Smokin a boneless butt w/q-view

[magnus]

Preparation began last night. 8 lb. boneless butt. Soaked it overnight in beer & apple juice.

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• magnus
• Aug 21, 2015

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• magnus
• Aug 21, 2015

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• magnus
• Aug 21, 2015

It's been a nice quiet day. Perfect for some quality smokin time. I'm trying to figure out how to get good butt bark. Seriously, I can cook a great butt, but I haven't been able to get the bark like I want. Any advice please?

 

[chewmeister]

It's been my experience that to get good bark, no foil and no water pan but I'm using an electric smoker.

 

[magnus]

Interesting.  Adding a water pan is side-pit doctrine these days.  It rarely, if ever made it into my old Brinkmann & Char Broil horizontals, but that was due mostly to size constraints.  I also drank the bbq kool-aid and snatched up a wsm.  

 

[magnus]

Bark!

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• magnus
• Aug 27, 2015

 

[crazymoon]

M, looking good !!

 

[magnus]

M, looking good !!

Thanks!

 

[GaryHibbert]

Looks great.  Seems you found how to get good bark!!!

Gary

 

[magnus]

Looks great.  Seems you found how to get good bark!!!

Gary

Thank you!

Kept the pan uncovered the entire time. Maintained 250* temp. Only peaked twice, quickly. The first peak was to rotate the pan. The second peak was to refill the water pan. Never basted. Never wrapped in foil. Removed the butt from the smoker when the internal temp hit 200 degrees. Then it rested before being pulled.

I also put very little salt in the rub. I'm not sure if it contributed to the bark. But for all future pork shoulders I definitely will not be adding anywhere near the amount of salt that many rubs call for. Just a preference.