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I have been cooking for a while on my 08. I get really good results IMHO as far as taste, texture and tenderness. My question is how do you get the dark brown bark on a more consistant basis. I get bark but it tends to be on the real dark or almost black side. I do not over smoke as I use very little wood but I also do not mop or spray. My ribs are fine and are the color that I desire but the pork butts and especially brisket are lacking the color I want. It hard to complain because the CS 008 gives me great no nonsense results and is the best smoker I have used but I just really want the "Whole Package" as far as my finished products......any advice?
Thanks
Big O
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Get a few other opinions, but I always add some brown sugar when I'm cooking at 225% or below, seems to add that color you are probably looking for and the bark as well. I use it on pork butt and brisket mostly, but have used it on ribs from time to time.

See what the gurus have to say....but seems to work well for me.
If your bark is too dark, lighten up on the sugar and possibly the paprika in your rub. both will burn at a low temp. Might also try using turbinado sugar as opposed to white or brown sugar. Turbinado burns/scorches are a higher temp.

You might try an experiment - do a rack of ribs, rub one half with your usual rub (maybe go a little lighter on the sugar) and do the other half naked and check the difference. Tweak it from there.

Sounds like you've got the process down, now it's down to the fine tuning. Let us know what you do & how it turns out. Big Grin
I don't know their ingredients, but if its too dark, you can do two things.

1. Check the rub like the guys have mentioned. Something in the rub is making it really dark

2. Wrap it in "foil". While I'm not a fan of F*(# it does have a use in your case. Around 165, look at the bark. If it's the color you want, wrap. If not, let it keep going until it gets the color you like.

Just experiment some, that's half the fun

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