Experimenting with Rubs

You might try cutting one up... that would allow you to try several rubs etc at once.

You could also try out on smaller/cheaper cuts if you can find em.

I find that I can guage pretty well from smell/taste what will work before ever putting it to meat.

Thanks for the information. I wonder how rubs, marinades etc. would effect different cuts of meat with different fat caps and marbling? Would the bark taste different because of the different flavors in the different cuts of beef?

I have been using my smokette for over 4 years, and have used apple, hickory, peach, sweetwood blend, cherry, and pear. You can pick this wood up at HyVee in Liberty for $2.00/bag. My favorite is a combo of apple & pear.
My experience with rubs is just find the right rub's for your taste. Different rubs have no effect on bark taste, Check out the American Royal in October, and go to their free rub tasteing area.
I use marinades primarily for london broil and flank steak. Kens marinades is a good choice. I tried it on some spare ribs, and they were tender as usual and very tasty.

Mark,

If I remember from another post, you're new to the Smokin' thing?

If so, go simple. Brisket work really well and until you master them, you'll just be wasting rub. A brisket, with salt/pepper/garlic salt is enough to make everyone very happy if it's smoked correctly.

If it's a big enough one, you can section it up to experiment, like 'AF said.

And think of this, if you're wanting to sell it, will the public like the fancy flavors of a good rub, or will they want it covered in sauce (yes).

Smokin'

Thanks for the down to earth advice. I believe the term is Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S.) This is a good example of me making things much more complicated than they need to be.

I am not really trying to develop a product that "sells" so much as one that I can be consistently proud of. I serve brisket at the restaurant one day a week in order to support my "smoking" habit. But if I understand what you all have been saying it's learn the basics first before trying to get fancy.

Not to change topics too much, but my briskets have a decent smoke flavor (No smoke ring though even after trying the charcoal trick, I experimented with tenderquick today but haven't checked it yet) but there is a slight to moderate bitter aftertaste. Nothing that can't be cured with a little sauce, but I can't figure out whether it's oversmoked, creosote or the type of wood I have been using. I have been using primarily Hickory chunks with some Apple. My rigged firebox tends to flare up, smoke hard and then taper off. I am fiddling with it to try to even out the burn, but so far it won't cooperate. I am not a Cookshack owner yet so the firebox comment probably doesn't make a lot of sense but I brought it up to ask the question If a smoker produces heavy smoke for a shorter duration, will it produce a different product than a lighter, longer, more even smoke? (I use a propane burner as a heat source so temperature fluctuation isn't an issue I don't think anyway). AND might the heavy smoke be producing the bitterness even though the brisket doesn't really taste oversmoked?

Thanks again for your input and I hope I haven't gone and complicated things already.

man, you got a lot of questions in there, mark. its like looking in a mirror a year ago. i too, had a ton of questions like yours. think of it like pratice in a sport. say, if you are working on your golf game, there are a ton of relative focus points. your arms, head, feet, hips, stance etc. each one changes everything. same with bbq.
i strongly recommend using smokins advice from last year and document everything. then change one thing at a time and observe the difference. and study your notes. attention to all these details will eventually give what you want, then you will realize you are the only one that notices...haha. welcome to the smoking world. love it! oh yea, about that flareup, can you spray the wood during the smoke? also, try cutting the gas burner off for an hour once the wood is smoking. tons of stuff to have fun with.....

ok, more.... letting the fat drippins add to the smoke, flip meat over 2 hours from end, also, try instead of wrapping the meat tight, place in a pan you can cover tight and add some coke. this gives room for air to steam some. also, try adding brown sugar to the rub. wood......the thinner the pieces, the more concentrated the smoke. bigger chunks will smoke longer so try both. try one wood at a time. aaaaaaaahhhh, so many choices.,....