Once again...Zero bark...Frustrated

This would be a great Friday troll thread 

Definitely show us a picture of your butt with the rub applied. I suspect you need to go much heavier. 

I know you said you don't foil 60% of the time, yet all I can see in your picture is foil.  Foil = no bark.

saluki2007 said:

I know you said you don't foil 60% of the time, yet all I can see in your picture is foil.  Foil = no bark.

foil and no rub

when i lit the lump from the bottom, the butt was even lighter than this one, not sure if that had anything to do with it though.  ive never knowingly cooked a solution added one, maybe that could do it as well, more liquid steaming out?

^^ I use RW lump cant imagine the lump you use would affect it but who knows

MaskedMarvel said:

From what you’ve posted - the first thing that comes to
mind is: are you opening the lid a lot? Maybe that could be venting surface temps that could be  cooling the surface?

my bark is usually dramatic...

@MaskedMarvel unveil your secrets... that stuff is amazing 

Just guessing, if I covered butts in a full 1/8 inch layer of rub you would just wind up steaming like covering a fish in salt or at the most some burnt rub, no bark at all

Go heavier on the rub. I also rub my butts the night before and apply extra rub just before putting on the egg. And it looks like that butt was flipped? If so - don't touch it. Fat caps are fine, you can still get bark on those. 

Tbonez3858 said:

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 Its as if something is sweating it off or causing it to run. I think it might be the fat cap.

I always put mine on the grid with the fat cap on the bottom. If you're putting it on top that might explain things. I also trim the fat cap to no thicker than ¼" so that's a factor.

@Tbonez3858 curious do you have bark issues when doing a brisket? When you do ribs, are they a similar color as the butt? What kind of wood are you smoking with? 

fishlessman said:

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Tbonez3858 said:

jtcBoynton said:

Tbonez3858 said:

This is my current low and slow that I wrapped at 165. This is the "bark" I get regardless of rub and regardless if I wrap or not...Temp is currently at 183 and climbing. I have another three four hours to go with the wrap but its been smoking forever at 225-235 and there should be a ridiculous bark with the amount of rub and the sugar content when I wrapped at165.

Foil prevents bark, foil destroys bark, foil will foil your attempts to get bark.

Thick fat caps are not your friend when going for bark.  

Low temps in an egg are not your friend for getting good bark (aim for 275ºish).

Try a set up of indirect stone, air gapped drip pan (dry), grate, and then butt).

I dont recall ever smoking a butt without the fat cap so that could be one of my problems. I don't use foil about 60% of the time so I don't think that is my problem. I wonder if the fat cap is dripping all over the meat and preventing the bark. You've suggested trimming and one other forum member suggested the same so I will definitely give that a shot. I will dance around the egg in a chicken suit at this point if it gets me any resemblance of a bark LOL...

the fat cap, especially if on top, will melt,runnoff, and wash away the rub. cut it off, i cut it completely off

Here’s the fat cap from mine yesterday. Left about 1/4”. I can only assume he is cooking too low or with not enough smoke. Possibly it is the magic egg we have heard about? Bottom pic  is a couple hour sounds in and the top is about an hour from completion  

Some comments about it taking a long time. My guess is you need to check the temp inside your egg independent of the dome thermo. Could be cooking it too low and it’s not getting any carmelization.

Tbonez3858 said:

This is my current low and slow that I wrapped at 165....

First, STRONGLY agree with those above, do NOT wrap.  When you say you've tried not wrapping, do you mean you've let it stay in the smoke until it probes tender everywhere (which means the temperature will be close to or over 200°)?  Maybe you're actually smoking it less long than others who get more bark.

Second, I agree also that unless wrapping it took off a whole lotta rub, you have drastically less rub on than I've ever seen.  Maybe that's the issue -- a LOT more rub!

Third, take @SGH up on his offer of step-by-step how he does it, and try exactly what he does.  I'm always interested to hear how he does stuff!

Fourth, I can't help but wonder if there's something else that's different that maybe you don't realize is important and haven't mentioned.  How about next time take a photo of:

• the rubbed meat, so everyone can see how the amount of rub compares.
• the actual setup in the Egg without the meat, showing lump and smoke wood, and then 
• the actual setup with the meat showing how it's actually in the Egg to begin smoking.
• Bark at 165° because that temperature seems important to you (which makes me nervous!  Pork butts need to cook to tenderness, not temperature), AND
• Bark (still unwrapped!) whenever it probes very tender everywhere, so it's clearly done.

If others are getting butts and shoulders that are practically black in the same Big Green Egg, then it CANNOT be the Egg!  There has to be something different.  Don't give up until you find out what it is.