How Much Hickory is Too Much? - Funny

[landarc]

Being down wind from someone who runs 14 hours of bad smoke is just a bad day, all the way around. Been there, done that, it sucks. And you wonder, how can they think it is going to work out in the end.

[rcbaughn]

I usually don't worry about white smoke when I am cooking burgers or something on the grill. I just throw a ton of chips on the lump charcoal and let it smoke. That doesn't have enough time to make an acrid taste on the meat does it? I like the way my burgers taste usually as long as they aren't overcooked, which I tend to do from time to time sadly.

[dwfisk]

Sorry, but don't blame the hickory, it's the cook. Matchlight, really! I use kiln dried hickory EXCLUSIVELY in my RF offset stickburner and don't have issues with too much smoke, even on long cooks. Maybe I just can't appreciate the challenges of cooking on a charcoal cooker that uses wood chunks for smoke or maybe I just pay attention to managing my fires, paying attention to the product and checking temps like most folks. If you run a hot clean fire and use quality wood it is not hard to get good results.

[Lake Dogs]

Originally Posted by landarc

Being down wind from someone who runs 14 hours of bad smoke is just a bad day, all the way around. Been there, done that, it sucks. And you wonder, how can they think it is going to work out in the end.

They dont. They make ribs 2 times, both times they were drunk off their ***es, and the 2nd time some drunken doofus had the idea *Hey, we should compete*. Funnier still are those guys who then enter an MBN competition. Last two times I competed in MBN, each time there was 1 new team competing only in ribs who had 4 (yes, count 'em, 4) racks of ribs to cook... Yeah, that'll get 'em the first blind turn-in... Oooops, need 3 more for for the on-site judges, and then hope to hades you did well enough to make finals, so they're going to come see you again with 4 more judges... Yeah, 4 racks will do all that for you. It was fairly funny.

[Higgledy]

Well, what causes white smoke? I was using a mix of lump and regular, Kingsford in a snake pattern with a couple of hickory chunks dispersed in the first half of the circle. The hickory chunks are Weber brand.

[Teamfour]

Originally Posted by dwfisk

Sorry, but don't blame the hickory, it's the cook. Matchlight, really! I use kiln dried hickory EXCLUSIVELY in my RF offset stickburner and don't have issues with too much smoke, even on long cooks. Maybe I just can't appreciate the challenges of cooking on a charcoal cooker that uses wood chunks for smoke or maybe I just pay attention to managing my fires, paying attention to the product and checking temps like most folks. If you run a hot clean fire and use quality wood it is not hard to get good results.

I use hickory and oak in my stickburner. I just don't dump a whole bag of chunks on the coals at one time. You are right that the key is a clean burning fire.

[dwfisk]

Originally Posted by Higgledy

Well, what causes white smoke? I was using a mix of lump and regular, Kingsford in a snake pattern with a couple of hickory chunks dispersed in the first half of the circle. The hickory chunks are Weber brand.

IMO, thick white nasty smoke is from poor/incomplete combustion, usually because the fire is being starved for air, but using green or wet (soaked) wood can also be a significant contributor. Speaking from the perspective of a stickburner, you can't avoid some white smoke when adding fuel, but if you are running a hot fire there really is no reason for more than 5-10 minutes of that followed by 1-2 hours of clean, thin blue. Somebody that uses a charcoal cooker needs to weigh in, but if it's belching thick white nasty stuff for more than a few minutes, then the fire needs more air. Oh, yea, if you cram your firebox full of fuel then you are never going to get a clean burn. When I say adding fuel I mean 1-2 splits on a hot coal bed.

[Higgledy]

Originally Posted by dwfisk

IMO, thick white nasty smoke is from poor/incomplete combustion, usually because the fire is being starved for air, but using green or wet (soaked) wood can also be a significant contributor. Speaking from the perspective of a stickburner, you can't avoid some white smoke when adding fuel, but if you are running a hot fire there really is no reason for more than 5-10 minutes of that followed by 1-2 hours of clean, thin blue. Somebody that uses a charcoal cooker needs to weigh in, but if it's belching thick white nasty stuff for more than a few minutes, then the fire needs more air. Oh, yea, if you cram your firebox full of fuel then you are never going to get a clean burn. When I say adding fuel I mean 1-2 splits on a hot coal bed.

Ok. From this description, I think I'm doing it right. I only saw the white smoke when I opened the lid or moved around the wood