I've smoked several briskets, pork butts and ribs as the start of the Aggie Football season has started. But recently the last two briskets do not have a smoke ring. I know that the ring does not impact the flavor, but I do like the look of it. I'm just curious what causes the ring to appear vs not appear and how to get it back?
TIA

What rig are you cooking on? I used to have trouble with this when I started on my WSM. Three things helped me a lot:

1) Rubbing with a light amount of canola oil and then apply the rub and let sit for at least an hour
2) Letting my fire/smoke get nice and clean before getting meat on. This usually take 45-60 minutes to get that nice clean blue smoke
3) Spritzing with any sort of liquid every 30-45 minutes about 90 minutes in to the cook. I usually use apple juice and apple cider vinegar.

I mostly cook pork because brisket is too much for my family of 3. Those times I listed are just my preference and are probably worthless. I think it's the technique more than anything. Clean fire and spritzing seem to be the most important combo.

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3) Spritzing with any sort of liquid every 30-45 minutes about 90 minutes in to the cook. I usually use apple juice and apple cider vinegar.

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If you're looking, you ain't cooking!

With regards to OP, I'm not sure how you can cook the same method and have smoke one time and not the next when using the same pit. You're obviously doing something different. What type smoker? I use an offset and it gets a crazy smokering, whereas my FIL uses a Primo and it gets nowhere near as much.

I'm using a WSM.
I bet I could let the smoke burn longer. Once it gets to temp I throw my meat on and go about my life. I do spritz with apple cider every hour after the 4 hour mark. Sometimes I do pre-rub my meat with Worcestershire sauce then apply my rub. The last few times I have not done this.

I have a WSM as well, not sure why you're having issues.

Are you using chunks or chips? What kind of wood? I normally use oak or hickory chunks, never had an issue with either. It doesn't take much, just don't oversmoke the meat, that will ruin anything even if it's cooked well.

I generally season the meat the night before and then let it hang out at room temperature while the smoker is coming to temperature. You should be able to get a smoke ring on a brisket or pork butt even in the first 4 hours prior to wrapping.

Just keep trying, that's part of the fun of bbq'ing, overcoming prior failures.

I let some ribs sit out in the rub for well over an hour the other day and had a big smoke ring.

Hickory chunks, sometimes supplemented with fruit wood, mostly apple chunks.

Deats said:

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it has 100% to do with meat temp when exposed to heat.

Cold meat = smoke ring

Room temp = no smoke ring

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This.

If you want a more defined smoke ring, take the brisket directly out of the refrigerator and put it directly on the pit. So to accomplish that, you need to put your rub and anything else going on the brisket the night before, then seal it back up in something like cling wrap, and put back in the refrigerator until the next day.

Of course that means its going to take longer to cook than if you let it warm up for an hour or so while getting the pit going, which is usually what I do. If its there, its there, if not I dont worry about it.

Deats said:

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it has 100% to do with meat temp when exposed to heat.

Cold meat = smoke ring

Room temp = no smoke ring

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Didn't Franklin or some other bbq guru do a video test that disproved this theory? I did a google search but didn't find it but I thought there was one about this. I think it's more about the pit than anything. I've put cold and room temp briskets on and get the same results.

This is what mine look like coming off my WSM. I apply mustard and rub a few hours before I put it on. I think that, as well adding some lump charcoal has helped. You're right that it doesn't effect flavor so if it tastes good don't screw with it too much. Applying the rub early and throwing the meat on cold has the biggest difference in my smoke ring. My rub is half kosher salt and half coarse black pepper, with a little garlic and cayenne. The kosher salt in the run probably helps a bit too.

agcrock2005 said:

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Deats said:

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it has 100% to do with meat temp when exposed to heat.

Cold meat = smoke ring

Room temp = no smoke ring

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Didn't Franklin or some other bbq guru do a video test that disproved this theory? I did a google search but didn't find it but I thought there was one about this. I think it's more about the pit than anything. I've put cold and room temp briskets on and get the same results.

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Yes someone did. The smoke ring is more elusive than the female orgasm.

Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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This is what mine look like coming off my WSM. I apply mustard and rub a few hours before I put it on. I think that, as well adding some lump charcoal has helped. You're right that it doesn't effect flavor so if it tastes good don't screw with it too much. Applying the rub early and throwing the meat on cold has the biggest difference in my smoke ring. My rub is half kosher salt and half coarse black pepper, with a little garlic and cayenne. The kosher salt in the run probably helps a bit too.

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I think you accidentally burned the dog **** out of that thing.

BBQ Science

From the TAMU BBQ folks...

agcrock2005 said:

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Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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This is what mine look like coming off my WSM. I apply mustard and rub a few hours before I put it on. I think that, as well adding some lump charcoal has helped. You're right that it doesn't effect flavor so if it tastes good don't screw with it too much. Applying the rub early and throwing the meat on cold has the biggest difference in my smoke ring. My rub is half kosher salt and half coarse black pepper, with a little garlic and cayenne. The kosher salt in the run probably helps a bit too.

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I think you accidentally burned the dog **** out of that thing.

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?? This one was awesome. One of the best tasting ones I've done.

Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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agcrock2005 said:

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Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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I think you accidentally burned the dog **** out of that thing.

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?? This one was awesome. One of the best tasting ones I've done.

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Not trying to be rude, just not really what I would be trying to achieve when I cook a brisket. It may have tasted awesome and may have been very good, but it appears in the picture to be way over cooked and dried out. Below is a pic from Father's Day Brisket thread that Austin Ag Chef cooked and this is what I'd prefer my flat to look like. Smoke ring looks awesome though.

agcrock2005 said:

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Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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This is what mine look like coming off my WSM. I apply mustard and rub a few hours before I put it on. I think that, as well adding some lump charcoal has helped. You're right that it doesn't effect flavor so if it tastes good don't screw with it too much. Applying the rub early and throwing the meat on cold has the biggest difference in my smoke ring. My rub is half kosher salt and half coarse black pepper, with a little garlic and cayenne. The kosher salt in the run probably helps a bit too.

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I think you accidentally burned the dog **** out of that thing.

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If you think that's "burned" it makes me wonder if you've ever had Texas brisket.

The only thing I'm trying to achieve is good flavor and texture. I get it every time. You're right it looks a bit dry in that picture, but it wasn't. I've burned or undercooked plenty as I was learning, but I've got it down now. The rings I get aren't always that big, sometimes a little less. But all I care about is does it eat good.

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If you think that's "cooked right" it makes me wonder if you've ever had good Texas brisket.

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FIFY. I've been to probably 35 of the TM top 50. Almost as big a BBQ snob as Cdub. I'd be interested in his thoughts on this one, but he's probably a little nicer and won't say anything. I would have kept quiet too if it was a thread about "look at the brisket I cooked" but the thread is about the smoke ring and while that smoke ring looks awesome, the meat doesn't.

Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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The only thing I'm trying to achieve is good flavor and texture. I get it every time. You're right it looks a bit dry in that picture, but it wasn't. I've burned or undercooked plenty as I was learning, but I've got it down now. The rings I get aren't always that big, sometimes a little less. But all I care about is does it eat good.

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Awesome. Wasn't trying to be a dick. Sorry if it came across that way. I know briskets when cut can soak up all the juices and appear dry as crap, especially if not rested properly..

agcrock2005 said:

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Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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The only thing I'm trying to achieve is good flavor and texture. I get it every time. You're right it looks a bit dry in that picture, but it wasn't. I've burned or undercooked plenty as I was learning, but I've got it down now. The rings I get aren't always that big, sometimes a little less. But all I care about is does it eat good.

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Awesome. Wasn't trying to be a dick. Sorry if it came across that way. I know briskets when cut can soak up all the juices and appear dry as crap, especially if not rested properly..

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Didn't think you were. I also cut this one wrong, had the fat ont he bottom.

agcrock2005 said:

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If you think that's "cooked right" it makes me wonder if you've ever had good Texas brisket.

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FIFY. I've been to probably 35 of the TM top 50. Almost as big a BBQ snob as Cdub. I'd be interested in his thoughts on this one, but he's probably a little nicer and won't say anything. I would have kept quiet too if it was a thread about "look at the brisket I cooked" but the thread is about the smoke ring and while that smoke ring looks awesome, the meat doesn't.

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If you think his is burnt you probably think Franklin's are lumps of coal. His are almost black.

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If you think his is burnt you probably think Franklin's are lumps of coal. His are almost black.

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Lumps of delicious coal that are very juicy on the inside. Best I've ever had. Snows is a close second.

barbeque is a very individual taste. Different strokes for different folks.

Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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This is what mine look like coming off my WSM. I apply mustard and rub a few hours before I put it on. I think that, as well adding some lump charcoal has helped. You're right that it doesn't effect flavor so if it tastes good don't screw with it too much. Applying the rub early and throwing the meat on cold has the biggest difference in my smoke ring. My rub is half kosher salt and half coarse black pepper, with a little garlic and cayenne. The kosher salt in the run probably helps a bit too.

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Based on the stuff I've read, like the link to amazingribs posted by others; the lump charcoal was probably what gave you the better ring. More NO and CO to bind the heme in the myoglobin.

You'd probably get a really nice smoke ring from cyanide, but it's not recommended.

Nm

charcoal produces a ton of NO.

I typically shut my smoker down when I am done, and the coals that are left in the firebox become my kindling for the next cook. paper towel dipped in canola oil underneath the coals, with wood stacked on top of the coals.

After reading the amazing ribs article, I started keeping back two softball size chunks of coal from the starter. When the smoke gets nice and blue, I will drop one of those in the box, wait for the smoke to clear up again, and then start the briskets.

The other chunk of coal is reserved for the next time I fill up the firebox with wood. I will drop the other piece of coal in there along with the wood.

Used this method twice so far. Noticed a much bigger ring one of these two times, so it is still a bit of a crap shoot.

BusterAg said:

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charcoal produces a ton of NO.

I typically shut my smoker down when I am done, and the coals that are left in the firebox become my kindling for the next cook. paper towel dipped in canola oil underneath the coals, with wood stacked on top of the coals.

After reading the amazing ribs article, I started keeping back two softball size chunks of coal from the starter. When the smoke gets nice and blue, I will drop one of those in the box, wait for the smoke to clear up again, and then start the briskets.

The other chunk of coal is reserved for the next time I fill up the firebox with wood. I will drop the other piece of coal in there along with the wood.

Used this method twice so far. Noticed a much bigger ring one of these two times, so it is still a bit of a crap shoot.

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I've never tried the canola oil method, how long does it burn for? And do you ever have issues not getting the coals lit or not getting them lit evenly?


EDIT: Brisket from last weekend. (This felt like a good thread to shameless post some brisket pics )

Canola oil makes the paper towel burn like a wick, so no ash and a slow warm burn to get it going again.

My buddy uses a hot iron to restart his every time.