Question About Too Much Smoke

[Divemaster]

Let me explain it this way:

It is not too much Merle Haggard compared to the Johnny Cash ratio that leads to an OD of Willie Nelson flavor. If you have enough Jerry Jeff Walker, use all the Merle you want.

The scarry thing is I understand this....

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]There are some individuals with sensitive palates who claim they taste an off-flavor in food cooked using The Minion Method. If you find yourself in this group, or if you have health concerns about cooking food over charcoal that is not fully lit, use the Standard Method instead, replenishing the cooker with pre-lit coals every 4-6 hours.[/FONT]

I actually can tell the use of the Minion method only when bad fuel is used... I can smell KF being used down the block, but if it's a natural lump I don't have a problem with it at all... I'm sure that it's all the additives that are in it...

on edit.. Disclaimer..... By verticals, i was thinking WSMs and insulated cabinet smokers. I forgot u were asking about the UDS.. not sure if this holds true for those... i never cooked on one..

Yet..

Why not Mary?

 

[barbefunkoramaque]

Thin Blue or None at all... the only time I get any smoke is when I pop a log (preheated on the dirty side) down on its dirty side in the existing coals... I wait until it ignites, wait maybe 40 more seconds and close up the box.

 

[Mo-Dave]

Let me explain it this way:

It is not too much Merle Haggard compared to the Johnny Cash ratio that leads to an OD of Willie Nelson flavor. If you have enough Jerry Jeff Walker, use all the Merle you want.

I like to use mostly Jerry Jeff Walker, with just a couple three Merles, loosely translated, load of lump with two or three chunks of wood. :wink:
Dave

 

[smokinvic]

I kind of asked a similar question in the Competition BBQ forum: Wood vs Charcoal. My question more related to too smoky flavor in competition food......I like the taste of the food cooked in my offset using all wood.
I mentioned that smoking on my Weber using charcoal and some small wood pieces was more smoky tasting than my full time stick burner. I think its related to the chamber size and small exhaust vent.

Yes....when first started the offset smokes like crazy. I give it 1.5 to 2 hours to come up to temp and by then it's burning cleanly.

Some things that I do:
- use dry seasoned hardwoods (I use oak/hickory/apple)
- remove the bark
- don't use too large a split
- I keep wood that's ready to go into the smoker on top of the firebox to pre-heat it (the on-deck circle) and I place 1 piece in the firebox away from the fire. The wood instantly starts blazing when you throw it in the fire. If you don't pre-heat the wood it may smoke a little before catching fire well enough.
- keep the fire alive......don't let it die down or get too sluggish or you will be playing catch-up, resulting in thickish smoke.
- at least for me, the offset takes a lot of babysitting. I'm probably checking the temp and wood every 30 to 45 minutes, and sometimes 20 minutes. If I was using charcoal I could probably get a little more rest, but I haven't tried this yet.
- leave exhaust wide open and adjust fire with intakes and/or wood quantity

Hope this helps some.

This is why I love this place. You always learn something new!! I first started on a Weber kettle many many many many moons ago. Then moved onto another kettle grill and continued using charcoal with hickory chips (soaked) in foil paper pockets, eventually just on the coals. It's all a learning process. Those early methods produced good smoke flavor, but I did not learn of the smoke ring until i got on this site. Then I build my stick burner and learned of the great TBS! It takes a bit of work on those stick burners to get that thin blue.... but when you get it its like the skies open up and shine down on you. Now I am using the UDS a lot more, using Kingsford (reg, not comp), and placing a few chunks of alder wood. This gives me a good smoke flavor, but i have not acheived the TBS as of yet. I do notice the white smoke, which I have realized today is due to the drippings and the steam. I LOVE THIS SITE!!!

Now I am going to start preheating my firewood and removing bark!!! Thanks boys.

 

[Crüe-B-Cüe]

I hear people talk about using too much wood in the UDS and getting too much smoke in the meat.

I think that most of the issue with the UDS is that some people don't like the flavor of the fat dripping on the coals and the steam and smoke coming back up and penetrating the meat. On shorter cooks like chicken and ribs, it really doesn't bother me. On longer cooks like briskets and butts that flavor to me is just too overpowering.

This old post stuck out in my mind:

Actually Mike and i were just talking about this yesterday......

I've been cooking on the Lang for the past 6 weeks for catering and vending.

Only needed 3 butts last Friday so cranked up the drum....no problems, locked in almost all day, great smell and awesome smoke ring!

The PP that we served tasted strange to me, not bad cause we got rave reviews but not the same as off the Lang!!

Told Mike yesterday that no more of our sold food goes on the drum.....

Coincidence??? I think not!!!

 

[augie]

Let me explain it this way:

It is not too much Merle Haggard compared to the Johnny Cash ratio that leads to an OD of Willie Nelson flavor. If you have enough Jerry Jeff Walker, use all the Merle you want.

Also, a touch of David Alan Coe can offset any George Jones that might find it's way in.

 

[Dr_KY]

 

[jestridge]

I use only wood dont think I have ever oversmoke , but some people dont care for a smoke flavor for instance my wife and sister- in -law.

 

[Panther5150]

Wood should burn clean or almost clean after the initial start. Unless of course you use wet or green wood. Wet wood smokes, which is why you use it to smoke. So dry wood for the fire shouldn't put off a lot of smoke

 

[AlbuQue]

You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the valuable, well-thought-out input. I wasn't real sure about the country singer stuff though....over my head!

 

[Smokin Turkey]

This is all great info since I am very new to using my new mini offset. I find that it burns very well when I split the wood up and leave the door open a crack. (I probably need to split it a little more.) I am with soem of you in that I like my food very smoky. The wife does not and prefers wood roasted flavor if any.

I ran the mini yesterday on charcoal which took sometime to figure out. I loaded it, fired the propane till the bottom coals got hot and fired all the way through the top. i was at 225 and threw the chicken in. I shoulda waited a little more because it took forever for the temp to rebound. I also had the chicken too far to the far end of the cooker. It came out really nice with a nice even smoky flavor from the residue in the cooker. I think I will make a basket just for coals for it. Anyone mix it up and go charcoal in the offset? Should I just stick with wood? blend it?

 

[Hachie Qer]

This is all great info since I am very new to using my new mini offset. I find that it burns very well when I split the wood up and leave the door open a crack. (I probably need to split it a little more.) I am with soem of you in that I like my food very smoky. The wife does not and prefers wood roasted flavor if any.

I ran the mini yesterday on charcoal which took sometime to figure out. I loaded it, fired the propane till the bottom coals got hot and fired all the way through the top. i was at 225 and threw the chicken in. I shoulda waited a little more because it took forever for the temp to rebound. I also had the chicken too far to the far end of the cooker. It came out really nice with a nice even smoky flavor from the residue in the cooker. I think I will make a basket just for coals for it. Anyone mix it up and go charcoal in the offset? Should I just stick with wood? blend it?

I think there's quite a few here who have used charcoal in an offset. Bigabyte is one. I'm just getting familiar with mine. Maybe you should start another thread about that. I'm sure you'll get some answers.