UDS Bad smoke flavor- SOS

This was my 3rd cook on the uds, and the first real smoke.

Got some nice beef back ribs and fired up a mix of royal oak lump and briquettes just as i did in my previous two cooks.

My barrel sits in the direct sun and the internal temp was 135f before any fire. Lit 12-15 briquettes in the chimney, and placed in basket. Threw in one chunk of hickory from a bag purchased at w-mart.

All started out good, but then began noticing a smell like i was burning brush at the farm. It did not smell good at all. My wife made me take a shower before we ate because she said I smelled so bad. I am assuming this is what people are talking about the stale smoke flavor.

The meat had some of the bad smoke flavor. Sorry no pics i was to busy trying to rescue my pride.

The uds held temps like a dream, but because it was so hot I had all caps on and only had the valve open 1/2. After 3 hour had to open it all the way and it held perfect.

Is that "hickory" from the bag maybe not hickory?

Does hickory or lump give off a bad aroma at low temps? If the barrel is at 135 no fire and i am cooking at 235, that is only 100f of fire.

Is it possible the "stale smoke" is from so little air coming in which would = little air exiting causing stale smoke?

Any ideas or help would be much appreciated.

Philly-QueMaster said:

Did you wait until pale blue smoke was coming out of the drum? If your drum was giving off thick white smoke that would give it a foul taste. This would mean your fire wasn't burning clean enough.

Click to expand...

Yep, that's the problem then (the smoke was white). I guess i did not have a clean burning fire because of the lack of o2 coming in. Thanks for your help.

McGurk said:

I looked up your post history hoping to find more info about your UDS, but didn't find anything, but I did find the above statement. I need to shut mine down tight with both the intakes and exhaust to get my fire to go out (about a half hour like you), so it made me wonder about your exhaust setup. What you say in your fire snuffing statement, along with the foul smell associated with "stale smoke" and creosote smell, may be indicative of too little exhaust vent area. What type of setup do you have for your exhaust? Pictures, even?

Click to expand...

I'm running 8, 1/2 holes on the flat lid. Do I need more?

Thanks for all the help and support,

McGurk said:

8 holes should be fine, just a thought. If all else was the same from your previous cooks, as stated check your wood!

Click to expand...

Thanks, I am going to try a different supply along with making sure the fire is hot.

big brother smoke said:

You are going to have white smoke, if the fat is hitting the coals directly, thus the off taste.

Click to expand...

This was not the burned dripping taste, this was like you cleaned out the fence row and made a fire with all the junk wood. The meat was not on their long enough to even drip on the coals, before the smell came. I almost ceartin this was foul wood smoke from a smoldering fire.

I tasted the extra flavor from the drippings on my previous cooks and actually enjoy it. Reminds me of grandpa.

colonel00 said:

You know what your grandpa tasted like?!?! :shock:

Click to expand...

funny!

After I got home, I did everything as before, except i lit less briquettes in the chimney. Lit it up, threw on the chuck and made sure it had plenty of air. No funny smell, no white smoke. Just beautiful hickory smell. I can sacrifice 30-40 degrees of temp for no bad smoke. When the temps outside cool off it won't be a problem.

Thanks to all who helped,