Need help! Bark help!

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SmokerMike7715
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Need help! Bark help!

Postby SmokerMike7715 » Sat Mar 17, 2018 9:01 pm

Alright everyone I’m needing some guidance. I’ve been smoking some pork butts and I can’t ever seem to get a good crisp bark on them. I cook my butts with a charcoal base and use wood chunks to get my smoke. This is in a brinkman smoke n grill (vertical) my rub does contain a brown sugar and other spices. I rub the pork the night before and put in fridge then pull out about an hour before putting on smoker and rub again using around 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart of rub total. I smoke the butts at 1.5 hours per pound at 225 degrees. I normally smoke heavy for about 4-5 hours then wrap with foil for 3 hours(I think this may be my problem) once Butt has reached around 175 I pull foil off and then bring internal temp up to 200 with a light smoke. Bone falls out. Super juicy and tender just the bark isn’t a bark.
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby Rambo » Sun Mar 18, 2018 7:50 am

Sounds like you're doing things correctly. Maybe someone on here has that particular cooker and can comment
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby bsooner75 » Sun Mar 18, 2018 8:11 am

I would try either not wrapping or wrapping later in the cook. Some cook chambers really hold moisture and therefore form bark a little more slowly. My cabinet is like that. On briskets I quit wrapping all together and still get great results. My butts I still wrap (might not on the next one as an experiment) but much later in the cook. Not sure if this applies to yours but it’s worth a shot!


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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby egghead » Sun Mar 18, 2018 8:57 am

I don’t wrap butts. If you must wrap (and I wouldn’t), use butcher paper.
Last edited by egghead on Sun Mar 18, 2018 10:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby daBertl » Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:20 am

If "bark" means the crispy skin of a pork, then never wrap it.
Just do whatever you do without wrapping the skin. When you finished your procedure give the skin another 10-15 Minutes in 220-240 Degree Celsius. Then it will pop and you will love me :lol:
But be careful, the way between popped and burnt is very small.

If u meant something different, i apologize for my bad english

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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby Sailor Kenshin » Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:42 am

egghead wrote:I don’t wrap butts. If you just wrap (and I wouldn’t), use butcher paper.



What Egg said...we have never wrapped a butt.
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SmokerMike7715
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby SmokerMike7715 » Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:05 pm

Thanks everyone! I’ll be butting a butt on the old smoke Sunday! I’ll post pics before and after!
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby SmokerMike7715 » Sat Mar 31, 2018 6:56 pm

Image

Well here goes guys let’s try and get this bark right for the Easter dinner tomorrow.
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby SmokerMike7715 » Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:37 pm

6 hours later we have finally reached an internal temp of 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Going to get a few zzz’s in smoker is holding steady at 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Just have a good solid bed of coals just added a handful to the top. Oh I’ve thrown heavy heavy smoke to this Butt for 6 solid hours. Hope this thing is the best I’ve made. Still have several hours to go I’m sure as my meat has stalled in temp the last hour and hung tight at 150! I’ll post some pictures of the finished product later on. By the way Happy Easter to everyone!
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby SmokerMike7715 » Sun Apr 01, 2018 11:34 am

This Butt shall be the death of me I do believe went to bed last night around midnight smoker a little hot around 245 internal temp of the Boston Butt was 150. woke up every hour and half to maintain a temp of 220-225 on the smoker checked the internal temp again this morning at 6am and I had only rose up 5 degrees this sucker stood still at 150 degrees (f) for 6 hours. Now it is 1230 eastern standard time and the Butt has finally reached 195 degrees. Pulling this baby off in a half hour letting it sit for 30-45 mins and I’m gonna pull it and enjoy it with my family. Oh made some of our BBQ sauce last night to drizzle over the meat today as well! Happy Easter everyone!


Oh and you all are more than welcome to critique the things I have done if you want. I’m at by far not perfect and very new to the smoking world and would one day like to compete.
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby SmokerMike7715 » Sun Apr 01, 2018 12:09 pm

Image

Finished on the smoker pulled at internal temp of 195 degrees. Letting it rest of 1/2 hour then pulling this sucker!
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby OldUsedParts » Sun Apr 01, 2018 12:47 pm

I sure like the bark - - - post another pic after you pull it if you don't mind :tup: :salut: :cheers:
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby SmokerMike7715 » Sun Apr 01, 2018 2:33 pm

OldUsedParts wrote:I sure like the bark - - - post another pic after you pull it if you don't mind :tup: :salut: :cheers:



Image


Image


Image
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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby bsooner75 » Sun Apr 01, 2018 2:40 pm

That looks great. Excellent bark and clean bone!


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Re: Need help! Bark help!

Postby OldUsedParts » Sun Apr 01, 2018 5:15 pm

Yes Sir THAT is what PP is supposed to look like :salut: or so the Big Boys say :dont: :laughing7:
Good Job Mike :tup: :cheers:
I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country—Victory or Death. William Barret Travis - Lt. Col. comdt "The Alamo"

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