Smoke profile- wood vs charcoal vs lump

[smoke ninja]

I love how we debate things that kinda can't be measured exactly. Someone's hint of smoke could be the same as another's heavy smoke. :boxing: only way is to get together and taste.

That wouldnt help. Some people dont have good taste then what. Seriously there's a smokehouse here called victory inn. Worst most bitter Q ive ever seen. You can smell the bad smoke frome Mound. Place is packed with rave reviews :wacko:

 

[pjtexas1]

That wouldnt help. Some people dont have good taste then what. Seriously there's a smokehouse here called victory inn. Worst most bitter Q ive ever seen. You can smell the bad smoke frome Mound. Place is packed with rave reviews :wacko:

Touchě brother. You just described Miller's bbq in belton.

 

[m-fine]

That wouldnt help. Some people dont have good taste then what. Seriously there's a smokehouse here called victory inn. Worst most bitter Q ive ever seen. You can smell the bad smoke frome Mound. Place is packed with rave reviews :wacko:

Most Americans grew up with BBQ smoke flavor that came from fat dripping on KBB. Many still like this flavor, just like many people like well done steaks and overcooked boneless skinless moisture-less chicken breasts.:doh:

A stick burner is certainly not right for everyone, but lump charcoal and drip trays are within the grasp of any back yard chef if they wish to make the leap. The thing is, not everyone want to.

 

[IXL]

That wouldnt help. Some people dont have good taste then what. Seriously there's a smokehouse here called victory inn. Worst most bitter Q ive ever seen. You can smell the bad smoke frome Mound. Place is packed with rave reviews :wacko:

If every kid in the marching band, but yours, is out of step, well..... :mrgreen:

 

[McSpazatron]

IMHO, the Whole point behind "smokers" is to get SMOKE taste!! For those that like very light or hardly any "smoke" flavor, I just don't understand it. Spend all the time / money on charcoal / wood just to get a "hint" of smoke.

When I use a smoker, I want my food to have that very noticeable "smoke" flavor (obviously not bad bitter smoke). I can't really explain or put into words how much I love a good "smoke" flavor!!

Couldnt agree more! I love smokiness! Especially considering the big cuts of beef and pork, they need to have enough to carry over into the rest of the meat. For that reason, I run a bit on the "inefficient" side, and I dont even considering wrapping (unless Im running the risk of burning something). Im sure its all in the individual tastebuds, but I feel disappointed whenever I run a clean fire.

That said, Im very happy I learned with the "hot, small fire , wide open intakes, TBS" philosophy. It would be very easy for someone new to smoking to wreck their meats with a poorly run, smouldering, creosote laden fire. Ive found that learning how to run a clean efficient fire is a prerequisite. Once you have that down, dirty up the smoke to your hearts content. The one thing I would like to experiment with is with slightly greener wood.

 

[m-fine]

Greener wood mostly just steams for a while before burning. That can make it hard to ignite logs if you don't have a real good coal bed, and it absorbs a TON of heat, so temps will run cooler or you need a bigger fire.

When I have to use green wood due to poor planning, I usually cook it over some briquettes for a while to get some of the moisture out. A couple hours at 350 can be a big help.

 

[WeberWho]

Double Post

 

[WeberWho]

Coming from a guy that owned 6 Big Green Eggs the smoke difference in the Shirley offset stick burner I picked up was very much noticeable. The Big Green Egg I believe is one of the best grills available. It even does a good job smoking. Is it the perfect smoker? No. That's why I wanted to try an offset smoker. To see what the difference was. I only have 5 smokes on my offset but I could tell after the first cook that it was smoke that I couldn't get on the BGE. It's a lot more work than a BGE but it's a different flavor profile that I've been looking for.

 

[Smoke5280]

Coming from a guy that owned 6 Big Green Eggs the smoke difference in the Shirley offset stick burner I picked up was very much noticeable. The Big Green Egg I believe is one of the best grills available. It even does a good job smoking. Is it the perfect smoker? No. That's why I wanted to try an offset smoker. To see what the difference was. I only have 5 smokes on my offset but I could tell after the first cook that it was smoke that I couldn't get on the BGE. It's a lot more work than a BGE but it's a different flavor profile that I've been looking for.

Very helpful, thank you.

 

[tbonedave]

Really good posts already so I'll just pile on to what's already said. With a clean burning fire, stickburner flavor is tops and provides that robust flavor and bark that is unbeatable when it comes to butts and briskets. But lump and a few chunks are almost as good for ribs and chicken so I use my Webers for that.

 

[Johnny in L.A.]

But lump and a few chunks are almost as good for ribs and chicken so I use my Webers for that.

So if I'm stuck between a stick burner and a lump-and-chunk burner, and I'm going to cook pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, bacon, and steak (smoked then seared), and never brisket or butt, should I just go with lump? I really want the best flavor profile, but sticks would be a lot more work. Thanks!

 

[m-fine]

If you are at all worried about work, lump and chunk is your friend. I love my stick burner, but it is not an everyday cooker and there are plenty of times where I don't want to, or simply can't baby sit it, so I need to go to a plan B.

 

[Johnny in L.A.]

Actually I don't mind the work, I just want to make sure it will make enough of a difference.

 

[stangman327]

Couldnt agree more! I love smokiness! Especially considering the big cuts of beef and pork, they need to have enough to carry over into the rest of the meat. For that reason, I run a bit on the "inefficient" side, and I dont even considering wrapping (unless Im running the risk of burning something). Im sure its all in the individual tastebuds, but I feel disappointed whenever I run a clean fire.

That said, Im very happy I learned with the "hot, small fire , wide open intakes, TBS" philosophy. It would be very easy for someone new to smoking to wreck their meats with a poorly run, smouldering, creosote laden fire. Ive found that learning how to run a clean efficient fire is a prerequisite. Once you have that down, dirty up the smoke to your hearts content. The one thing I would like to experiment with is with slightly greener wood.

Thank you for this statement for you just gave me a reference point on how I need to train myself since I'll be upgrading to a new smoker soon. I've been trying to take in as much info from you guys before I light it up...classroom-hands on.

I tend to prefer a heavier smoke profile but like you stated I first need to learn how to create and control a "clean" fire first and then progress from there as my skill level rises.

 

[tbonedave]

So if I'm stuck between a stick burner and a lump-and-chunk burner, and I'm going to cook pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, bacon, and steak (smoked then seared), and never brisket or butt, should I just go with lump? I really want the best flavor profile, but sticks would be a lot more work. Thanks!

Well, if you "really want the VERY BEST flavor profile", there's no shortcuts (other than by using a quality pellet smoker.) Thin blue smoke from a live wood fire is where it's at. But not all of us have quality stickburners that are a breeze to cook with....

 

[Notorious Q.U.E.]

Stick burners are the classic rig for the purist. That being said, it's no accident that I fire mine up only on weekends. It's too much labor and cleanup (I'm a stickler about getting the ash out of the firebox) for me to do on a school night.

There are times when I say it'd be cool to have a lower maintenance grill, but then I realize that 50% of my fun is building a fire and stoking it with a poker. The total (including non food flavor) experience is what sets my stick burner apart

 

[EdF]

Stick burners are the classic rig for the purist. That being said, it's no accident that I fire mine up only on weekends. It's too much labor and cleanup (I'm a stickler about getting the ash out of the firebox) for me to do on a school night.

There are times when I say it'd be cool to have a lower maintenance grill, but then I realize that 50% of my fun is building a fire and stoking it with a poker. The total (including non food flavor) experience is what sets my stick burner apart

The KBQ is easy to run and easy to clean. I think it gets you most of the way there to stick-burner quality. It runs on sticks, but plays some tricks. And you still have to tend it for those special moments.

- Ed

 

[Johnny in L.A.]

KBQ is my current frontrunner. But I second-guessed myself when I read tbonedave's comment, because I would rarely spend the time necessary to cook a brisket in it due to the tending requirement, and a lump burner with chunks means not having to stockpile wood and cut it to size. I would really do the work to get the best flavor, and almost every KBQ owner remarks about the great flavor. If it's a big difference from a quality lump cooker, I'll do it.

 

[Springram]

Coming from a guy that owned 6 Big Green Eggs the smoke difference in the Shirley offset stick burner I picked up was very much noticeable. The Big Green Egg I believe is one of the best grills available. It even does a good job smoking. Is it the perfect smoker? No. That's why I wanted to try an offset smoker. To see what the difference was. I only have 5 smokes on my offset but I could tell after the first cook that it was smoke that I couldn't get on the BGE. It's a lot more work than a BGE but it's a different flavor profile that I've been looking for.

Totally agree. I use my LBGE for grilling and pizzas, etc. My MinMax BGE is used when I am grilling for just wife and I. Also use my Weber Jumbo Joe for that purpose. For smoking, my vertical offset stick burner is the choice. I feel that a smoldering fire just does not provide as good a flavor profile as a clean burning wood fire does. At least to me......

 

[EdF]

KBQ is my current frontrunner. But I second-guessed myself when I read tbonedave's comment, because I would rarely spend the time necessary to cook a brisket in it due to the tending requirement, and a lump burner with chunks means not having to stockpile wood and cut it to size. I would really do the work to get the best flavor, and almost every KBQ owner remarks about the great flavor. If it's a big difference from a quality lump cooker, I'll do it.

Well, a SV machine can help with that overnight problem. I did a couple of picnics a week or so ago. SV-ed them, then smoked in the KBQ for a few hours. Definitely acceptable.