ash or grey coating on butts at finish


 
T

Tom Raveret

TVWBB Pro
do any of you notice after a long cook (overnight)like butts or brisket that at the end of the cook it looks like ther is a bit of grey possibly charcoal ash on your food?

I've noticed it on several occasions but its never affected the taste that I am aware of.

Ive noticed this with or without using an auotamtic temprature system but now that I use one much of the time I wonder since its directed down into the bowl (the same area that ash would be collecting) that could it be causing a bit of dust to come up into the air in the smoker and get onto the meat??

Has anyone else experienced this?
Has anyone else noticed this??
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom Raveret:
do any of you notice after a long cook (overnight)like butts or brisket that at the end of the cook it looks like ther is a bit of grey possibly charcoal ash on your food?

I've noticed it on several occasions but its never affected the taste that I am aware of.

Ive noticed this with or without using an auotamtic temprature system but now that I use one much of the time I wonder since its directed down into the bowl (the same area that ash would be collecting) that could it be causing a bit of dust to come up into the air in the smoker and get onto the meat??

Has anyone else experienced this?
Has anyone else noticed this?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

ABSOLUTELY!
 
I guess the next question is does anyone have any ideas about what one can do about it??

or since it's not noticibly affecting taste maybe I don't need to do anything. But the idea of ash on food just dosen't sound very palatable.

I think I remember this happening on some pre automatic temprature cooks as well.

I dont notice it as much on my shorter cooks that are only 5-6 hours but do on the overnighters.
 
It's part of the process in the WSM. Heat rises, as does some of the ash along with the heat going up and out the top vent. When you tap the legs/bowl to knock down the ash on a long cook, you'll get some ash floating up along with the heat. Some charcoal is worse than others, but it happens. No biggie in my book.
 
stirring coals and liquid hitting hot coals have been the worst causes of this IME (but I don't have an ATC)

I try to avoid stirring coals, and liquid hitting the coals hasn't been a problem since going waterless

I recall getting a huge ash plume one time from doing the 'hot squat'
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, the food was covered

edit: I should clarify that, I did the hot squat with water in the pan
 
I use a BBQ Guru for temp control on long cooks. Otherwise fill the waterpan. I don't notice any significant ash on the food. Only when I'm futzing a bit with the fire. AFA the Guru it really hasn't every created a problem blowing ash around.
 
I'm using Kingsford Blue and Rancher.

I'm using a Guru digiQ II and I don't stir the coals but on long cooks sometimes have to add some.

Bryan I think your rignt on..the ash goes up with the heat and dosent make it out the top vent and settles back on the meat.

I guess its no biggie Just wondering if someone had figured out a way to prevent it.
 
taht can happen with any pit. a good fix that i use to prevent that with my trailer rig is to lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the meat as a shield to the ash if i need to add coals or stir or muck with the hot ones at all. just lay it gently on top of the meat without tucking it or wrapping it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jon Merka:
taht can happen with any pit. a good fix that i use to prevent that with my trailer rig is to lay a sheet of aluminum foil on top of the meat as a shield to the ash if i need to add coals or stir or muck with the hot ones at all. just lay it gently on top of the meat without tucking it or wrapping it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

As a newbie I especially wonder about choices that might reduce this ash on food factor. I saw somewhere that the "new" charcoals with their particular kind of ash are particularly a problem. That is the kind I use. Would I have less floating-upward ash problems if I used K Bluebag or a good chunk charcoal?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tom Raveret:
I guess the next question is does anyone have any ideas about what one can do about it??

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You probably already know this, but use care when opening the lid. If you lift it straight up, it might create suction and pull a big cloud of ash right onto your food.

Instead, gently "crack" the lid on one side (tilting the lid), then slowly lift it off.
 
Oh yea, I get that some times. A few weeks ago I had the dried smoke residue flakes start falling down from the lid. Was building up for quite some time. So before next smoke I just washed it off the lid and chamber. Also since I only use the top grate, when ever I have to do anything with the coals (which is rare) I just lift the grate and meat out and set it aside until the ash has settled.
 
I tried Rancher and I had the same problem. It made a very light ash that got airborn easily if the coal bed was disturbed. I tried Kingsford Competition and liked it. No flying ash and a good long burn.
 
When I get grey ash on my pork butts, I just wet it down with a spray of apple juice and no one's the wiser.
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