Can injecting affect my ring?

[All Weather Griller]

I used Butchers in May last year.

Not sure what I scored but I seem to recall a taste note from one of the comps reading "Chemical taste" That may not have been May.

The briskets I get now come from Grain fed cattle that I pick by hand. I wouldn't want to contaminate that with anything.

[Steve]

I know that using curing salts on the surface of your meat before doing anything with it will give you an artificially enhanced smoke ring. I've never tried this myself but have read about it.

Products like Butcher's are loaded with nitrates to aid moisture retention. These are also used in curing so you could assume they will enhance smoke ring. However, thinking about the distribution of the liquid it wouldn't make sense that the coloration would still be around the outside only. The idea that water content has an effect seems to suffer from the same logical flaw.

Can't say I'm an expert in chemical reactions within meat fibres though so I could be well of in my theories.

[Steve]

Science is based on logic and can only be based on logic. Thus they must be good bed fellows.

[esselle]

This is getting a bit complicated for me. So, to simplify does one of you think the water thing is right and the other think not? Can smoke permeate water?

[Steve]

I'm not sure about the water thing, doesn't make sense to me. The salt and nitrate content in injections would be more likely to have an effect but still due to the distribution of the liquid within the meat I don't think it would have an effect either.

[esselle]

So when you inject your brisket Steve do you dry off any excess fluid that has escaped or does it not bother you?
Thanks

[LM600]

I Q 'cos "I'm a simple man" (nod to Lynyrd Skynyrd there...), if I get a smoke ring, then I get a smoke ring, if I don't, I don't!....what I care about is :

1) Does it taste good

2) Does it taste good

2.5) Guess what's next....

3) Does it taste good

[British BBQ Society]

I Q 'cos "I'm a simple man" (nod to Lynyrd Skynyrd there...), if I get a smoke ring, then I get a smoke ring, if I don't, I don't!....what I care about is :

1) Does it taste good

2) Does it taste good

2.5) Guess what's next....

3) Does it taste good

Completely agree when cooking for myself,friends and family but the question is being asked for competition BBQ purposes and the smoke ring is fairly important in the scheme of things.

[esselle]

I Q 'cos "I'm a simple man" (nod to Lynyrd Skynyrd there...), if I get a smoke ring, then I get a smoke ring, if I don't, I don't!....what I care about is :

1) Does it taste good

2) Does it taste good

2.5) Guess what's next....

3) Does it taste good

Completely agree when cooking for myself,friends and family but the question is being asked for competition BBQ purposes and the smoke ring is fairly important in the scheme of things.

beat me to it