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7 replies

Dumping Moisture ???

M mrt 2Where there's smoke, there's beer.
Thought it best to start a new thread. Just curious as to why some think it is so important to “dump moisture” during a cook. It has always been my impression for years that moisture during a cook was a good thing. Example, the water pan smokers that some swear by. The moister that my Amerique produces is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. At times I will place a can of soy and juice mixture on the fire box for added moisture and flavor. It is my impression that you are working to get for example a crispy skin on chicken. Although we do enjoy going to KFC when we are in a town big enough to have one, the problem of edible skin is not a problem as far as we are concerned with the A/Q. Realizing of course everyone has different taste.

This past weekend we did a 5# chicken, butterflied (back bone and keel bone removed) like we have been doing for many years with one exception. Brined for 24 hours, air dry in fridge for 16 hours, applied rub then placed on middle rack skin side down at 275° for one hour. Then I tried the buttered cheese cloth technique skin side up. At 165° (1hour 50 minutes) opened door to cool smoker down and let it go to hold for ½ hour. Result was a bird that had a nice color, very juicy with edible skin, not rubbery. The next time I do one like this, I will remove the cheese cloth while it is resting in the smoker. I liked the cheese cloth method as the bird cooked even faster because I only had to open the door once versus twice for basting in the past.

Comments please as I may be missing something.

Tom
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T tomMember
Cooking full loads can create a lot of water and they may not help the skin on poultry,bark on butts/briskets,or on slabs of ribs.Pellicle on six dozen fish fillets,etc.

Second section wing tips may not like mushy.

I can probably think of 100 things that like,or don't like water.

Cooking one of any of these,I've learned enough tricks that if I really wanted to spend the time/effort/expense I can often force the ingredients and cooker to make a change.

If,I enjoy the ease of a CS,and may be cooking 40 pounds of assorted product,and all it requires is a couple door openings-where I might check/spray/slather,flip/rotate,sample my products-I personally think the door opening is almost a "godsend".

Just my $0.02 Cool
P pagsMember
The Cookshack produces a fairly moist environment which is good when doing brisket. Dumping moisture towards the end of a smoke may help firm up the bark on meats like ribs or pork butt. May also want to dump some moisture when doing chicken. Obvious with jerky. Eliminating some moisture becomes a personal preference. I do and don't do it depending on how the smoke is going.
FM Former Member
Do you have to? Nope, CS designed them to be humid smokers to help the success of the average cook.

Dumping moisture can be a tricky thing because you may dump too much because you've also dumping heat.

I dump moisture because I prefer a dry, more conventional bark. In most electric CS, it tends to have a more steamed texture.

It's for personal perference.
cal 2cal 2Member
There is a fine cook that explained to me that sometimes some cooks don't even know what they know. Now who would leave someone wondering the answer to that? Oh well!

While I still know that my brisket won't be done at 190*, I found myself opening the door and readjusting the probe to the cool spot. I ask myself, is it just to dump moisture or the need to look at the product. The door will be opened a couple more times before I remove the packer to split the flat and point.Why?

Why do I open the door on my ribs at 3hrs, when I've cooked enough times to know they won't be ready. Guess cause Smokin' told me too or could be I just want to dump moisture and see what's happening.Ya know, I'm from the "show me state". Yes, the door will be opened another time before I take them out.

Some products benefit from the extra attention, but then again, lots of fine cooks say if you're looking you ain't cooking.

Just so many ways to make good que and a cook just needs to do what's comfortable.

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