BLACK LOOKING RIVS...cause/effect

[MICHAEL ADAMSKI]

Q: Its been quite a while since my RIVS(ribs) came out looking black. What may have caused this..new seasoned smoker?, temp spikes? or wood soaked too long in H2O? Little help...
I'm thinking one too many temp spikes over 155
Any help you care to lend is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Mike Draper]

Baby backs or spares? What was your method, and how long did you cook em?
I don't ever soak my wood chunks....so can't comment there.

 

[Al Silverman]

Do you have a lot of sugar in your rub? If you do and your temps got to high, it will burn and you'll have blackened ribs.

Al

 

[tjkoko]

Sugar is easily carmelized and burned.

 

[David Lohrentz]

Did you shut down your top vent during the cook?

Sugar burns at around 350 degrees, so if you ran hotter than that, you might have turned them black.

 

[Jimbo B]

155C is 311F. Spikes in the 310-350 range (I'd use 30F at least as margin of error for true temp at the meat vs grate/lid temp) for long enough will do it. Sugar in rub = burned. I would try to not exceed 138C in the future.

"Definition: Caramel stage refers to a specific temperature range when cooking sugar syrups. Caramel stage occurs at 320-350 degrees F and can be determined visually because the sugar will progress from a light golden color (315-320 degrees) to a golden brown caramel (350 degrees). If the temperature gets higher than 350 degrees, the sugar will burn, turn very dark, and have a distinctive, unpleasant burnt taste. Sugar burns quickly in the upper temperature range, so work quickly and do not neglect your boiling syrup."

 

[MICHAEL ADAMSKI]

Thanks for the feedback..I think I got too fancy with soaking the wood and not watching the smoker more closely. Next practice run will include dry wood chunks and the Polders set on alarm....Thanks again