Foiling question..............don't shoot me!

[Joe - theqguy]

How many of you foil based on the color of your meat as opposed to the cooking time? I've read arguments for both and would appreciate your opinions. Sorry if this isn't the right place for my topic. Thank you for any input or tips. J-diddy

 

[Dave_B]

I do not foil based on color. I foil based on time (target/eating time) and temp.

Essentially I use it to speed up a cook, if needed. I don't always foil.

 

[Jennifer]

If you want to foil, then I guess a rule would be that your bark has set before you do it. You can test to see if the bark has set with the fingernail scratch test.

I usually foil pork butt, beef shoulder, brisket at around 170F internal temp. It depends on how thick and how dark you want your bark. You could do at at say 180-185F instead. I know some people don't like to foil at all, and have a thick dark bark. I've done it this way and like it, but I still prefer it foiled at least some of the time, so it braises.

 

[Dave Russell]

If you want to foil, then I guess a rule would be that your bark has set before you do it. You can test to see if the bark has set with the fingernail scratch test.

I usually foil pork butt, beef shoulder, brisket at around 170F internal temp. It depends on how thick and how dark you want your bark. You could do at at say 180-185F instead. I know some people don't like to foil at all, and have a thick dark bark. I've done it this way and like it, but I still prefer it foiled at least some of the time, so it braises.

Good foiling suggestions, Jennifer, but let me tell ya. Contrary to what a lot of folks think, you don't necessarily have to get a "thick dark bark" when you cook without foil.

 

[Tony R]

I foil based on how the ribs look. In my experience it's usually at the 2 hour and 30 min mark. I know how my wsm behaves and kind of know how my ribs will look by a certain time

 

[Jennifer]

Good foiling suggestions, Jennifer, but let me tell ya. Contrary to what a lot of folks think, you don't necessarily have to get a "thick dark bark" when you cook without foil.

Thanks. Maybe you can tell me more about how to cook with no foil. Do you spray with water or use a mop?

Btw, I don't foil my ribs at all, no mop, no spritzing and they turn out just great

 

[Dave Russell]

Thanks. Maybe you can tell me more about how to cook with no foil. Do you spray with water or use a mop?

Btw, I don't foil my ribs at all, no mop, no spritzing and they turn out just great

Sounds to me like you don't need any help! It's the same with butts. You're cooking big chunks of meat in a smoker that holds decent humidity, water in the pan or not, but my philosophy is just this. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't cook too slow so long, or too fast for too long that the outside starts to overcook or turn to jerky before the fat starts to get rendering really good and it starts getting close to tender. For me, butts can go from a little under 225 to 275-ish. I like 250-300 for brisket, but I wrap it, just with butcher paper. I like my rubs to have gotten sweaty and wet before putting the meat on the cooker. That's pretty much it, and a lot of temp decisions are made simply for scheduling the cook.