How did I get a smoke ring on this brisket?

[Rider14]

4 hours of smoke with hickory pucks (and a couple cherry) at around 235F on my Auberin PID.

Not complaining, but I don't get why?

Also, this is the first time I used hickory pucks...

- Dan



What do you think?

[beefmann]

one of two ways, the  use of the woods or  the  use of a  curing agent

[Habanero Smoker]

Did you cook it the full time in the Bradley, or did you transfer it to a gas or propane oven unwrapped to finish?

If you didn't apply cure such as cure #1, or Morton's Tender Quick to the surface of the brisket, check your rub ingredients for celery powder.

If you have an infrared thermometer, check the temperature of you bisquette burner. It should read about 550°F; dead center, not any hotter.

One other thought, often salts labeled sea salts, contain a lot of other minerals. They are not pure salt, so it is possible that sea salts can contain traces of nitrates.

[Rider14]

No cures. Rub was pretty basic because daughter has limitations such as no garlic or onion.

Organic sugar, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, white pepper, cumin, mustard, and that may have been it. And I put on the rub about 20 minutes before moving the brisket to the smoker. Regular CHOICE brisket from Costco.

Cooked entire time in Bradley, hickory pucks with some cherry, wrapped at 165F with a splash of pineapple juice (daughter can't have apple juice) and cooked until 205F.

Smoker has the 900W heating element, used an Auberin PID at 235F. No other changes to smoker.

Odd, right? Not that I'm complaining. I'll cook another in a couple weeks and see what happens. I'll mix a new batch of rub as well.

[Habanero Smoker]

It is strange. When it comes to smoking and barbecuing things outside the norm can, and do happen.

I'm kind of envious of your smoke ring. :) I have a charcoal cooker that I can barely get a smoke ring, if one at all.

[Grouperman941]

I don't know the answer, but I had a similar effect on one of the pieces of meat in my latest brisket cook. This was a point:




There was no sign of 'smoke ring' on the packer that was in with it.

[Rider14]

I'm out of town this weekend, but will for sure cook a brisket the weekend after.  Maybe I can reproduce the results!

Could it be that the 900W heating element is helping the wood to "smoulder" at a higher temp? I keep the vent open or 2/3 open throughout the cook...

-Dan

[Habanero Smoker]

I'm out of town this weekend, but will for sure cook a brisket the weekend after.  Maybe I can reproduce the results!

Could it be that the 900W heating element is helping the wood to "smoulder" at a higher temp? I keep the vent open or 2/3 open throughout the cook...

-Dan

I'm not sure. It could be possible, but I have a dual element setup that places one 500 watt element closer to the bisquette burner, and I can't obtain a smoke ring. I keep my vent at about the same setting as you. I know the moister the air is, the more beneficial it is for a smoke ring to form, but I never got one in a Bradley. It would be interesting to see if you get a smoke ring the next time you cook a brisket or other meat; or if it was one of those perfect storms. :) In which all the conditions were exactly perfect for this phenomena to occur.

[Rider14]

One other thing I do differently is instead of the steel bowl (that evaporates dry in a normal smoke) I use a tinfoil tray and fill it with pineapple juice and water so I don't need to add liquid mid smoke.

Could that have done it? Regardless, have cooked one brisket since the one above and it also had a ring, but less distinct.

Odd.

FAT SIDE DOWN IN THE BRADLEY!!! (at least without a fan...)

- Dan

[imott]

Maybe the pineapple juice?

Nitrite
Upper bound mean nitrite concentrations (expressed as sodium nitrite) were generally
highest in processed meats including bacon (27 mg/kg), frankfurts (30 mg/kg), ham (28
mg/kg), luncheon sausage (35 mg/kg), and strassbourg (35 mg/kg). The upper bound mean
concentration of sodium nitrite was 38 mg/kg in spinach and 29 mg/kg in pumpkin. Other
foods or beverages that reported upper bound mean concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg
included beans, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, grapes, parsley, peaches, peaches, pineapple
and strawberry. White wine also contained nitrite at a concentration of above 10 mg/kg. All
other foods and beverages contained nitrite at concentrations close to, or below the LOR.
Individual results are shown in Appendix 3, Table A4

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/nitrate/documents/Survey%20of%20nitrates%20and%20nitrites%20Attach%201.pdf

[Rider14]

Cooked 2 briskets since and no smoke ring.

Too bad, I kind of liked it.

I just bought the cold smoke generator for my extra Masterbuilt Smoker - that cooks with wood chips or pellets. I'll let you know if I get any rings on the next one.

- Dan

[Habanero Smoker]

Did you use the pineapple juice in the water pan the last two brisket cooks? It's possible that the pineapple juice is the variable.

[Rider14]

Did you use the pineapple juice in the water pan the last two brisket cooks? It's possible that the pineapple juice is the variable.

One pan with watered down Pineapple and the other with white grape juice. Just going to have to try again, although I bought a cold smoke generator for the Masterbuilt smoker and it burns wood chips that are a hell of a lot cheaper than the pucks, and it appears to smoke for hours... That should get me a smoke ring!

If that thing works well, my Bradley may be relegated to spare smoker status...for when I entertain and need to make multiple meats and for thanksgiving when I smoke 3...

- Dan

[Habanero Smoker]

Using chips should give you a smoke ring, though it is not always guaranteed. One of my charcoal burners rarely gives me a smoke ring.