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Electric Smoker...no smoke ring

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pellis04

pellis04

Newbie
Original poster
Sep 4, 2017
10
10
Did my first brisket smoke tonight and it came out really well!

Here's my one frustration.  When I sliced it open, there was ZERO smoke ring.  Wife and 4 year old REALLY liked it, but there was literally zero ring.  Smoked 100% of the time on an electric with Hickory and Apple.  225 degrees.  Please help.
 
As you found out, electric smokers can put out great bbq, but you won't get a smoke ring. In my MES I have been able to get a small ring by dropping a couple of pre-lit charcoals into the chip tray (I use an AMNS for smoke).
 
A good smoke ring is around a 1/4 inch in thickness. The smoke ring is caused by nitric acid building up in the surface of the meat, absorbed from the surface. This nitric acid is formed when nitrogen dioxide from wood Combustion in smoke mixes with the natural water in the meat. Basically, it is a chemical reaction between the smoke and the meat and a prized element in all types and variations of traditional barbecue.

So how to do you get the best smoke ring? Opinions vary. Generally, water soaked wood produces more nitrogen dioxide loaded smoke than dry wood, but only by a small margin. If you really want to make sure you get a smoke ring then cheat. Coating meat with a salt tenderizer like Morton's Tender Quick will load up the surface of the meat with nitrogen dioxide and give you a great smoke ring. Because of the prevalence of this kind of "cheating", smoke rings are no longer taken into consideration in barbecue competitions.
 
PEllis04 said:
 
Did my first brisket smoke tonight and it came out really well!

Here's my one frustration.  When I sliced it open, there was ZERO smoke ring.  Wife and 4 year old REALLY liked it, but there was literally zero ring.  Smoked 100% of the time on an electric with Hickory and Apple.  225 degrees.  Please help.
Click to expand...
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/128506/the-smoke-ring-mystery

one trick I found for getting a good ring in an electric is bark. yes. tree bark. get some of the bark of whatever wood you're using, break it up and mix it with your chips. it's got the largest amount of nitrogen-containing material (excepting leaves) on the tree, and enriching your smoke composition should give you that nice pretty ring. (and I will admit, it's hard to look at a slice of brisket and not see it....kinda seems a bit wrong and disappointing..) 

I'd usually sub out about 1/4 of my chips for bark shreds or chips (I've also gotten good results with the hulls, if you're using a nut wood.. like pecan - bother the local sheller/dealer for their hulls.. they're glad to be rid of them, and they're fairly nitrogen rich as well) 
 
Last edited:
You can get a smoke ring in an electric. Use your chips in the chip tray, and apply smoke from 90 to 145 IT, then swap over and put a couple a charcoal bricquets every 60 mins. You can achieve a smoke ring, not a predominate smoke ring but a ring. You basically are giving up your smoke ring for the ability to not need to tend the firebox.

Not a bad swap IMHO.

Old picture can you see my smoke ring?

IMG_6180_comp.JPG

IMG_6180_comp.JPG

 
Last edited:
(points up) what Foamheart said. also a note for the briquettes, kingsford uses sodium nitrate in theirs as a lighting aid - so that brand should contribute to the smoke ring mojo as well.

@Foamheart

I sure wouldn't complain at a ring like that!

 
Looks-Great.gif


pity I'm waiting on some cash in to get mine back up and running... but patience is a virtue, I suppose. ​
 
Last edited:
So, chips from start to 145, then a few charcoal briquettes? Do I Fred charcoal for the rest? Mix in any chips at all?
 
You can, but you can save your chips till its IT is 80 to 90. until that point the meat is only marginally accepting smoke.

If your electric is like mine, you'll only get like 2 or 4 briquets in at a time, no room for anything else.
 
Ok,just to be 100% sure I have this...

1. Heat only to 90
2. Chips only 90-140
3. Charcoal only 140-190

Does it matter if it's briquettes or lump? Specific brand? Broken up or whole?
 
Heat to an IT (internal temp) of 80/90 degrees you can use charcoal during this period

Smoke from 80/90 IT to 150 IT, then revert to charcoal for the remainder of the smoke.

Seems I used brickettes and pieces. It was either Royal Oak or Kingsford, doubt it matters much. I only did it once to see if it worked.
 
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