Smoke ring

[totally smoked]

Ok....I'm pretty new to smoking. I've been grilling since I was knee high to a bug eater (husker ref.) but I wanna learn. Junk yard dog ask me a question about the smoke ring and the lack thereof. Hmmmm.... Ok.. I cook with lump charcoal... and I add wood for smoke..sometimes hickory, apple, or cherry. I'm limited to a point of available wood so i limit how much i add to my pit. Long run for a short slide..........How much wood smoke and for how long? Do I need to keep a chunk on for the duration? I was told...after a couple of hours on the pit the smoke wont penetrate and it's a waste of wood. Ok...before you yell at me, like I said..I don't have a big supply of wood but lump is plentiful. Thanks guys..
TS
8)

[HFD26]

It's been said that when the internal temp. of the meat reaches about 150* you got all the smoke ring you gonna get. Try placing the meat cold on the pit, keep a light blue haze smoke until you reach 165* internal temp. If you decide to foil it, add a liquid like beer, or beef broth. Then take it to 195*, pull it and place it in the ice chest for about an hour. Take it out, unfoil it, and let it rest for about 30 minutes to an hour before slicing. I hope that helps, good luck.

[totally smoked]

Thanks Mr. 26. I'll give er a shot

[SoEzzy]

Your smoke ring forms because of a reaction between the nitrates ond nitrites in the wood smoke, and the myoglobin in the cells of the meat.

It forms best across a moist surface, and will form up to about 140 F, once the internal temperature of the meat is past this then the smoke ring wont get any thicker.

However the amount of smoke that meat will take will continue until you take the meat off the pit, this affects the smoky taste not the appearance.

If wood is in short supply, put the soke on for the first 5 hours or so, much past that and you're only adding to the taste not the smoke ring.

[totally smoked]

Hmmmmm.. ok.. from what i've gathered so far is the smoke ring is not so much a requirement in a good smoked product as it is a visual effect. Is this close? The reason I say this is the brisket I did over the 4th Didn't have but a quarter inch of a ring but the taste was very well accepted. There is a competition coming up in sept. here and is a kcbs sanctioned event, I think it will be fun. Not looking to win....but you never know from what I 've been reading here. And yes there will be pics.
Thanks again guys,
TS
8)