Greeting fellow smokers. I picked up a 22" WSM this summer and was lucky enough to find this site. It has saved me a lot of time and trouble. This weekend I did a 13 lb angus brisket and 3 St. Louis style racks of ribs. Good stuff. Anyone else from the "highlands" of NJ out there?
Question: I like to use a tomato-based sauce, but it turns black when I put it on the ribs (10 minutes before taking it off the smoker). Tastes great, looks bad. Any suggestions? I'm impressed by those shiny, beautiful ribs I keep seeing in the other people's bbq photos -- I'm guessing plenty of sugar does the trick.
Thanks,

welcome gary!

I grew up in Vernon, but live down the Shore now; I love it up where you are.

How did you cook them...details needed to help figure out what happened. Welcome.

Welcome to the The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board!

quote:

Originally posted by Sean S.:
welcome gary!

I grew up in Vernon, but live down the Shore now; I love it up where you are.

Thanks Sean. Yeah, it is pretty up here. We're a couple blocks from a little lake; plenty of trees, deer, turkey, and occasional bear. Non-NJ folks think Jersey is just Sopranos and "which exit?" My sis and brother-in-law (the "duke of fluke") live near Sandy Hook.
Be well.

Welcome and Good Luck Gary.

I commute up to the Highlands for work every day.

I used to work in West Milford and now work in Jefferson.

Great area. Anyone in NJ have any issues smoking and attracting bears?

I was a bit concerned aobut that too when I did my overnight "minion method" smoking. However I've noticed that the first 8 hours of a 12-hour smoke (brisket, for example)only smell like smoke, not meat. In theory, this should keep animals away, not attract them. So far, no bears when smoking, but I do keep one eye open when I nap during the overnight smoking...
Anyone else have trouble with bears during BBQ?

Welcome Gary, Does your tomato base sauce contain a lot of sugar? If so, this could be the cause of your blacken meat. The sugar is burning. The solution is to ease up on the sugar or switch your white sugar for Turbinado sugar (raw sugar) It does not burn easily.

Not too much sugar, and I use raw sugar. Mike Mills in Peace, Love and Barbecue says that a tomato-based sauce may blacken in the smoker... That's ok -- I'll just use it as a "table sauce". I've been meaning to use a different sauce for basting the ribs on the WSM.

Hey, and thanks to all for their positive feedback and good cheer.
Best,
Gary

Hi Gary and welcome - Just for a little change of pace and maybe a little pleasant surprise for you and your guests - At the Opening page of the forum look under cooking topics and check the method of saucing ribs under BRITU ribs. 5 to 1 KC & Honey and it's applied immediately after taking the ribs off the smoker. Can't miss on that one. Good luck. Bob B

Thanks much Bob. I guess you can't go wrong with BRITU. My own rub is very similar to the BRITU one, based on Mike Mill's magic dust.