Pork Butt Bark MIA

[MAZZ_IN_NJ]

OK so my first smoke several weeks ago with bone in pork shoulder went amazing and the bark was perfect however since then I've been having trouble getting that same bark back. I'm using mustard / Wolfs Rub... WSM - temp is about 250 - keeping it in until Maverick probe hits 195 or so. so putting aside rub mustard water in pan and temp, what the hell could the issue be? Any ideas would be grateful.

 

[Griff]

Nice avatar. I've seen that somewhere else before.

 

[wittdog]

I've seen it to Griff....
Did you use the same amount of Rub?

 

[MAZZ_IN_NJ]

Yeah I went heavy on the rub could that be why?
My apologies if I mistakenly nabbed someones avatar I'll change it soon.

 

[Tri Tip]

go heavier on the rub your doing fine though. Sometimes more smoke will make more bark/darker etc.

 

[wittdog]

You didn't nab any ones avatar. Your good to go.

 

[MAZZ_IN_NJ]

I talked with someone today that mentioned you should never mess with your dome damper and he mentioned that the issue could also be where the probe is being placed in the butt. So I'm picking one up Thurs for a Friday afternoon smoke and will take a few snapshots to post. Hopefully this goes better.

 

[bbquzz]

A guy standing by a WSM or a woman getting smoke blown up her skirt .... I'd go back to your original avatar Mazz If Wittdog says it's okay, it's okay!

 

[Bob In Fla.]

Back to your original question...

Rub ingredients and some smoke make the bark. Did you maybe use too much of that mustard? You don't really need mustard, it doesn't help to make the bark, and unless your meat is dry, you shouldn't need any to hold the rub on.

BOB

 

[DJ]

I'm with Bob on this one...
dj

 

[bigwheel]

Well think everybody seem to be talking sense here. For good barking direct over the coals is head an shoulders above the closest wannabe for second place. If you have say an largish butt 7 or 8 lbs cutting half in two is a good way to double the outside meat surface area where within the sought after flavor is located. Now the big boys make their own bark. I teach folks how to do that free but the shipping and handling is five bucks. Let me know. Thanks.

 

[MAZZ_IN_NJ]

I found the problem. It was the probe not being int he right spot.

 

[bigwheel]

You using a probe for a bark checker? Whutchou smoking Boy? lol.

 

[Bob In Fla.]

You using a probe for a bark checker? Whutchou smoking Boy? lol.

:drinkers:

 

[bbquzz]

What Bob said

 

[MAZZ_IN_NJ]

I usually go by the probe temp on pulling it off the smoker. I usually pull it at 195 - 200. However when I had been pulling it I guess it wasn't hitting that temp in all the spots.

 

[bigwheel]

Ahh ok gotcha.

 

[Max1]

You may want to clean those probes off, most people tend to forget how to clean the instruments that we use.