Bark


 
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pat bridgford

New member
I am newby, so please excuse a dumb question, but here goes. I have a WSM. I am having trouble getting a nice bark. I have used a mustard slather with rub, oil with rub, sugar in my rub and just the rub. I have also tried a dry water pan with the foil balls, but had an awful time controlling the temp. If I use water I can control the temp. I use the minion method with lump. Please help.
 
If that is lid temp it's too low for what I would consider nice bark. Bump thetemps up 25-35 degrees.

Again, what is nice bark to you?
 
I may or may not be good help but I can tell you only what i do, and I think the bark is good. I too prefer a nice bark, and others not. Both are awfully tasty. I just simply rub liberally (or not so much.. depending on rub ingredients) the meat w/ the rub of choice which is often these days the Texas BBQ brisket #2 blend, (fast and convenient, these days thats a good thing) and just let it sit till cooker is preheated and cleaned off, and then cook/smoke away all day (sometimes night) and anywhere from 235-260 degrees, hopefully no more or no less, even though I don't feel that it would hurt anything. Not ussually using mustard or anything at all unless the meat is borderline/partially frozen, or something unussuall like that. Ussually if its a healthy decently marbled packer (not flat) most importantly I don't foil. Foil is a great tool but since your talking bark, thats a big part of it.. no foil. "good bark" to you may be a bit different to you but I can attempt to describe it for you and hopefully help you further and give you something to think about. To me its pretty good bark cooking this way. Its kind of like when slicing w/ a knife, it takes 2 good strokes to break the crust/bark and then easily cuts the flat portion w/ the next stroke. Very firm, dark colored.. somewhat resembles coal I guess although not quite that dark, smokey. Hope I at least helped some. The amount of rub used may affect formation.. not sure but Kevin would know. I tried basting a time or two and that really disrupts the formation (in my opinion) esp. if basting begins BEFORE 3-5 hours of cooking. I cant prove this but without overanalyzing it, or getting to carried away, this absolutely was the case for me. It did NOT help the bark at all, no doubt. A lot of pork Butt/shoulder recipies call for a baste and some are good! but Im NOT a brisket baster... (and actually Im not a fan of basting pork butt either 80% of the time). Hope I did some good, sorry its nothing special and sorry I don't have any technical stuff to say..
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just rub it and cook it..? not sure.
 
He did (see the OP).

At 225 the meat's surface temps are not high enough where water-to-steam conversion is taking place with any confidence. Caramelization will not occur until enough water is lost at the surface.
 
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