The SHOCKING Truth About Spraying Meat While Smoking
Sprayed vs. Not Sprayed, Side by Side
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Introduction
Does Spritzing Really Add Smoke and Moisture?
What's up BBQ fans! Today we're answering a question that's been on my mind for over a year: is spraying your meat actually worth it?
The theory is that spritzing does two things. It attracts more smoke, and it keeps the edges from drying out. It was raining again, so I filmed in the kitchen, but the rain can't stop barbecue. The cook happened outside on the Yoder YS640s.
Why I Started Questioning It
About a year ago, I stopped spraying brisket altogether, and later pork butts. As the fat renders, it self-bastes. My experience:
If you leave a jagged or sharp edge and cook with convection, which the Yoder has a fair amount of for a pellet grill, it's going to get crispy no matter how often you spray.
I can't think of a time when moisture on the outside added moisture on the inside.
Evaporative cooling: every spray cools the surface as it evaporates, which lengthens the cook.
So the question is: are we just adding time for no reason?
The Meat
Bone-in pork short ribs from Snake River Farms. The first time I cooked them, on the Komodo Kamado 32, I was shocked at how good they were. If I had to guess, it's a baby back rib with some loin on top, super flavorful and full of moisture. They're thick, so they take a while to cook, which means plenty of chances to spray.
I trimmed out a vein and rounded off the edges. Leave a jagged edge and it will get crispy on you. No need to pull the membrane.
The Rub
Simple, so it wouldn't interfere with the test:
About 2 tbsp fresh cracked pepper from the Pepper Cannon (use code: RUMANDCOOK to save 10%). If you haven't bought one yet, you're missing out. It's expensive, but it's a one-time purchase, and I bought one for my dad.
Diamond Crystal kosher salt, roughly 50/50 with the pepper, maybe a little pepper-forward
About ¾ tbsp garlic powder, plus a little onion powder
Pro tip: season from a little higher up for more even coverage, and shake the rub often so the fine stuff doesn't all fall through first.
The Cook
Pellets: Bear Mountain Oak
Temp: 250°F the whole way. For maximum smoke, I'd normally do an hour at 200°F first, but I started late because of the rain. Past 275°F, a pellet grill burns so clean that smoke drops off.
No smoke tube this time, so nothing else could muddy the results.
Placement: both pieces lengthwise on the top rack, where the smoke rises, and equally spaced front to back.
No wrap.
Wait to spray until the rub tacks up and looks dry, or you'll just wash the rub around. I made my first spray at about an hour, using 50/50 water and apple cider vinegar from my sprayer, the most common mix, then sprayed the same piece every 45 minutes. That's five or six sprays over a roughly 6-hour cook.
I pulled both at about 202°F. The sprayed piece had a bit more meat on it and took about 20 minutes longer, so I held the first one loosely in foil to keep them close together, then rested both about 15 minutes.
The Verdict
The outside: side by side, the sprayed and unsprayed pieces looked practically identical. Both were dry to the touch on the edges. The spray didn't soften anything.
Smoke ring: very pronounced on both. Maybe one small section was a touch pinker on the sprayed piece, but the other was plenty pink too.
Taste: I tried the unsprayed one first, in case it was less smoky. I couldn't tell a difference. The sprayed piece seemed a touch juicier, but it also had more meat on it. That's it.
Smoke-wise and texture-wise, they're pretty much identical. In this experiment, I'm calling spraying a myth.
Final Thoughts
I stopped spraying brisket and pork butts, and now I don't think I need to spray ribs either. This was a 6-hour cook with plenty of sprays, and it made no difference. Skip it, trim your edges, keep the lid closed and save yourself the time.
Could I be wrong? Maybe. Try it yourself, and if you can taste the difference, let me know in the comments.
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Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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