CookShack Smokette here...
Does adding charcoal really help to produce a smoke ring in foods cooked on the smokette?
If so, how many briquets should I add in relation to the smoke wood?
Thanks!
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Yes it does.
As many or as few as you wish.
Why ? It has no taste.
As many or as few as you wish.
Why ? It has no taste.
It varies with temp, brand of charcoal, how much rub, how long a smoke, so just experiment a little and see what gives you the results you want.
I experimented with trying to get a smoke ring and have found that I get it with regular Kingsford briquetts. This was suggested by someone else on the forum and it worked fine. Make sure if your going to try this you dont use the charcoal that contains any type of starter. I use 1 or 2 briquetts depending on how much room is in the wood box.
Others may tell you its not worth the trouble because you cant taste it. I like to muddy the water a bit on this subject and my opinion is that its easy and cheap to do, gives the appearance that some may look for in Q and lastly I like the way it looks, which is all that really matters in my crazy little world.
Remember, you taste with your eyes before your tongue! For me cooking has become a hobby and little additions like this make it more enjoyable.
I also bottle and brew my own beer. I have a case of older bottles that just dont look very good that I dont use. I keep them for backup incase theres extra beer to bottle, but I prefer not to use them when I can avoid it, based solely on appearance. When I slice a grilled tenderloin I cut at and angle and layer the slices in a way that looks good. It doesnt change the way the meat tastes, but I like the way it looks.
Thats my .02
Have fun!!!
Others may tell you its not worth the trouble because you cant taste it. I like to muddy the water a bit on this subject and my opinion is that its easy and cheap to do, gives the appearance that some may look for in Q and lastly I like the way it looks, which is all that really matters in my crazy little world.
Remember, you taste with your eyes before your tongue! For me cooking has become a hobby and little additions like this make it more enjoyable.I also bottle and brew my own beer. I have a case of older bottles that just dont look very good that I dont use. I keep them for backup incase theres extra beer to bottle, but I prefer not to use them when I can avoid it, based solely on appearance. When I slice a grilled tenderloin I cut at and angle and layer the slices in a way that looks good. It doesnt change the way the meat tastes, but I like the way it looks.
Thats my .02
Have fun!!!
I second that. I don't cook for a living but as a hobby. I try to do it the best I can. I would vote for the smoke ring for the simple fact that it adds another level of "unknown" factor to the masses that think Q is "OUT THERE". I share what I learn to anyone and everyone who is interested, but I am amazed at the amount of people who DON'T care. They think it is great that I can cook and better that they can eat it and have NO interest in learning. The more mysterious, the better in their eyes. Weird but true. So, in my experience, a smoke ring WOULD make it better for alot of people. Not that it tastes better, it would just BE better. Jamey
We can agree to disagree. I am flexible like that. 
Logic is a big thang for me. If it doesn't make sense, I don't want anything to do with it.
My Q looks wonderful and everyone loves it and noone would know what the heck I was talking about and tell me I am weird if I said anything like, "Y'all check out that very faint thin pink line on my brisket slices, know what that is, that there is a smoke ring, ain't it pretty !!!"
They would think I had been smoking more than just meat.
I guess my point is, the extra effort to get that faint pink line on my meat is not worth it. Nobody cares and it adds no flavor.
Not arguing, just my opinion. Y'all keep trying to make your meat prettier.
Logic is a big thang for me. If it doesn't make sense, I don't want anything to do with it.
My Q looks wonderful and everyone loves it and noone would know what the heck I was talking about and tell me I am weird if I said anything like, "Y'all check out that very faint thin pink line on my brisket slices, know what that is, that there is a smoke ring, ain't it pretty !!!"
They would think I had been smoking more than just meat.
I guess my point is, the extra effort to get that faint pink line on my meat is not worth it. Nobody cares and it adds no flavor.
Not arguing, just my opinion. Y'all keep trying to make your meat prettier.
Yes, charcoal briquettes will give you a smoke ring. Kingsford works the best for me. But the way I figure it, a feller aught to cook his ribs whichever way he wants em. I don't do the briquettes for the following reason.
I live in area where folks don't know good Q from fried apples. When I had my stick burner I could put a ring on baby backs that would go all the way through. I'd serve em up and even though the meat was pullin away from the bone and was practically fallin off folks would say, "eeeeew these are rare. I can't eat these I'm fraid of Tricky-Noses" . I'd have to explain the whole smoke ring thing and go into the nitrates nitrites bit and it just wasn't worth it. Now that I've got my CS I just don't do the rig thing and people don't say "eeeeew.
I live in area where folks don't know good Q from fried apples. When I had my stick burner I could put a ring on baby backs that would go all the way through. I'd serve em up and even though the meat was pullin away from the bone and was practically fallin off folks would say, "eeeeew these are rare. I can't eat these I'm fraid of Tricky-Noses" . I'd have to explain the whole smoke ring thing and go into the nitrates nitrites bit and it just wasn't worth it. Now that I've got my CS I just don't do the rig thing and people don't say "eeeeew.