Need Tips to Get Bark Using Camp Chef Woodwind

[Brian K]

Hi all,

A few months ago I upgraded my Lil’ Texas Elite to a Camp Chef Woodwind. Overall, the quality and consistency of my smokes is way better. The only issue is that I can’t get a good bark on my brisket (or chuck, for that matter).

I’m dry brining and using Meathead’s beef rub recipe. My pellets are a mix of the Camp Chef Competition and Camp Chef Charwood. I cook at a steady 225.

What am I doing wrong, or what could I do differently?

Thanks in advance.

[Huskee]

My biggest questions are 1) are you wrapping? 2) If so, when?

Here's what I do, not that my way is best since there are many ways to produce great results. I wrap, but I wait until after the stall to wrap, when the meat is at about 180 or thereabouts. At 225-250ish this is about at 7-8hrs in, roughly. Then, whether you wrap with paper or foil, there is typically enough bark built up that wrapping won't negatively affect it.

You could also try cooking a pinch higher, at say 250-275.

[Brian K]

I haven’t wrapped in the new smoker. I get a killer smoke ring, but no bark.

I think I’m going to try it at 250. The old Traeger, set at 225, would often get up to 250 before regulating. The Woodwind runs 220-230.

How much quicker will it cook at 250? I normally put it on at midnight, pull it 11-12 hours later and false cambro until it’s time to eat. At 250, could I put it on at 6 am, pull it around 4 and let it sit for a few hours?

[rickgregory]

You could also try cooking a pinch higher, at say 250-275.

THIS. 225 is not an ideal, it's just a preference,

[Backroadmeats]

Get the temp up!! As long as my smoker is under 325 I don't worry at all. For me it is better bark and less time. Oh I never wrap anything!!

[Huskee]

Brian are you monitoring your actual cooking temp where the meat sits with a digital probe at grate level, or are you trusting the cooker's readout? Sometimes they're off. You might be cooking below 225 and not realize it. My pellet rig happens to cook about 25-35 higher in the center of the grate than it shows on its readout

I don't know how to compute the quicker cooking time when going from 225 to 250 or 275. Not sure there's a formula, since there's not really a repeatable formula to start with regarding cooking time. Many will say x-amount of hours per x-amount of meat weight, but that's anecdotal at best in my experience. I think it's safe to say if you up the cook temp by 50 deg you might be able to shave an hour off, but that's a ballpark guess.

Bark forms from the evaporation of juices mixed with the rub and sugar and fats all glazing together over time. Usually we see less bark on a quicker cook. For instance you don't get much bark on a pork loin but you do on a pork butt. It's odd that an unwrapped brisket cook at 225 gets "no bark".

[glitchy]

If you are going to cook hotter, you might run an hour or two at 200-225 first, then bump to 250-275. Smoke output will drop some at higher temps. I don’t remember bark problems with my Woodwind at all, but usually was at 275 for chuck roast after an hour or two.

Here’s a chuckie from my Woodwind when I had it. I believe it was even foil wrapped about 170 IT as the pic after shows it shredded in tacos and I usually foil for that.

[Brian K]

Thanks all for the advice! I’m throwing a brisket on at 6:00 am this Friday for my daughter’s college graduation party that evening. I’ll start it at "225, high smoke" for an hour or so, and then jack it up to 265 for the remainder.

[jgreen]

You could also try increasing the sugar slightly in your rub

[Baltimorelger]

Since it’s a pellet grill, you also could go super low heat / high smoke. I didn’t an overnight brisket and did 8 hours at 190 and then wrapped at 160. (Picture is 8 hours) The bark came out perfect in the end (the brisket not so much because I got anxious and pulled it early)