somehow push more black bark before the wrap.

Photo Egg

You will not get better bark by wrapping in paper @170.
Wrapping in paper or foil is mainly designed to slow down the bark and or speed up the cook.
Before you change up the rub that you know you like, run a brisket unwrapped to the end.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

You don't need sugar for bark. Start at a higher temp. I would say up to 300 until you get the bark you are after then wrap if that's your jam. I find myself wrapping less and less because my bark sets up a little slower in the cooker I use for briskets now. I only wrap if my bark gets to the color and texture I like. That happens much later in the cook for me these days. 

FearlessTheEggNoob

y'all are probably right, but...

fishlessman

the foil is just stopping bark formation AND softening any bark you have stop using it

KiterTodd

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

Bark #2 is what I want...it's what every white boy off the lake wants.

4Runner

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

No water pan, but I do paper wrap at 170

Forget the wrap.  I have tried it several times and we all prefer naked on the Egg.  We have hard crunchy bark on our Egg with nothing but S&P.  Rub is a non factor for us.  

Wolfie51sb

My wife commented on our most recent brisket that the bark was the best ever. I used 50 percent black pepper, 25 percent coarse kosher salt and 25 percent iodized (table) salt. Applied it liberally 4 hours before putting it on the Egg, then refrigerated. Cook was about 10.5 hours at a steady 260 degrees. No wrap. In fact, didn't even lift the lid of the Egg until the 10-hour mark. FWIW.

johnnygreengo12

SGH said:

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

I am not very satisfied with the bark I have been getting with my current method. 

Brother Noob, as I have already mentioned in another thread (Smoke Ring thread) beauty is in the eye of the beholder. With that said, what are you looking for in a bark? Something extremely dark and wet looking, or extremely dark yet drier looking? 
With the above questions asked, I will offer a visual guide:
Wet, dark bark.

Equally dark bark, but a tad "drier" in appearance. 

If either of the above is what you are shooting for, let me know and I will PM you the method to obtain either. 
Good luck in the future my barkless friend. 

I’d love to know how you got the results on the second. Any chance you share your method?

GATraveller

nolaegghead said:

Paper arrests bark development. 

Profiling is racist.

nolaegghead

GATraveller said:

nolaegghead said:

Paper arrests bark development. 

Profiling is racist.

I think you just profiled me as a profiler...that's racist, man!