Pork Help


 
K

K. Cooper

New member
Every time I smoke pork butt or ribs I end up with a bit of an ash flavor in the bark. I never get this flavor in brisket. My process begins with letting the lump charcoal slowly come up to temp and waiting an hour or more before putting any meat on. The water bowl is crossed foil lined, water added, then covered and sealed on top with another sheet of foil. Sorry this bowl is in the smoker the whole time the smoker is coming up to temp. Butt is injected with apple juice and then dry rubbed. Ribs just rubbed with the same rub that DOES have brown sugar. Read that the brown sugar could burn, I don't know if this is true. I've tried both apple and cherry wood separately but still get a bit of an ash flavor. I add wood chunks I do not start with wood chunks in the charcoal. About every hour or 1.5 hours I'll gently place a wood chunks on the lit coals. Any and all opinions welcome and thanks in advance for any help!
 
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If you're getting ash "flavour", I would guess:

1)too much wood being added over the course of the smoke (should be no more than 2-3 fist-size chunks in total) or
2)as gently as you may be putting them on "during" the smoke, you may be disrupting the coals themselves, thereby kicking up some ash (which is then carried upward by the draft).

Put the wood on while the smoker is coming up to to temp. Then LEAVE THEM ALONE ;) .
 
"The water bowl is crossed foil lined, water added, then covered and sealed on top with another sheet of foil "

If that's the case then you have a good chance of a boil over and dripping water on hot coals can have an ashy taste on your food.

Tim
 
timothy said:
f that's the case then you have a good chance of a boil over and dripping water on hot coals can have an ashy taste on your food
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This sounds just about right to me too. If it is boiling over, you should be able to hear it dripping onto your coals. You mentioned adding chunks of wood. That could be kicking up some ash...? One last guess: Are you opening your WSM slowly? Opening fast, can stir up the ash too
 
Yea ChuckO brings up a good point. Lifting the lid straight up, (quickly) causes a vacuum effect and pulls any flyaway ash on your food.
Better to crack it to one side and slowly lift it off. :wsm:

Tim
 
I'm simply repeating what others have shared but I, personally, add wood just prior to placing my meat and do not add any additional pieces. Using the minion method I place 8-12 well-lit coals (depending on variables) scattered on top of unlit, place a couple wood chunks so they touch the lit, and another piece or two just outside the lit perimeter. I have read that meat will not absorb smoke once it reaches 120*ish. I am no expert and I have read that others whom are much more experienced do bury some wood to burn later. Also; I currently do my smokes with a dry water pan (foiled) but when I did use water I did not seal it with foil on top. And, further, I rarely remove my lid until my meat reaches 160*ish (though I recognize you said nothing about removing your lid). Perhaps you could omit just one of these variables to see if it eliminates ash.
 
Thanks for the replies. I always take the lid off slowly and next time I will try no water in pan. I don't believe water is dripping down for two reasons. One is temp and the other is I have not noticed the water dripping down. If water was dripping down it would be easy to spot visually as well as the smell. Due to temp the water would be vapor if escaping the water bowl, which could be giving an off flavor. Again thanks to all who replied!
 
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