Switched from gas to charcoal after a buddy's rib demo in Tulsa

I used to think my propane rig was just as good, but my friend brought his Weber kettle to a cookoff last month and did 3 racks of baby backs. The smoke ring and bark were way better, plus the temp drop when he opened the lid recovered in like 5 minutes. I mean, gas is fine for weeknights, but for actual BBQ flavor, charcoal wins every time. Anyone else make the switch and feel dumb for waiting this long?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby_jones1mo ago

You ever tried the same rub on both and let a friend pick which was better? @elizabethmason, I did that exact test with my brother last summer. Same ribs, same sauce, same time. The charcoal ones had this deeper, almost smoky sweetness that hung around longer, while the gas ones tasted clean but kind of flat on the back end. The bark on the charcoal also snapped different, more like candy, and the meat pulled off the bone cleaner. I was honestly surprised because I wanted to prove gas was fine, but the flavor difference was real.

elizabethmason1mo ago

Did you actually do a side by side taste test with the same rub and same cook time, or are you judging mostly on looks? I ask because that smoke ring gets a lot of credit, but I have had gas cooked ribs that were plenty juicy and had good flavor when the wood chips were handled right. The real test for me is the bite and the chew, not just the color. I have been on charcoal for years now, but I still wonder if some folks talk themselves into a difference because they expect it. What was the actual flavor difference on those ribs, not just the bark?