How To Get A Deeper Smoke Ring?

Tender Quick is how most people get a big smoke ring

I'm no expert but how I get a good ring is to put the meat on before the smoker is up to temp. I usually smoke at about 300 so I'll put the meat on at like 150-180. Not sure if that's the best way but it works for me.....

Careful with TenderQuick... Just a quick dip and rinse it off. Experiment with it if you are going to use it at comps. I tried it once on brisket (at home) in my FEC100 and the ring was huge and a deep deep color. It was very evident that it was chemically produced. I haven't usee it since...

Toad

Put the meat on straight out of the fridge so it develops a nice ring before hitting 140.

These were pulled out of the fridge and lightly dusted on the top with a low sodium home made rub. As you can see, the ring is pretty deep.



Another good example is to cook a butt or picnic by rubbing right before cooking, and keeping the roast as cold as possible before tossing on the fire. 250ish for first hour, then ramped up to 300 to finish:



As you can see, the color is very deep. No tenderquick required, just good fire management.

Just a quick edit in response to what was posted while I was posting. Putting meat on before the cooker is stable and showing TBS, thin blue smoke is a huge mistake. Wait till cooker is stable and putting out thin to invisible smoke before adding meat.

You can go to youtube and watch idiots smoke with white poofy smoke all day, it doesn't mean their bbq tasted good.

Dont use TQ.. that's not a "smoke" ring... Ive found that different woods penetrate differently. Smoke penetration stops after a certain point in cooking the meat. Ideally you want to smoke at a lower temp than at 300 if you want a nice ring. Give the smoke more time to penetrate before the meat reaches the point where it will no longer need the smoke.

So if you want a deeper smoke ring, smoke at 250 for a bit then bump it up to 300 if you'd like.

Cheers

sea salt

Pitmaster T said:

sea salt

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That's it? That's your karate kid advice?

LOL, J/K. I appreciate all the wisdom you provide for us T, but... Really? sea salt? Kosher will do the same thing from my very limited experience. :icon_blush:

I learned how to do que right by taking your advice, but it seems I just had to go out and buy some expensive and rare sea salt. Hehehe. :boxing::boink:

El Ropo said:

Put the meat on straight out of the fridge so it develops a nice ring before hitting 140.

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+1

Find this works well, unlike grilling steak where I let the meat come up to room temp anything I do low and slow I take form the fridge straight to the BGE.

That Tenderquik comments was a little fast and easy. You can get a good ring with reasonable depth without using Tenderquik. These things can produce a better smoke ring, maybe even more than 1/4" depth.

1. Use charcoal briquettes instead of lump.

2. Use a couple of wet wood chunks, or not fully cured wood, as the added moisture adds to smoke ring development. You can also add one or two smallish chunks just before putting meat on, the smoke will have more nitrogen dioxide at a cooler temperature.

3. Cook at a lower temperature for at least two hours. 200F to 215F will work.

4. Use cold meat and do not let a pellicle (sticky membrane form) which will mean more moisture in the surface layer of the meat.

5. Use non-processed salt, such as sea salt per Donnies recommendation, any mineral rich salt will do. I use Redmond RealSalt brand Kosher style salt.

I think you can taste Tenderquik on meat, so it is not such a good additive for ribs and brisket.

landarc said:

That Tenderquik comments was a little fast and easy. You can get a good ring with reasonable depth without using Tenderquik. These things can produce a better smoke ring, maybe even more than 1/4" depth.

1. Use charcoal briquettes instead of lump.

2. Use a couple of wet wood chunks, or not fully cured wood, as the added moisture adds to smoke ring development. You can also add one or two smallish chunks just before putting meat on, the smoke will have more nitrogen dioxide at a cooler temperature.

3. Cook at a lower temperature for at least two hours. 200F to 215F will work.

4. Use cold meat and do not let a pellicle (sticky membrane form) which will mean more moisture in the surface layer of the meat.

5. Use non-processed salt, such as sea salt per Donnies recommendation, any mineral rich salt will do. I use Redmond RealSalt brand Kosher style salt.

I think you can taste Tenderquik on meat, so it is not such a good additive for ribs and brisket.

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You can definitely taste the TenderQuick... I'm not a fan...

Toad

landarc said:

You can also add one or two smallish chunks just before putting meat on, the smoke will have more nitrogen dioxide at a cooler temperature.

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That's EXACTLY what TQ does for the meat, it loads up the meat with carbon dioxide...

Yes, you can taste TQ on your meat, if you don't rinse it THOROUGHLY before putting it on the smoker.

Sure there are other ways to get a smoke ring, and the ways mentioned above are all good ones. The bottom line is the longer it's on the smoke below 165 degrees the more smoke flavor, and the larger your smoke ring is going to be.

Many people will tell you using TQ is cheating. You're chemically enhancing the meat. In fact some are SO very opposed to this practice you will think TQ = Cyanide... LOL The bottom line is that ANYTHING you put on your meat is a chemical enhancement. Would you think of submitting a brisket that wasn't rubbed? or Injected? BOTH chemical enhancement.

Also, worth noting, the judges are not supposed to judge the smoke ring on the meat.... but most of them will admit, it adds to the overall appearance of the brisket.

The last brisket I turned in at a comp was completely devoid of a smoke ring. I think it was the injection that I was using... in any case, I got marked down CONSIDERABLY because of the lack of smoke ring. The flavor, and tenderness were good, and I scored well in all those areas, EXCEPT appearance.

Lesson learned.

Kenny Rogers said:

.

Also, worth noting, the judges are not supposed to judge the smoke ring on the meat.... but most of them will admit, it adds to the overall appearance of the brisket.

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I agree 100%! A nice smoke ring adds to the overall appearance of brisket! And the judges notice it!!!

Toad

Kenny Rogers, I don't contest your statement about the smoke ring being important in competitions, but, how do you know you go marked down for not having one? I believe you would get marked down, since I believe judges do mark based on smoke ring. I am just wondering how you know that, did a judge actually talk to you?

I understand the mechanism of Tenderquik, and would use it if I was looking for a great smoke ring, I do not consider it poison or cheating. But, since I don't actually like the meat in the smoke ring asmuch, I think it doesn't tastes as good, I tend to shy from using it.

The bottom line is the longer it's on the smoke below 165 degrees the more smoke flavor, and the larger your smoke ring is going to be.

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Unless I've been mislead all of these years, 135-140 is when the ring will stop. Hence the need to keep meat cold before tossing on the cooker.

low pit temp,overnight salt rub(wash after),& cold meat.
minimum fat cap.

the ring do stop @ 140f.:thumb:

I get a pretty massive smoke ring just by putting the meat on as soon as the coals are lit.

landarc said:

Kenny Rogers, I don't contest your statement about the smoke ring being important in competitions, but, how do you know you go marked down for not having one? I believe you would get marked down, since I believe judges do mark based on smoke ring. I am just wondering how you know that, did a judge actually talk to you?

I understand the mechanism of Tenderquik, and would use it if I was looking for a great smoke ring, I do not consider it poison or cheating. But, since I don't actually like the meat in the smoke ring asmuch, I think it doesn't tastes as good, I tend to shy from using it.

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I know because we received the judges score cards with comments after the competition. Noting the color of the meat, which was the right color, just not colored with a smoke ring for contrast.

Anyways... I wasn't necessarily talking about you when I said that some people liken it to poison... but there are many out there that do. My suggestion to the OP would be to do two briskets side by side, and see for himself... Some people like it, some people don't... but the poles are very far apart. Kinda like the use of foil...

I have never used TenderQuick and I get deep dark smoke rings.

1 - Put the meat directly from the refrigerator into the cooker. The more time the meat stays under 140 degrees in the smoke, the better. The reaction that causes the smoke ring stops somewhere near that temperature.

2 - Give the brisket a light spritz right before it goes in the cooker. Damp meat produces deeper smoke rings than dry.

3 - Make sure there is good airflow in the cooker. Keep your exhaust vent wide open and cook with a small hot fire. Wood and charcoal contain nitrogen, which combines with oxygen in the air to form nitrogen dioxide. A small clean burning fire allows more NO2 to pass across the surface of the damp meat, which reacts with the water to make nitrous acid. It's this nitrous acid that penetrates into the meat and reacts with the myoglobin in the meat to produce that nice pink color that looks so pretty but has no effect on taste.

4 - I have heard that charcoal briquettes produce more nitrogen dioxide than lump, but I haven't tested that theory. I cook brisket strictly with lump charcoal with 5 or 6 wood chunks scattered throughout.

Here's a great article that explains the process in great detail. http://thehogblog.com/?p=1295

Here are a few briskets I've cooked using the methods above, not one with TenderQuick! Good luck!

El Ropo said:

Unless I've been mislead all of these years, 135-140 is when the ring will stop. Hence the need to keep meat cold before tossing on the cooker.

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El Ropo, you are correct... I believe that it is around 135-140, however this is disputed as much as obamacare... everyone has their own opinion on that.

Here is one of THE BEST articles I've seen on the subject of science in bbq

http://steeltownbbq.com/3.html

The best way to figure it out is experimentation! The good news is you get to eat all your mistakes!