Smoke

[Andersen]

 I have switched over from an ECB to a Bradley but I have not been able to get that competiton mahogany color or good smoke ring using hickory on my ribs (3-2-1 @225-250). Nor a good smoke ring using apple with turkey breast and the skin is coming out darker then when using the ECB. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

[GusRobin]

Bradley doesn't make a smoke ring. There is this whole reason why but I can't remember.

[NePaSmoKer]

A Bradley smoker will not make a smoke ring unless you make a cheater ring.

A smoke ring is a pink discoloration of meat just under the surface crust (called bark). It can be just a thin line of pink or a rather thick layer. A good smoke ring is around 1/4 inch in thickness. The smoke rings is caused by nitric acid building up in the surface of meat, absorbed from the surface. This nitric acid is formed when nitrogen dioxide from wood COMBUSTION in smoke mixes with water in the meat. Basically it is a chemical reaction between the smoke and the meat.

Water soaked wood produces more nitrogen dioxide loaded smoke. If you really want to make sure you get a smoke ring then cheat. Coating meat with a salt tenderizer link Morton's Tender Quick, will load up the surface of the meat with nitrogen dioxide and give you a great smoke ring. Because of the prevalence of this kind of cheating, smoke rings are no longer taken into consideration in barbecue competitions.

[GusRobin]

Yeah, what he said.

[Habanero Smoker]

Welcome fellow CBJ.

Don't feel bad, I have a charcoal burner, and I often can not produce a smoke ring, and when I get one it is very faint.

NePa has given you a good description, but it is not nitric acid, it is nitric oxide converted from nitrogen dioxide  that combines with the myoglobin in the meat. Although there is combustion in the bisquettes, the fuel is not burned at a temperature high enough to produce sufficient amounts of nitrogen dioxide.

Why No Smoke Ring From a Bradley

As for the mahogoney color you can try cutting back on your smoke time or use maple or apple, or wrapping earlier. What type of rub are you using on the ribs? Have you been successful getting the mahagoney color with your ECB? How much smoke are you using for the turkey?

[Ketch22]

Welcome to the  forums :)

[beefmann]

welcome to the forum

[DaveT261]

I don't think the smoke ring has any bearing on the taste, I think its more for appearance for show.  I've actually had people over for bbq and have heard some say the meat was not done because its pink inside. 

[mikecorn.1]

I don't think the smoke ring has any bearing on the taste, I think its more for appearance for show.  I've actually had people over for bbq and have heard some say the meat was not done because its pink inside.

ditto! As long as the product is to temp, it's safe.


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[Andersen]

Hab-

I use a brown sugar based rub for the ribs. Rub the night before, wrap and rest in the fridge, light rub before placing on the smoker. Three hours of smoke, thin blue wisp, on the ECB. I dont get the TBW with the OBS.

Turkey breast,  wer rub(oil, salt, pepper, thyme, sage) I smoke for two hours with apple. Again no TBW and the skin comes out darker on the OBS.

I am not concerned about the smoke ring just an observation.  I can fake that for the unknowning.

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Anderson;

It's been a while since I've cooked ribs in the Bradley. You may want to try holding off on the sugar until you wrap in foil. If you use a homemade rub, try cutting back on the paprika. That may help reduce the darkening. Also when I used the Bradley for ribs, I would only apply 2 hours of smoke.

With poultry, I more often then not get a dark color. For better color you may want to experiment with the T-Shirt method, as Olds uses for his hams:
T-Shirt Double Smoked Ham
A couple of layers of cheese cloth may also work.

Dave;
You are correct. The "smoke" ring is tasteless; but it used to be a sign that the meat was properly barbecued. For chicken I can understand some guests questioning the pinkish color around the bone, but I don't understand why they would think that the "smoke" ring on the other edge of ribs, brisket, butts and other whole muscle meat could be considered uncooked.

[DaveT261]

Hi Anderson;

It's been a while since I've cooked ribs in the Bradley. You may want to try holding off on the sugar until you wrap in foil. If you use a homemade rub, try cutting back on the paprika. That may help reduce the darkening. Also when I used the Bradley for ribs, I would only apply 2 hours of smoke.

With poultry, I more often then not get a dark color. For better color you may want to experiment with the T-Shirt method, as Olds uses for his hams:
T-Shirt Double Smoked Ham
A couple of layers of cheese cloth may also work.

Dave;
You are correct. The "smoke" ring is tasteless; but it used to be a sign that the meat was properly barbecued. For chicken I can understand some guests questioning the pinkish color around the bone, but I don't understand why they would think that the "smoke" ring on the other edge of ribs, brisket, butts and other whole muscle meat could be considered uncooked.

I am from a suburb in Columbus OH and in a city of this size there are only a few good BBQ joints around.  Most of my friends have not really ate good smoked meat, their idea of bbq is throwing a slab of ribs on the grill and covering it with bbq sauce.  The cookout I had when I was questioned about the meat being not done was when I first smoked them a few pork shoulders.  I did a 22 hour smoke (I went for a temp of 195 and that's how long it took on my stick burner.)  I probably had a 3/8" smoke ring and a nice heavy bark.  At first when they saw them they thought I burnt the outside and undercooked the inside, but after tasting they realized what real bbq was. 

Now when they have big parties they call me up and ask if I can smoke their meat. I have been doing about 3 parties a year for them ever since. 

You would be surprised how many people have never ate real bbq.