Blackened surface on long cooks using Billows on Weber

[doctormeat]

I've been using the thermoworks billows on my Weber kettle for several years. Occasionally on long Cooks the surface of the meat will come out blackened. Today it happened up with some ribs I cooked. I had the temperature dialed into 225 and after 4 hours I took a peek and the surface of the ribs had been scorched. There's no record in the signals graph of a flare up. I've got the ambient temperature probe sitting about 3 in from the meat. This has happened in the past a couple of times with a pork butt and once with a brisket. It's as if the temperature gets way too hot somewhere besides where the probe is. Or something is producing way too much sooty smoke stuff.

I use the SNS insert for the charcoal. Start with a dozen coals and then fill the rest of the basket once they're lit. One chunk of wood on top. I fill the water trough at the beginning of the cook.

I also have the SNS cast iron drip pan underneath the meat.

Any ideas for troubleshooting this thing?

[HawkerXP]

Charcoal?


I don’t believe in that 225* thing.

[HawkerXP]

Cook at a higher temperature. 👍🏼

[RonB]

Was it like this?



That's what I look for. It's not burned, and it's mighty tasty.

[Jessterr]

How did the ribs taste? I’ll third the above suggestions of cooking at a slightly higher temperature, say 250 or 275. Won’t hurt a thing, and will provide a cleaner burn with the added benefit of a faster cook. Like HawkerXP , I never shoot for 225, for ribs and pork butt it’s always 250 on up to 275.

[doctormeat]

I put a glaze on the ribs at the end of the cook and that mask to the burnt taste so they were good. Without that though they would have tasted charred.

[Jessterr]

doctormeat Hmmm. I’d still think that a flare up being the cause is most unlikely, especially considering that the graph on your Thermoworks unit didn’t show any indications of it. Since it is now hot summer the Billows would not need to come on very frequently to maintain a temperature as low as 225, and with charcoal and wood chunks that may well have led to smoldering conditions resulting in a dirty burn. I’d definitely try a repeat rib cook targeting 250-275, and see how that works out.

[J-Melt]

This really confuses me as the only real way you would get a charred taste is if you severely overcooked and went way beyond 203 degrees, or your fire did some major flare up that would be impossible to miss as it would have taken a really long time to come down in temp.

I pretty much expect my meat to come out of smoking with some form of blackening, as that is what develops the crust. Much in line with the picture above from RonB.

Can you post some pictures of the meat you are referencing? Or post pictures next time it happens?