My butt is too dark. Help!!

[Lake Dogs]

Even if you're getting sweet blue the whole way, every smoker, every combination of wood/charcoal, and the temperature and humidity all factor in and make your situation unique. Most competitors who foil do so not on temp but on a look. Know that it'll still darken up a little in the foil (at least mine do). I use hickory wood; I foil at 4.25 hours regardless of internal temperature, as it's just starting to go from that reddish color to more of a brown color.

 

[J-Rod]

Do you got a ton of fat dripping onto your coals? If so perhaps that's contributing to the dark color... just thinkin out loud here. I don't usually have that problem in my UDS but I really notice it in my mini WSM with certain cuts. Just too much damn fat smoke and makes for a nasty burnt taste too. Maybe try a drip pan next time?

 

[peeps]

When I do butts on my OTG, I get a very dark bark. I assume it is just from radiant heat due to proximity to the heat. Perhaps you have something similar going on?

 

[aawa]

Don't always wrap, but when I do it is because of I get the color I want on the meat.

I like a good bark on my pork butts, but I don't find black as charcoal appetizing. This is the darkest I like my pork butts to get.

I like the look of a nice dark piece of meat that doesn't look burnt but looks seared/caramelized. When it gets to that point I will wrap in foil to protect the color of the bark. (the picture above went 100% nekkid at 325 degrees for less than 6 hours)

Wood and ingredients in your rub will also help determine what color you will get. Cherry wood gives a really good red color to the meat. Pecan and oak wood gives more of a brownish color. I just picked up some maple and walnut and going to see what kind of color those like to give the meats.

 

[bvbull200]

Mine always look like a lump of Charcoal but taste so Good. I like Heavy Bark.....

Same here. I understand what the OP is going for given it is for competitions, but the handful that I have made have had a great tasting dark and heavy bark.

 

[Fwismoker]

Do you got a ton of fat dripping onto your coals? If so perhaps that's contributing to the dark color... just thinkin out loud here. I don't usually have that problem in my UDS but I really notice it in my mini WSM with certain cuts. Just too much damn fat smoke and makes for a nasty burnt taste too. Maybe try a drip pan next time?

DEFINITELY not the drippings because mine go into the fire. If i can use the mini with out a drip pan and don't get black then it most definitely isn't the dripping fat! Folks that cook with offsets have black butts

 

[Bludawg]

The main reason for Black Bark is to much smoke exposure and/or to much rub or the wrong kind of smoke. I find using Lump makes for a very clean burn as opposed to briquettes in a Charcoal based fire. If you cooking on an off set and you want to maintain the color you have to wrap it is just the nature of the beast.
This was on the offset at about the 1/2way point using Post oak

final shot not wrapped until the rest

lightly rubbed cooked on the OTS with the Ring of Fire and Lump this was a 13 hr cook

About 6 hrs into it Starting to get dark But If I was to wrap it would be here

Finished

Lump on the UDS at 300 not wrapped and ready to be pulled for a rest

Finally Ring of Fire using Briquettes and Wrapped after 4 hrs in foil on a 6 hr cook.

 

[sliding_billy]

Beautiful scoring on that butt Bludawg!

 

[MeatCandy]

do you got a ton of fat dripping onto your coals? If so perhaps that's contributing to the dark color... Just thinkin out loud here. I don't usually have that problem in my uds but i really notice it in my mini wsm with certain cuts. Just too much damn fat smoke and makes for a nasty burnt taste too. Maybe try a drip pan next time?

+1...

 

[Grimm5577]

apple wood creates a very dark, pretty much black bark. I've done some with pecan or cherry and they were closer to the reddish color you are looking for.

 

[Fwismoker]

apple wood creates a very dark, pretty much black bark. I've done some with pecan or cherry and they were closer to the reddish color you are looking for.

All apple wood .... it was very mahogany

 

[DeepElemCue]

Ok. I'm going to try going easier on the rub. I will have a diffuser in the UDS. Also picked up some cherry wood. Going to wrap by color (if it's at a reasonable temp). Will post outcome pics.

 

[bbqbull]

I enjoy the dark bark. Used to cook 400# plus of pork butts in my Klose mobile pit with oak. When the butts were shredded the bark/dark outside was mixed into the the tender inside meat. Folks loved the crunchy bark mixed in the sandwiches.
Your taste might vary. Some folks foil their butts at 160-170 internal temp range and add a bit of apple juice. That will make your outer bark soft and moist.

 

[bvbull200]

Ok. I'm going to try going easier on the rub. I will have a diffuser in the UDS. Also picked up some cherry wood. Going to wrap by color (if it's at a reasonable temp). Will post outcome pics.

You should try one change at a time so you can see (and tell me) what effect each one had on the outcome.

:mrgreen:

 

[thunter]

Mine always looks this way, and I like it, so does my family, friends, and customers. Like some have said already, you can wrap it when it gets the color you want. I don't wrap at all, so I can expect a darker bark.

 

[Wood duck whacker]

Dark = flavor! In a butt anyway!

 

[Charcoal_Addict]

I've done a couple on my Kamado Joe Big Joe (Similar to XL Egg) at 225F, for me it comes down to wrapping the Butt so at the right color. The Butt on average seem to reach the bright cherry color at 150F and 165F. Every Butt a little different.

DeepElemCue,

Are you tracking you internal temp with a Maverick 732 or another probe?

 

[sliding_billy]

^thunter - That is what I'm talking about!

 

[charrederhead]

Dark bark good!

 

[papaskins]

You guys are making me hungry. I may not can wait till tomorrow to fire up, might have to just get started early.