High Sugar in rub and injection - black bark- am I the problem?

grilling24x7 · 07-02-2012, 07:02 PM

So I complained a while ago here about not liking sugar in rubs and injections because the bark turned so black, almost shiny, for pulled pork and brisket that I did. (pork was on top grate brisket was on bottom)

Then last night on BBQ Pitmasters I see people injecting like crazy with apple juice and all sorts of sugar stuff.

Does anyone know what I mean when I say that a sugary rub or injection will put a blacker bark on the meats? Or am I doing something wrong with smoke intensity and duration?

The last pork shoulder I did tasted amazing (it was injected) but the bark was just too black.

The best pic I have to show the black is within the pulled pork. It was great, as I said, but the bark was too black IMO.

I get concerned because I want to do briskets on the bottom grate but I don't want them this black.

Should I stick with my protest of sugar or what?

John

dfaarc · 07-02-2012, 07:05 PM

What temp are you cooking at? What does the bark taste like?

landarc · 07-02-2012, 07:06 PM

Yep, temperature and taste are the key indicators. I use at least a small amount of sugar in all of my rubs and don't get a dark, black, shiny bark.

grilling24x7 · 07-02-2012, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfaarc

What temp are you cooking at? What does the bark taste like?

Standard 250, give or take a fluctuation or two. Pork shoulder cooked to the 190ish range. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I don't recall it tasting bad at all. It seemed normal tasting but it just looked burnt.

When I drop the sugar from the rub/injection it's totally not black.

Then I see the guys on TV injecting with sugar and they don't have the black?!

IamMadMan · 07-02-2012, 07:07 PM

My rub has a lot of sugar and I keep the temp between 250 -270 to prevent the sugar from burning. I also inject with apple juice.

Someone recently posted that they have been to 290 without burning the sugar.

That would be my opinion

grilling24x7 · 07-02-2012, 07:07 PM

Also, I used that Apple Juice and sugar injection (chris lilly's). So I think it was high in sugar.

porkingINpublic · 07-02-2012, 07:13 PM

Do you foil ur meat?

grilling24x7 · 07-02-2012, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porkingINpublic

Do you foil ur meat?

No I don't

Pyrotech · 07-02-2012, 07:21 PM

My Rub also has alot of sugar in it.

This was from this past weekend, I did foil at 150*

porkingINpublic · 07-02-2012, 07:43 PM

I use to not foil and I always got dark bark.... Try foiling @ 160*.

gooose53 · 07-02-2012, 07:47 PM

One way of not getting the bark to dark is to foil when you get the bark the color you want. Try it and see if that helps.

Toast · 07-02-2012, 07:56 PM

I use Turbinado sugar aka Raw sugar. It does not burn as readily as refined sugar.

grilling24x7 · 07-02-2012, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toast

I use Turbinado sugar aka Raw sugar. It does now burn as readily as refined sugar.

I assume part of the problem is the apple juice, though.

Bbq Bubba · 07-02-2012, 08:22 PM

Believe it or not, bbq should be dark colored, not that red crap on Pitmasters.

Its not your sugar or juice, its your fire. What are you smoking with?

Q-Dat · 07-02-2012, 08:27 PM

To the untrained eye, bark can be just plain ugly. People think its burnt, because they don't understand the process.

Some of the best Q I have ever had looked like hell but tasted like heaven :thumbup:

By any chance do you soak your wood before putting it on the coals? That can cause dark bark.

07-02-2012, 07:02 PM	#1
grilling24x7 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 05-17-11 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	High Sugar in rub and injection - black bark- am I the problem? So I complained a while ago here about not liking sugar in rubs and injections because the bark turned so black, almost shiny, for pulled pork and brisket that I did. (pork was on top grate brisket was on bottom) Then last night on BBQ Pitmasters I see people injecting like crazy with apple juice and all sorts of sugar stuff. Does anyone know what I mean when I say that a sugary rub or injection will put a blacker bark on the meats? Or am I doing something wrong with smoke intensity and duration? The last pork shoulder I did tasted amazing (it was injected) but the bark was just too black. The best pic I have to show the black is within the pulled pork. It was great, as I said, but the bark was too black IMO. I get concerned because I want to do briskets on the bottom grate but I don't want them this black. Should I stick with my protest of sugar or what? John __________________ Weber Performer 18.5" WSM UDS build: http://grilling24x7.com/UDS1.shtml http://www.grilling24x7.com

07-02-2012, 07:05 PM	#2
dfaarc Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 05-19-12 Location: elkhart, in Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	What temp are you cooking at? What does the bark taste like? __________________ 22.5 Weber Redhead, UDS#1

07-02-2012, 07:06 PM	#3
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: San Leandro, CA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yep, temperature and taste are the key indicators. I use at least a small amount of sugar in all of my rubs and don't get a dark, black, shiny bark. __________________ "perhaps...but then again...maybe not..." careful there son, those ribs are boiling hot... \_\|_/ (='.'=) Here there be bunnies... (")_(")ooo Pacific Rim BBQ Bob's Brew and Que

07-02-2012, 07:07 PM	#5
IamMadMan is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 07-30-11 Location: Southern New Jersey Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	My rub has a lot of sugar and I keep the temp between 250 -270 to prevent the sugar from burning. I also inject with apple juice. Someone recently posted that they have been to 290 without burning the sugar. That would be my opinion __________________ Humphrey's DownEast Beast W/BBQ Guru

07-02-2012, 07:07 PM	#6
grilling24x7 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 05-17-11 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Also, I used that Apple Juice and sugar injection (chris lilly's). So I think it was high in sugar. __________________ Weber Performer 18.5" WSM UDS build: http://grilling24x7.com/UDS1.shtml http://www.grilling24x7.com

07-02-2012, 07:13 PM	#7
porkingINpublic is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 09-30-11 Location: Beebe, ar Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Do you foil ur meat? __________________ Jacks Old South single door unit Traeger Junior Old Country (Bandera Clone) UDS BLACK Thermapen "Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire" Exodus 12:9

07-02-2012, 07:21 PM	#9
Pyrotech On the road to being a farker Join Date: 06-07-12 Location: Austin Texas Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	My Rub also has alot of sugar in it. This was from this past weekend, I did foil at 150*

07-02-2012, 07:43 PM	#10
porkingINpublic is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 09-30-11 Location: Beebe, ar Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I use to not foil and I always got dark bark.... Try foiling @ 160. __________________ Jacks Old South single door unit Traeger Junior Old Country (Bandera Clone) UDS BLACK* Thermapen "Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire" Exodus 12:9

07-02-2012, 07:47 PM	#11
gooose53 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-07-08 Location: Goose Creek, SC Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	One way of not getting the bark to dark is to foil when you get the bark the color you want. Try it and see if that helps. __________________ 2010 South Carolina State BBQ Champion (SCBA)

07-02-2012, 07:56 PM	#12
Toast Babbling Farker Join Date: 03-17-12 Location: Shreveport, LA Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	I use Turbinado sugar aka Raw sugar. It does not burn as readily as refined sugar. __________________ Cooking Equipment: Weber WSM Weber Spirit S-320 Charbroil Oilless Turkey Fryer Weber GA Wife LuzziAnn 1956 model. Maverick ET-732 Superfast LSU Purple Thermapen Last edited by Toast; 07-02-2012 at 08:36 PM.. Reason: spelelin

07-02-2012, 08:22 PM	#14
Bbq Bubba somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 05-03-07 Location: New Baltimore, Mi. Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Believe it or not, bbq should be dark colored, not that red crap on Pitmasters. Its not your sugar or juice, its your fire. What are you smoking with? __________________ Pitmaster @ Lockharts BBQ Beer Snob I cook the best brisket north of Dallas. Get over it. Northern midwest director for OBR www.operationbbqrelief.com

07-02-2012, 08:27 PM	#15
Q-Dat Babbling Farker Join Date: 12-03-08 Location: Pearl River LA Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	To the untrained eye, bark can be just plain ugly. People think its burnt, because they don't understand the process. Some of the best Q I have ever had looked like hell but tasted like heaven :thumbup: By any chance do you soak your wood before putting it on the coals? That can cause dark bark.