What the heck is this? Should I worry? Here's my guess...

[geoNaCl]

Okay... Got several hunks of heritage pork from a whole hog butcher class Saturday morning (2 days ago). This stuff is super fresh and has been prepared a la recommendations on AR. What you'll see below is my (amateur cut and tied) Boston Butt next to the only ribs I could negotiate for in a large group that shared the product. So, with a small sample, I decided to throw it flat on the grate next to my butt...

Obviously, I'm questioning the black goo that had appeared on the ribs when I opened up after an hour. I wouldn't fret about a little spot of blood or what have you squirting from some connective corner, but this doesn't seem to be blood or anything else appropriate from healthy meat. But then...I realized I had the ribs right under my exhaust stack on the Bronco drum. I'm using a water pan to keep things a little more moist and maintain temp on this chilly day. I think as the steamy exhaust is exiting the cooler, narrow chimney, it's condensing, running back down--full of creosote--and dripping black bitterness on whatever is below. Now that I look at the picture, I'm even more convinced by the ring shape. <facepalm>

Have others experienced this? Think it's a conclusion I can be confident in? Ever seen meat do this in any other situation?


Thanks, as always. I've been away for the busy holidays...

[Steve R.]

That's exactly what it looks like to me. I'd clean that off somehow, move it out from under the exhaust vent, and smoke on.

[Ahumadora]

Yep another reason why most professional pits don't have a stack directly above the meat. When cooking large quantity of meats at high temp there is almost a spray or fog of grease coming out the stack (or running down it).

[texastweeter]

yep, it's raining grease!

[THE Humble Texan]

Insulate your stack and place a small bowl of foil under it to see it that fixes the problem. You could place a thin pan of water on the grill by itself and try it nt the coldest of temps. If the insulation work when it is seriously cold then our problem is solved.

[Bkhuna]

Scrub it with a clean washcloth soaked in bourbon.

[klflowers]

What??? And waste good bourbon???

[ComfortablyNumb]

klflowers That's why you get two bottles!

[klflowers]

ComfortablyNumb, no I get 2 bottles to drink 2 bottles...

[FishTalesNC]

I’d take a different approach and remove the water pan. While poking around on their site someone asked about using one and they said to not do it due to the naturally higher humidity in the barrel. Others here have noted this in the PBC as well. Use the heat diffuser if you want to even out the heat. I haven’t cooked on the Bronco in super cold weather (yet) but it’s in the mid 30’s here right now and I’m smoking bacon with absolutely no issues maintaining temp. I think you’ve just made it a sauna in there (albeit a crazy good smelling one) and it’s condensing on its way up the outtake stack and dripping back down.

Best of luck...

[tbob4]

That is a really good point and one I didn't think of when I read the question. I have vertical smokers. I keep the tops and sides pretty clean using a putty knife, as well as the smoke stacks. I use a water pan with regularity. Without the cleaning that does happen.

[Troutman]

Beware the Black Goo !!!

[texastweeter]

your pork has been infected by the Venom parasite. Call Peter Parker asap.

[Bob's BBQ]

This happens on my big smoker when I use water pans. I made deflectors for my stacks so the condensation doesn't fall on the grates.