Once again...Zero bark...Frustrated

Tbonez3858 · February 2018

blasting said:

Tbonez3858 said: I will dance around the egg in a chicken suit at this point

Please be sure to take a video of the chicken suit dance around the egg. That's a gif that could come in useful on a Friday night thread.

At this point good BBQ would be worth having an everlasting gif on the internet of me dancing around my BGE in a chicken suit...

Tbonez3858 · February 2018

R2Egg2Q said:

Are you spritzing or applying a mop? Are you adding liquid to wrap and if so how much? That butt looks like it either didn’t have enough rub, was wrapped too early, something diluted the rub/bark, or some combination.

Im not spritzing or using a mop. I apply a thin coat of mustard and then heavily coat the butt in rub. I measured out 3/4 cups of rub and then added sugar, powdered onion, powdered garlic and it came up to the very top of the measuring cup (well over a full cup). I rubbed the butt down with the entire cup with nothing left over. I would guess there was an 1/8 inch of rub covering the entire butt...

Im wondering if the rig and stone are allowing too much heat to get to the butt and causing excessive "sweating" hence causing my rub to run. The place setter covers MUCH more of the lump surface than my stone. My stone easily covers the butt but there are three to four inches of lump that isn't covered...

DoubleEgger · February 2018

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.

You said you were using a woo. A woo gets the cooking grid up to felt level. This pic doesn’t look like a woo is involved as the grid is much lower than the felt. Can you explain more about your setup?

ColtsFan · February 2018

This would be a great Friday troll thread

nolaegghead · February 2018

Are you located in the Bermuda Triangle?

Wolfpack · February 2018

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

lousubcap · February 2018

Following if only for the solution. This one defies logic if all the information is reasonably close to accurate. I think @nolaegghead may be on to the fundamental issue.

saluki2007 · February 2018

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.

JohnnyTarheel · February 2018

Is there a fellow egg er in your area? Where are you located?

fishlessman · February 2018

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

mlc2013 · February 2018

I use the woo with CGS platesetter and the but on the top rack closer to the lid without wrap dry drip pan low and slow with a hefty rub (butt rub) plus a little brown sugar added and use a cyberQ as well and put the rack temp gauge on the top rack close to the but not the outside of rack as the cgs platesetter is smaller then the BGE and Ive done the same rub method using the BGE Platesetter, platesetter feet up and stock rack same temp same time and I actually got a little better bark using the CGS setup. Now that could have been a little heavier hand on the rub and brown sugar as I dont measure I eyeball it. The reason I say this is to point out that the CGS rig works just as well as the BGE for me. Now I remove all the fat cap and never open lid till IT reads 185

fishlessman · February 2018

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?

mlc2013 · February 2018

^^ Ive only lit the lump from the top in 1 spot in the front right behind the vent door, so maybe the lighting has something to do with it as well. I bring egg up to 350 and let the smoke go blue then bring her back down to 225 and add wood when i add butt

mlc2013 · February 2018

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

DoubleEgger · February 2018

Quit the mustard and make sure you are using enough rub. Your butt should have a coating like these ribs.

slovelad · February 2018

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

Carolina Q · February 2018

Back to the amount of rub... I only have this one pic just after rubbing, long before I bought an egg. This is the amount of rub I have always used. Are you anywhere near this?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/bl/mh5s7dalblyf.jpg

Woodchunk · February 2018

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

Tbonez3858 · February 2018

fishlessman said:

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

Will do..Im going to skin the next one.

HoustonEgger · February 2018

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.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/hx/eeboig4j6g2h.jpg

Tbonez3858 · February 2018

Carolina Q said:

Back to the amount of rub... I only have this one pic just after rubbing, long before I bought an egg. This is the amount of rub I have always used. Are you anywhere near this?

I would say that looks a lot like my Shoulder before I put it on...I am not using the same amount of rub that some of these guys are that have it mounded up. I evenly coat mine with about an 1/8 inches. Im definitely not being shy with rub.

When I put it on the BGE it looks similar to the pic you posted. When I check it looks like the picture I posted at 185...Its as if something is sweating it off or causing it to run. I think it might be the fat cap.

OhioEgger · February 2018

Tbonez3858 said:

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.

gdenby · February 2018

I have to think your Egg needs an exorcism.

My method is really simple. Good 'ole Dizzy Dust, a good coat, but not an 1/8". Raised, dome 250 -275. No 'setter. A grill, and a grill raised up to the felt line. Indirect w. nothing more than some HD foil to keep the drippings from the coals.

If I want to get fancy, when I check to see if the IT is 190, and its almost done, I sprinkle on more brown sugar for crunch, and more fresh black pepper.

Attached, my 1st successful over nighter.

Foil is only there to collect any juices, and not loose anything since it was starting to disintegrate taking it of the grill. The little puddle on top on the left is where fat seeped out from the Thermopen poke. No fat trimming.

If you have a lot of fat, run the temp up to 350 towards the end. Won't burn the sugar, and the protein in the fat cells gets crisp.

distanceman · February 2018

@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?

GATraveller · February 2018

Carolina Q said:

Back to the amount of rub... I only have this one pic just after rubbing, long before I bought an egg. This is the amount of rub I have always used. Are you anywhere near this?

Flower pot?

pgprescott · February 2018

fishlessman said:

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

Carolina Q · February 2018

GATraveller said:
Flower pot?

Yep. Awesome smoker, as long as the weather's not too cold. Lousy grill though.

CarolinaQ · February 2018

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.

XC242 · February 2018

How’s the rest of the food you make on the egg turn out? Looking back at your posts it seems like you’ve really struggled with the egg. Maybe it’s time to get rid of it.

Theophan · February 2018

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.

Once again...Zero bark...Frustrated

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