bark vs no bark

shawnmcchesney12 · 05-02-2014, 03:26 AM

Just a quick question today, do you all prefer to debark your wood you are using to smoke with or leave the bark on. I have been told the bark can impart bitter smoke flavors. I use alot of apple and cherry and debarking can be a pain in the backside. Just trying to get the brethrens point of view. Thanks

sliding_billy · 05-02-2014, 03:34 AM

Leave it on. No difference in smell/flavor that I can tell.

YetiDave · 05-02-2014, 04:05 AM

I never noticed any bad smells or flavours from bark either

mawdgret1 · 05-02-2014, 04:55 AM

I leave my bark on. I too use apple, cherry, and hickory debarking is a pain.

Garrett · 05-02-2014, 05:18 AM

Only time I remove the bark is if it's already loose and easily comes off. That's because moisture can get behind it and cause it to mold.

IamMadMan · 05-02-2014, 05:43 AM

I also leave the bark on unless it's wet, moldy, or has fungus on it.

Properly stored wood will have none of the above, but occasionally someone will drop some wood off that needs to be looked at before putting into storage...

saseekutz · 05-02-2014, 07:15 AM

No difference in taste, leave it.

7over · 05-02-2014, 07:37 AM

I eat the bark. Best tasting part!

/wait.... you meant tree bark! Sorry, read that wrong.

Papa Q · 05-02-2014, 07:58 AM

I had the same question when I first started smoking meat because I spent a lot of time a work getting the bark off of my hickory and apple. I asked the brethren here and they said leave it on (I had read in some smoking book it would cause bitterness). I did and cannot tell a difference in taste. The bark is fuel from the same tree. Maybe the author of that comment had an ole tomcat 'marking' his woodpile.

oldbill · 05-02-2014, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shawnmcchesney12

Just a quick question today, do you all prefer to debark your wood you are using to smoke with or leave the bark on. I have been told the bark can impart bitter smoke flavors. I use alot of apple and cherry and debarking can be a pain in the backside. Just trying to get the brethrens point of view. Thanks

Bitterness on the meat is caused by poor fire management, not wood bark. It's also the culprit behind what some people term as "over smoked" meat. It's basically wood that is smoldering rather than fully igniting due to green / unseasoned wood or in most cases poor airflow or draft.
I've read posts about people who are afraid to use mesquite or even hickory because they're afraid of "over smoking" their food but the fact is that it can happen with ANY wood that you cook with if the fire is not burning cleanly.

juno · 05-02-2014, 08:36 AM

I have wondered about using the minion method in regard to clean burn. Would this method not be a clean burn as the charcoal and wood would not be fully lit?

Displaced Texan · 05-02-2014, 08:37 AM

I leave it on and I have never had a problem with taste or smell.

nucornhusker · 05-02-2014, 08:51 AM

Leave it on. There are some brands of BBQ pellets that leave the bark in. When I stickburn or use chunks, I never worry about the bark. I only take it off if it is falling off as others said.

7over · 05-02-2014, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juno

I have wondered about using the minion method in regard to clean burn. Would this method not be a clean burn as the charcoal and wood would not be fully lit?

That's a good question. I used the Minion Method on Wednesday night in the PBC, used Cherry wood and did not notice any bitterness or over smoking... I'm going to may use Pecan tonight with the ribs I'm cooking... I'll watch the wood to see if there is a problem.

oldbill · 05-02-2014, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juno

I have wondered about using the minion method in regard to clean burn. Would this method not be a clean burn as the charcoal and wood would not be fully lit?

The minion works great in the proper cooker. A charcoal cooker such as a WSM, Egg or an insulated vertical will give you really long burn times and pretty good Q. It's really just being careful about the amount of wood that is added for the quality of the smoke.
Using the minion in a stick burner however is something that I wouldn't recommend because it would mean choking down on the intake and stopping valuable airflow through the cooker. This will lead to temp issues and dirty smoke from smoldering wood. A small hot all wood fire with open dampers is the way to go with stick burners.

05-02-2014, 03:26 AM	#1
shawnmcchesney12 On the road to being a farker Join Date: 09-10-13 Location: Manchester, ohio	bark vs no bark Just a quick question today, do you all prefer to debark your wood you are using to smoke with or leave the bark on. I have been told the bark can impart bitter smoke flavors. I use alot of apple and cherry and debarking can be a pain in the backside. Just trying to get the brethrens point of view. Thanks __________________ Ugly drum smoker, bradley 4 rack, more to come!!!!

05-02-2014, 03:34 AM	#2
sliding_billy somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 08-27-13 Location: Princeton, TX Name/Nickname : )	Leave it on. No difference in smell/flavor that I can tell. __________________ Custom Offset/GMG Davy Crockett/Vision Kamado/Blackstone 36"/Weber 22" "redhead"/WSM 14.5" X2/Jumbo Joe/Pit Boss Copperhead/KCBS

05-02-2014, 04:05 AM	#3
YetiDave is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 07-23-13 Location: Manchester, UK	I never noticed any bad smells or flavours from bark either __________________ Pro Q Excel 20 / UDS / Maverick ET-732 / Thermapen / Pro Q CSG

05-02-2014, 05:18 AM	#5
Garrett Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-03-12 Location: Gastonia North Carolina	Only time I remove the bark is if it's already loose and easily comes off. That's because moisture can get behind it and cause it to mold. __________________ My arsenal, Stumps Clone, Two Modified offsets, open pit with grate and rotisserie,UDS, Weber One Touch Silver 18.5" kettle, Chargriller Pellet Grill, 36" Blackstone Griddle

05-02-2014, 07:37 AM	#8
7over Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 04-21-14 Location: Western 'burbs of Chi-town	I eat the bark. Best tasting part! /wait.... you meant tree bark! Sorry, read that wrong. __________________ [I]Slay it, Skin it, Slice it, Smoke it, Indulge in the Aroma....Scarf it down.[/I] Thermapen (Smooth as Silk White!) Maverick ET-732 (w/ custom waterproofed probes) Weber: Genesis Gasser, Smokey Joe, One Touch PBC Proverbs 12:27 The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

05-02-2014, 04:55 AM	#4
mawdgret1 Wandering around with a bag of matchlight, looking for a match. Join Date: 04-24-14 Location: madison indiana	I leave my bark on. I too use apple, cherry, and hickory debarking is a pain.

05-02-2014, 05:43 AM	#6
IamMadMan somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 07-30-11 Location: Pemberton, New Jersey	I also leave the bark on unless it's wet, moldy, or has fungus on it. Properly stored wood will have none of the above, but occasionally someone will drop some wood off that needs to be looked at before putting into storage...

05-02-2014, 07:15 AM	#7
saseekutz Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-22-14 Location: olathe, KS	No difference in taste, leave it.

05-02-2014, 07:58 AM	#9
Papa Q On the road to being a farker Join Date: 08-26-13 Location: Erwin, NC	I had the same question when I first started smoking meat because I spent a lot of time a work getting the bark off of my hickory and apple. I asked the brethren here and they said leave it on (I had read in some smoking book it would cause bitterness). I did and cannot tell a difference in taste. The bark is fuel from the same tree. Maybe the author of that comment had an ole tomcat 'marking' his woodpile. __________________ [B][COLOR=blue]Hickory Split BBQ by Papa Q[/COLOR][COLOR=navy]...Burnin Hickory in North Carolina[/COLOR][/B] Homebuilt 30"x45" Offset Reverse Flow Wood Burner, 22.5" OTG, 22.5 OTS, Cast Iron Hibachi Grill, Thermopop

05-02-2014, 08:36 AM	#11
juno Is lookin for wood to cook with. Join Date: 02-03-14 Location: Pembroke Pines FL	I have wondered about using the minion method in regard to clean burn. Would this method not be a clean burn as the charcoal and wood would not be fully lit?

05-02-2014, 08:37 AM	#12
Displaced Texan On the road to being a farker Join Date: 04-22-14 Location: Perrysburg, Ohio Name/Nickname : Dan	I leave it on and I have never had a problem with taste or smell.

05-02-2014, 08:51 AM	#13
nucornhusker Babbling Farker Join Date: 08-29-11 Location: Lincoln, NE	Leave it on. There are some brands of BBQ pellets that leave the bark in. When I stickburn or use chunks, I never worry about the bark. I only take it off if it is falling off as others said. __________________ Yoder Smokers YS1500, Kamado Joe BigJoe & Joe Jr, IMBAS Certified MOINK Baller