Where is the smoke?!?!?!
 

hi guys,

I pit fire shoulders over hickory coals. Here is a link to my next-to-last pit firing:

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=137372

I cooked another butt recently, and although I have learned and grown (all thanks to you fine folks) there remains one common thread: there is very little smokiness. If you are willing to read along, here is my progression:

First attempt: kept pit temps too high, meat cooked in only 5 hours. Result: no flavor at all, because of less time in pit, also used no rub and a far too weak vinegar sauce.

Second attempt: kept pit temps lower- never higher than 220, usually bobbed around the 200 mark. Used good rub, much better sauce recipe/

The third attempt was much like the second, with one notable difference: I observed, at one of my favorite BBQ joints in the state, that the wood pile contained a lot of bark. The wood planks looked like the scraps from a lumber yard... where the heart of the trunk had been cut into boards, and the remaining wood was mostly hickory bark. I tried to carry this through with my own bbq, where I cut away much of the wood and kept the bark.

The difference? Nothing!

I want a deep, pervasive smokiness to my barbecue. Any suggestions? If you want to see my pit, look back at the link I posted.

Thanks so much for reading.

If memory serves me correctly your shoveling coals for heat. Take some hickory and chunk it up and add a fist sized piece or two to the embers when you pitch your coals.Embers don't give up much in the flavor dept. on their own.

I will try that.. maybe even throw in some Mesquite for good measure

go easy with the mesquite a little goes a long way

of course

I cook on WSMs. I use KBB with about 5 fist sized chunks of wood buried in the charcoal. I've tried several different types of wood, and I've always gotten a good smoke flavor.

Thats what I do. I have used lump in the past, but am using up some bags of KBB

Though I've noticed I cant *taste* much smoke on the first go round. The leftovers are really smoky. I think being out with the smoker and my hair and clothes smelling smoky, I get immune to it :confused:

Another thing, are you eating any of this stuff the next day? Or after you've showered, brushed your teeth, and changed your clothes? A lot of the smoky taste will simply not register for you after you've spent all day on a pit.

Also if the skin is still on the shoulder, the smoke will penetrate very little to none where the skin is left on.

The uncovered meat will absorb the smoke flavor from any wood chunks you throw in.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ding-ding-ding. Take some large chunks of wood or even whole pieces and put them on the edge of the coal bed where they will smolder. Your neighbors will think your house is on fire you'll get so much smoke. Coals have very little flavor and burning wood does too. has to be a smoldering chunk