Smoke Ring Question

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45fan

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I have only done one brisket and it turned out OK maybe a little overdone but it was still pretty good eats.

I have seen a lot of Brisket Pron on here and some have that nice pink smoke ring and some dont...

What is the trick to getting that nice ring? Mine had a small ring but not that 1/4 inch ring some of you guys get.

I aint asking for any big contest secrets but I would like to do another brisket .... if it ever stops raining!

Thanks!
 
What kind of fuel are you using?

The smoke ring is over rated. But, charcoal seems to do better at it. It's not really about the smoke. It's about the nitrates (Nitrogen Dioxide) that the fuel produces. Personally, I prefer a thinner smoke ring.
 
I have a UDS so I am using charcoal and apple or hickory. I am very new at this so I dont know. I just love the look of the nice smoke ring on the brisket.

Thanks!
 
Hmmm, how cold is the meat when you put it on? Some claim that the cooler the meat temp is when it goes on the more pronounced the smoke ring is.
 
This smoke ring was created on a UDS using nothing but regular Kingsford charcoal and a chunk of hickory.

picture.php


What kind of charcoal are you using?
 
Did I read somewhere on here that salt will somehow draw the nitrates in? I think someone named Donnie (funkmaster) was talking about it. I've lurked a lot, so I might be mixing my info up.
 
Well like I say I have done a total of (1) brisket. But I pulled it staight from the fridge and on the smoker so it was still cold. I have thought about putting the next brisket on before the smoker gets to temp? Maybe bringing the temp up slower as it smokes would help?

Thanks again!
 
See, that looks awesome! I am using Kingsford blue. I wonder if just over cooking mine was the problem. I had heard so many people undercooking the brisket I think I was afraid to take it off. I made sure it was "like butta" all over the thing.

Nice looking brisket there!
 
What I do is make sure the charcoal is burning clean with clear smoke. I let the smoker come up to temp and then put the brisket on. The smoke coming from the exhaust is clear and I have no trouble getting a smoke ring.
 
Thanks maybe it was better than I thought? I was cooking at 325. It doesnt look as good as yours...

I will add... it was very windy that day and I was at 350 several times..so 325 - 350.
 
Try to keep the temp down to about 275 to 290 or 225F for low and slow. The smoke ring will stop forming when the surface of the meat reaches about 140F so higher temps will reduce the time the ring has to form. You may also want to try a different rub. At higher temps, sugar will tend to melt and could be preventing the formation of the ring. Also, sea salt has natural nitrates in it and using it may help as well.
 
Thats Awesome Boshizzle! I really appreciate the advice!

I was trying to keep the drum at 325 that day but the wind was killing me. It was like 25 MPH gusts..kept me busy.

I really appreciate the help. I will cool it down a bit and try again!

Thanks again!
 
Sounds good and post some results pics. BTW-at the higher temps of 275 to 290 I like to foil after the internal temp of the meat reaches about 165 to 170 and then let it cook until I get about 208 to 210 internal and then wrap the brisket in a blanket and let it rest for about 2 hours. The time in the foil will do nothing for the smoke ring but it does make the brisket cook a little quicker and always produces a tender and juicy chunk of meat.
 
45fan, just curious as to what you're rubbing your brisket with? By the pics it looks like it has alot of sugar in it. If you look at Boshizzle's pics the surface area appears lighter and less dense (I guess that's how to describe it).
 
I saw that too. I was using KC Butt Rub. I just looked and sugar is the #1 ingredient! What do you all use on your briskets?

I had some yardbird but I used the last of that on my turket last week. Gotta get some more of that!

Thanks!
 
I start very low (190-220) for 3 hours or so then crank to 275+. I use Stubbs with some chunks of wood for smoke. Here's my last one from about a week ago.
sliced1.jpg
 
You guys are great! I think I just need a new rub with less sugar and smoke it lower and slower...

Great looking briskets! I will post a good one soon! :thumb:

I would love some rub suggestions!
 
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