No Smoke Ring?


 
T

Travis E

New member
OK, so, I started a brisket smoking this morning around 5:30 AM (see the thread of my struggles here: http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/...80069052/m/697109207 ).

I just removed it from the smoker at 1:45 PM to put it in aluminum foil with my wrapping mixture. As I was working with it, I went ahead and cut off the very end tip just to sample the half-way results, and was very disheartened to find that there was no smoke ring
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I'm wondering if someone could help me out by telling me what I may have done wrong? I figured 8 hours of smoke time would have been plenty to get a nice pink ring, but I didn't see it.

1) I started with the Minion method as described in my first thread.

2) I buried smoke wood inside the unlit charcoal and also added smoke wood on top of the lit coals at the same time as I put the brisket on the smoker.

3) I used mainly oak and a little dash of hickory (just because I had it laying around). All in all, there had to have been at least the equivalent of at least 7 or 8 fist-sized chunks of oak in there in addition to 1 fist sized chunk of hickory.

Help please? I'd like to do better next time.

Thanks in advance!
 
Travis, only thing I can say is, hope your brisket finishes moist and tasty. The good thing is that the smoke ring is pretty cosmetic. There has got to be an explanation out there but mine would only be guesses. I wonder if the fact that you took only the tip off, there might not be a smoke ring further into the brisket. You must let us know and send pics when you slice her.

Mark
 
Thanks for the help. It means a lot that seasoned veterans around here are willing to take the time to review these questions.

I'll post again when the final results are in. On the bright side, the tip was moist, but it did need a little extra seasoning I thought. I can't wait to see what the end result produces.

The beauty of all this is that even the screw ups on the smoker are still pretty darn good.
 
Colder meat on a colder smoker usually produces a better smoke ring.

If room temp meat goes onto a smoker already at cooking temp, smoke ring is usually less.

Of course, you could sprinkle on a little Morton Tender Quick and get a perfect smoke ring every time.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The beauty of all this is that even the screw ups on the smoker are still pretty darn good. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, it's a beautiful thing...
I don't get much of a smoke ring myself. As stated above, the ring is really only cosmetic (but we do like to see it anyway. Don't we?) It's a combination of nitrates and moisture in the meat (if I remember correctly). Briquettes have a tiny bit of nitrates, so using Kingsford will help to give you a ring. I use mostly lump, so I get very little ring as well. Just concentrate on flavor and tenderness and don't worry about no stinkin' ring.
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Cheers!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TravisH:
Colder meat on a colder smoker usually produces a better smoke ring.

time.
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</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
All in all that is true, however with the length of cooking time declared by the poster, a suitable smoke ring should be evident.

Mark
 
Well, it finished moist and tasty. I'll have to tweak the flavor a bit in my next few go-rounds. I'll definitely inject next time.

I'm wondering if maybe the smoke ring didn't show up because I didn't trim enough fat off? I dunno... I'm really bothered by that. I thought the smoke ring indicated smoke penetration; I didn't think it was just cosmetic. I hope I'm wrong, because that would make me feel better about this
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*EDIT: Might this have anything to do with the thick white smoke that comes out of the cooker right when the smoke wood is added? After doing a little Googling on this black tar goop buildup inside the smoker itself, I'm wondering if I'm not using the smoke wood properly.
 
The length of cooking time is fairly immaterial. Smokering formation happens early on.

Smokering formation is a chemical reaction between volatiles in the smoke and the meat's surface. It quits after the mid-100s are achieved so that's why cold meat in a cold smoker tends to produce better rings.

Smokerings have nothing to do with smoke 'penetration' - smoke does not penetrate regardless, despite what you read on the Net. Smokerings are cosmetic.

As to your question, Travis: maybe. It would depend on the volatiles present.

I am not a fan of large ("fist-sized") chunks of wood myself. I like using smaller pieces because combustion tends to be better. (I chop fist-sized in to 5 or 6 pieces, and use 8-10 of them.) I also don't bury much wood - maybe a piece or two slightly buried. The wood goes on top, the lit gets spread over this. Wood ignition happens in short order. Just a thought.
 
Originally posted by K Kruger:
The length of cooking time is fairly immaterial. Smokering formation happens early on.

Smokering formation is a chemical reaction between volatiles in the smoke and the meat's surface. It quits after the mid-100s are achieved so that's why cold meat in a cold smoker tends to produce better rings.
QUOTE]

Hmmmm, so length of cooking,(smoking) time might actually be a factor, otherwise why put meat in the smoker cold to allow more time until the mid 100s is reached. Travis states that he foiled the brisket at about 8 hrs cooking time, no mention of meat temp at that time but sufice it to say that the meat was in the smoker for a good while. How long did it take to get to 140 at the cooking temp of low 200's that Travis cooked at. I would venture to guess quite a few hrs.

Travis states that he thinks the lack of smoke ring might have been caused by a lack of trim. I generally trim very little of a brisket except for the hard fat and can't remember not getting a smoke ring. Cosmetics, true, but just as the fair maiden wants to look her best, so the brisket feels pride in a nice smoke ring.

Mark
Click to expand...
 
Okay. Good point. I misspoke. Or maybe not. To clarify: Cook length matters little. Time, early on, before the brisket heats up much is the operative issue (along with smoke presence of course).

Internal temp is not at all a factor. Surface temp is the issue. And for the surface to get to 140 and above, the time is not long - especially if the meat is at room temp and is not placed into the cooker till the cooker comes up to temp.

Lack of trim isn't germane. The lean side has enough meat exposed to foster a ring. I rarely trim briskets at all.

Yes, cosmetic. But I like rings too.
 
Excelent point, surface temp vs internal temp. Dang, you learn something new every day. Can't wait for tommorrow.

Mark
 
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