why turning so black

cowtrimmer · Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 4

why does the meat that I'm smoking turn so black.it almost has a charbroiled crust on it.it happens with chicken pieces,beer can chicken,roasts etc. I keep my heat about 200 degree's + - 20 and have used hickory,apple,apricot and peach woods.The only common factor is that I also use oak. I cannot imagine doing a smoke for longer than 6 hours or you couldn't fight your way through the crust that develops.

jess · Posted: Jul 07 2008 Post subject:

What are you cooking on?

Mike Lawry · Posted: Jul 07 2008 Post subject:

Do your rubs contain sugar?

Mike Lawry.

SoEzzy · Posted: Jul 07 2008 Post subject:

Are you choking down the exhaust to control your temperature or do you have a small hot fire burning instead of a large cool fire?
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cowtrimmer · Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 4

I use a chargriller with a side fire box ,as far as the sugar I dont believe so but i do use a lot of apple juice and honey in my mop mixes.I have choked down the exhaust to control temp,It seems like i have to get a pretty hot fire going to maintain a 220 degree oven.I monitor the temperature at the grate and dont pay to much attention to the built in one on the lid.

lantern · Posted: Jul 07 2008 Post subject:

Don't choke the exhaust. Control the heat with the vents on the fire.

When you choke the exhaust piles of smoke build up and do bad things to the meat.

Also, I'm seeing honey as your culprit on the crust. Honey don't come near my stuff until 30ish minutes from the end. Also it makes for a nice wet and sticky surface for all that soot that your making by choking the exhaust.

cowtrimmer · Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 4

Thanks for the exhaust recommendation.I looked at my exhaust tube and i think it's the culprit.There was plenty black sticky creosote on it.

USDA Monkey · Posted: Jul 11 2008 Post subject:

If you have a silver smoker you can pretty much close the firebox vent all the way and still run a clean fire because of the air leaks. Leave the exhaust wide open. You can also try using less smoke wood.

Your baste should contain very little to no sugar.
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howufiga · Joined: 15 May 2008 Posts: 24

That happened to me when I would throw in dry wood chucks onto the coals during the smoking. the beer can chicken i made looked like a blackened duck from one of those chinese smokehouses! lol.