First smoke chuck roast bombed

[nmhuntr]

I bought the Pit Boss Electric smoker and decided to try a chuck roast for my first try. I bought a 4.4 lb Angus roast. I used Cherry wood chips. I used yellow mustard and a dry rub. I tried to keep the temp at about 225 but after adding chips it would fo to 260 and back down to what ended up being about 233. This was measured with the probe that came with the smoker hanging inside. Not ideal but my inkbird wont be here until next week. I kept water in the pan and at about 150 degrees I wrapped in foil. I took it out at 185 degrees and let it rest 30 minutes. It did not have much flavor which I can blame the rub I chose for some of that. I saw no smoke ring on the meat at all but it was dry. As I unwrapped the foil there was fluid in the foil but when cutting into the meat it wad dry.

Please give me some pointer for correcting this.

Thanks a lot

 

[Kevin DeShazo]

First, welcome aboard electric smokers rarely produce a smoke ring, so dont be concerned over that.

Not sure about PB but the water pan in a Masterbuilt serves better as a drip pan than water pan. They are usually sealed enough they hold in moisture.

Also wondering if your temp probe was off and meat was overcooked.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Lack of a smoke ring is one of the draw backs of electric smokers.
An electric just does not get hot enough to combust the chips to produce nitric oxide that reacts with myoglobin proteins in meat. The chips just smolder. That doesn't mean you can't good smoke flavor, it just means you won't get a smoke ring.

The temp spikes are a non issue.

As for the chuckie being dry, when you wrapped it, did you add in some liquid too?

PS. I rarely use water in my pan. The only time I do is when the outside humidity and dew point are in the low teens. Otherwise, electrics are pretty tight and lack massive air flow. This is kind of a plus...in a way.

 

[mike243]

I have always used the water pan in my masterbuilt without any problems, 0 smoke ring with electric but you cant taste 1 any way, some times the meat wins no mater how well you done your job, on the MB you have to add wood every 30-60 minutes depending on what you are using, the 1 tray wont do a lot of smoke flavor, I normally do 2-3 hours or more depending on what I am smoking

 

[mike243]

Bark and a smoke ring are overrated imo ymmv

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Also, until you can get your Inkbird, you are kind of flying blind as to what the real chamber temps are. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[nmhuntr]

First, welcome aboard electric smokers rarely produce a smoke ring, so dont be concerned over that.

Not sure about PB but the water pan in a Masterbuilt serves better as a drip pan than water pan. They are usually sealed enough they hold in moisture.

Also wondering if your temp probe was off and meat was overcooked.

Thanks
I know the PB temp probe that monitors the temp is off what I have it set at. I tried to use their provided meat probe but it was just dangling and was in contact with the side at times. I am hoping the inkbird (which comes with a clip for the probe will provide a better idea of where I am at. PB is also sending me a new probe as well.

 

[nmhuntr]

I have always used the water pan in my masterbuilt without any problems, 0 smoke ring with electric but you cant taste 1 any way, some times the meat wins no mater how well you done your job, on the MB you have to add wood every 30-60 minutes depending on what you are using, the 1 tray wont do a lot of smoke flavor, I normally do 2-3 hours or more depending on what I am smoking

I was adding about every 1hr to 1hr 15 min. in order to try and keep smoke going. It was 7 hours to get the meat to 185 based on an external probe I was using. I know when I would hit the smoke button after I had opened it to add water it would spike to 265 (if you can believe the reader) and stay there a while.
Thanks a lot

 

[Kevin DeShazo]

When you opened it up, you introduced more oxygen and adddd wood will cause temp spike, not an issue.

To redeem it, make your chuckie into chili, I bombed a brisket once, made great chilil though.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

When you opened it up, you introduced more oxygen and adddd wood will cause temp spike, not an issue.

To redeem it, make your chuckie into chili, I bombed a brisket once, made great chilil though.

Ain't that the truth.
Nothing goes to waste because we can always eat our mistakes.

 

[smokinstubbs]

I bought the Pit Boss Electric smoker and decided to try a chuck roast for my first try.
Please give me some pointer for correcting this.
Thanks a lot

You need to use it more and break it in and get it seasoned with smoke and stuff. Good Luck

 

[flatbroke]

Sorry it didn’t work out. Don’t be too hard in yourself it happens and to Z zippy12 alot

 

[noboundaries]

I took it out at 185 degrees and let it rest 30 minutes. It did not have much flavor which I can blame the rub I chose for some of that. I saw no smoke ring on the meat at all but it was dry.

Flavor issues aside:
1. 185F is underdone.
2. It was dry because it was underdone.
3. A 30 minute rest is pretty quick. Shoot for 1-3 hours in a warm environment.

No mention of probing the meat. At 185F you would have had to push pretty hard to get a probe into the meat. Temp is a guideline, not a destination, especially with a chuckie. You were at least 10-20F away from tender.

Ya gotta melt the collagen to get a tender, juicy chuckie. That takes heat and time.

 

[nmhuntr]

Flavor issues aside:
1. 185F is underdone.
2. It was dry because it was underdone.
3. A 30 minute rest is pretty quick. Shoot for 1-3 hours in a warm environment.

No mention of probing the meat. At 185F you would have had to push pretty hard to get a probe into the meat. Temp is a guideline, not a destination, especially with a chuckie. You were at least 10-20F away from tender.

Ya gotta melt the collagen to get a tender, juicy chuckie. That takes heat and time.

thanks a lot

 

[Buckeye1]

Noboundries is spot on. I did one last week, pulled at 205 and put it in a cooler wrapped it towels for 1 1/2 hours to rest. It was very moist.

 

[nmhuntr]

Noboundries is spot on. I did one last week, pulled at 205 and put it in a cooler wrapped it towels for 1 1/2 hours to rest. It was very moist.

Thanks

 

[JckDanls 07]

The first thing I would do when you get the new inkbird... calibrate the probes in boiling water... pending your elevation as to what temp the boiling waters gonna be...

I'm not familiar with your smoker but is there a way to test the probes on it for accuracy ??

 

[EdP]

thanks a lot

You didn’t mention how long it was on your smoker, I smoke 4lb chucks a lot and they take me 10 hours at 250+ to get to pull apart tender.

 

[nmhuntr]

You didn’t mention how long it was on your smoker, I smoke 4lb chucks a lot and they take me 10 hours at 250+ to get to pull apart tender.

It was 7 hours to get to 185 degrees

 

[noboundaries]

Chuckies CAN be the most unpredictable piece of meat you'll ever stick in your smoker. I once smoked a 3.5 lb'er for 8 hours and it never got tender. Took more than two hours the next day in braising liquid before it got tender. Made great chili!