"OverSmoked"?

[SmittyJonz]

How can 4 Chunks of wood in a WSM or UDS "OverSmoke" meat but 16 splits in a stickburner not? :confused: I see it on here all the time...."only use 3-4 chunks as not to "OverSmoke" your meat."

I run 20-25 Chunks in my UDS charcoal basket and never experienced "oversmoked"...... :heh:


http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u645/bobjones79/4B1687E9-3B2C-41A1-8656-C2A221931EF7_zpsbxcng1um.jpg (http://s1326.photobucket.com/user/bobjones79/media/4B1687E9-3B2C-41A1-8656-C2A221931EF7_zpsbxcng1um.jpg.html)

[PatAttack]

Never heard of such a thing...:crazy:

[jbounds286]

Smoldering fire vs clean burning maybe?

[PatAttack]

Smoldering fire vs clean burning maybe?

That's the only thing I can think of.

[SmittyJonz]

Smoldering fire vs clean burning maybe?

Ding, Ding, Ding..... :shock: ....so it's not really "OverSmoked" but "Over Dirty Smoked"........

[JoSal73]

As long as the fire burns clean, I've never tasted what over smoked is supposed to be.

I agree with dirty fire being the likely culprit. That or perhaps bad / green wood?

[BBQ Freak]

in my Stump's I had to use two small chunks and no more or it was a over bearing smoke flavor . also the charcoal embers fall and smolder on the wood and that why I cut back on wood to get the right smoke flavor but still loved my Stump's smoker and miss it .

[SmittyJonz]

And then many Gravity Feed guys will say not enough smoke flavor so people say solution is to Mix Chunks thruout the charcoal chute - so bunch o chunks. :loco:

[Fwismoker]

Smoldering fire vs clean burning maybe?

I've tried telling some people this but I might as well have been :frusty:

[krex1010]

Throw a bunch of green wood on a low burning fire and you can get that bitter "over smoked" flavor. This falls into the dirty fire situation mentioned above, if someone could mistake your smoker for a burning leaf pile.....you might be an over smoker lol

[Smoke on Badger Mountain]

Just dirty as stated above. You shouldn't get any "over smoke" if your fire is burning clean. No matter how much wood you use.

[Bludawg]

Over smoked:> A condition in BBQ cooking that happens when you choke the pit to warm the meat to death, See creosote

[pjtexas1]

probably never happen cooking over 300.

[SmittyJonz]

:puke:

[SmittyJonz]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mQPjKSVe1tQ

[SmittyJonz]

".........and a couple Smokers......"

[RolandJT]

I have used all wood in a WSM 22.5 before without getting that flavor. Just opened the door for a few minutes everytime I added fuel until it caught on fire.

Oversmoking occurs from using too much fuel at once in my opinion and can be prevented by simple methods such as using a snake in the WSM or adding less fuel more often.

[Demosthenes9]

"oversmoked" depends on whom you are talking to. For some, yeah, it's dirty smoke. For others, it's too heavy of a flavor.

[SmittyJonz]

"oversmoked" depends on whom you are talking to. For some, yeah, it's dirty smoke. For others, it's too heavy of a flavor.

I don't experience either and I'm saying they are the same thing.........if you run clean you don't have too heavy of a flavor otherwise all stickburner cooks would be "oversmoked"........

[SmittyJonz]

I'm thinking I might try to over smoke something in the Wood Burning Bandera this Weekend............. 16 splits = 293 wood chunks.

[Doog]

My thoughts are vertical vs horizontal. Vertical your getting more direct smoke than on an offset.
But agree dirty smoke.

[gtr]

I got some ribs off a BBQ truck this week that left me feeling like I drank bongwater. It used to be a good truck, but I think it changed hands. :tsk: I ate one rib and flung the rest.

[SmittyJonz]

The dreaded bong water ............:shock:

[jermoQ]

was cooked by my Grandpa with a over and under stick burner with a bad design, a design that I have now. He would stuff the fire box full and light it up, after which had Q that gave you "throat burning smoke burps". That to me was always called too much which equals creosote in my mind.
This method is how I started also out until some great brethren gave me good advice on burning a fire.

[Sean "Puffy" Coals]

Ding, Ding, Ding..... :shock: ....so it's not really "OverSmoked" but "Over Dirty Smoked"........

Agree. Also, I believe most stick burners burn their first load of wood down to coals while heating up/before putting food on. I don't own one, so I'm not sure.

[HickoryBill]

I just finished building an electric smoker, and I'm trying to figure out how much smoke is good, and how much is too much.

I have separate heating for the cooking chamber and the smoke generating chamber, so I have a lot of control.

This is what I get with the temp in the smoke generator at 370F

http://firebirdbodyart.com/bbq/smoke001.jpg

The temp probe is in the air, so I know it is only a reference temp.

Here is the view inside.

http://firebirdbodyart.com/bbq/smoker001.jpg

Here is the smoke generator underneath so you get an idea of the design.

http://firebirdbodyart.com/bbq/smoker002.jpg

More heat? less heat? ideas?

[SmittyJonz]

Convert to Charcoal n Wood Chunks....... :heh:

[blazinfire]

Smitty, I asked the same question! When I first got my WSM I always wondered why people told you to only put 2-3 chunks in. Has to be clean burning fire vs dirty fire. I loaded my WSM with 10+ chunks before because I didn't have enough charcoal. Food wasn't oversmoked!

[SmittyJonz]

Smitty, I asked the same question! When I first got my WSM I always wondered why people told you to only put 2-3 chunks in. Has to be clean burning fire vs dirty fire. I loaded my WSM with 10+ chunks before because I didn't have enough charcoal. Food wasn't oversmoked!

Long as you don't choke it down n run dirty to get low temp.......... :thumb:

[KevinJ]

You know what they say, wood is good.

[Brew-Bq]

I argued w my friend yesterday while we were Qing on my new reverse flow. First all wood burning pit Ive had. After reading a lot on here and watching a few vids I started her w 2 chimneys of briquettes and smaller kindling pieces adding some oak barrel staves to heat it up and build a nice coal bed. After 45 minutes I was up to temp and adding normal size splits. I ran w the stack wide open and controlled temps w the size of the fire. Burned clean all day long w either thin blue smoke or just heat vapor. He was wondering aloud if the food would lack smoke flavor because the stack wasnt producing much visible smoke. When he used it before he was choking the stack back and getting bouts of the thick white stuff. I told him the good flavor isnt from the thick smoke. He also has an OK Joe with no fire grate so sometimes Ives seen his fire starve for air and burn dirty. Sometimes his Q gives me the smoke burps and tastes oversmoked, but most of the time its delicious.

[SmittyJonz]

:mrgreen:

[woodburner]

I found out the hard way that most all of the time less is more, even the original uds started with the kiss method. I think good tasting bbq is no different!
My best results either in competition or from catering was from from best fire management.
My best always came from when the exhaust was so clean that you couldn't tell the pit was even lit, if I use my stick burner I preheat the splits that are "sized" to allow a clean burn, and if I'm cooking on my drum, or smokey mountain,I only used 3 chunks that where fist size, and I always have a deep smoke ring every time. If I use straight lump charcoal I don't use any wood chunks. You just have to experiment on what works best for what you want for your end result.

[SmittyJonz]

:boxing:

[4ever3]

What Brew said, it's not about how much smoke, it's about what KIND of smoke.

[erichasaces]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mQPjKSVe1tQ

It's our team tradition to play this song as soon as I get back from taking brisket to turn in. The kids love it.

[cyberstrategist]

I remember my first time doing a brisket where the smoke was just off. I mean way off. It was bitter and a terrible way to end a cook. It was an expensive way to learn not to rush the fire. I ended up throwing away a whole brisket that day.

In the end, though, that was one of the best learning experiences I had in my early learning phase. Not only did I learn about fire management but also different ways to achieve the desired temp and smoke levels. I devoured information and watched videos and talked to people and watched how they did fire management at the local successful BBQ joints.

It was an expensive mistake but well worth it today.

-Cyber

[Enrico Brandizzi]

This is a real instructive thread!
Thanks for sharing your opinions !

[VoodoChild]

I use only mesquite and cant get enough ! Bad Smoke ..yes Oversmoke .. Nope

[scrub puller]

Yair . . .

As has been mentioned this is a real instructive thread.

I make my own charcoal and when cooking on the Weber or drum I never add any smoke wood.

Stick burners are not common around here (or any sort of smoker for that matter) but the couple of times I have tried meat or chicken cooked on an offset at fairs I sure got the "smoke burps" . . . very unpleasant.

I realise now it was probably the fault of the cook and not the cooker.

Cheers.

[SweetOak13]

Smoldering fire vs clean burning maybe?

Agreed. Maybe due to green wood as well.

[Melissaredhead]

Whenever my father in law stops over while I'm cooking he will always ask "is it even on? Where's all the smoke? I thought you were smoking today!"

Literally the same conversation every. Single. Time.:frusty:

[geoff7877]

For a long cook on the egg I get a second fire going to burn down to coals.

[frognot]

Whenever my father in law stops over while I'm cooking he will always ask "is it even on? Where's all the smoke? I thought you were smoking today!"

Literally the same conversation every. Single. Time.:frusty:

Does he eat your food and go back for seconds? Conversely, when he makes BBQ (assuming he does), do people eat his food and do they go back for seconds? Or is he a rib boiling liquid smoke type of person?

[Fwismoker]

Agreed. Maybe due to green wood as well. You can cook fine with green wood all day long with great results. That said you need good airflow in and out.

[Richard_]

My 1st cook on my new offset was way to smokey , I blame that on poor fire management aided by beer consumption :oops:

[SmittyJonz]

Yup Beer can cause the Dirty Smoke.......

[SmittyJonz]

:twitch:

[WareZdaBeef]

I'll bite. I personally never used a stick burner, but from what ive gathered is you run them with lots of air flow. With wood chunks using charcoal you have less air flow to maintain temps so you get a more pronounced flavor using less wood. Not to mention if you put the chunks too close together your getting too much smoke too fast regardless if its clean burning or not, that smoke flavor is going to be strong.

I use about 3 chunks total for a brisket i cut the chunks to about 3x3 each. I get about 1 hour of tbs each chunk. I use the snake method and space the chunks to where as one is no longer producing smoke, the next chunk is starting. I have perfect mild smoke flavor and a nice smoke ring due to charcoal producing nitrogen oxide and converting to nitric oxide on the meat surface.

between 2 , maybe 3 hours of smoke.
https://s22.postimg.org/3t2v1sksx/100_7069.jpg

[SmittyJonz]

Exactly........low airflow smothering the burn on charcoal = Dirty Smoke. Running with more airflow - thus Hotter- you could run more chunks and not get "OverSmoke".......

[SmittyJonz]

You can get a smoke ring without wood - just charcoal. You can even get a smoke ring without wood or charcoal or a fire.......

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html
.

[WareZdaBeef]

You can get a smoke ring without wood - just charcoal. You can even get a smoke ring without wood or charcoal or a fire.......

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html
.

Yeah exactly. Charcoal produces the gas that causes the chemical reaction that creates the ring. So does wood, among others. Charcoal actually produces the most out of the fuels. I think the reason people don't get a ring using charcoal is they start off too hot and dont allow enough of the gases to pentrate into the meat before the meat reaches a temp where it no longer reacts. You could also dump charcoal in every 20 minutes thats already been burning for a good enough time where the gas has already burned up. That would be about the "cleanest" charcoal heat source, but no smoke ring thats for sure.

[Yendor]

Not all green wood is bad. Give me fresh cut apple wood all day long. Makes the best ribs!

[DaveAlvarado]

Over-smoking only happens if you aren't living right...like if you kick your dog, cheat on your taxes, or try to cook at 225F.

[WareZdaBeef]

Over-smoking only happens if you aren't living right...like if you kick your dog, cheat on your taxes, or try to cook at 225F.

Does this apply to Beef, poultry, fish, and pork?

[mchar69]

I would say that I used alot of Mesquuite ONCE on a chicken and won't do THAT again!
Mesquite is OUT of the rotation. Plus probably had a dirty fire.
Burped up smoke all night! On a kettle.

[m-fine]

I think it is possible to oversmoke poultry, but not beef or pork. Bad smoke is the common problem that causes most of the over smoked comments.

[WareZdaBeef]

I think it is possible to oversmoke poultry, but not beef or pork. Bad smoke is the common problem that causes most of the over smoked comments.

I agree bad smoke is rancid and taste horrible, but i do not agree that there is no such thing as over smoking with good smoke. Even getting that perfect thin blue smoke you can over smoke by using a bold flavor wood like mesquite and hickory. I think this topic is pointless because you can't truly measure in time, but rather in the amount of smoke in that time.

[m-fine]

I have never had beef that was over smoked by good smoke. 14+ hours of clean burning mesquite is not a problem. 20 minutes of smoldering creasote depositing fire with any wood can ruin the meal.

[Bob O Q Shawtee]

Along with other things already mentioned,I find regional preference play's a part in this debate. Is it any surprise that people from an area where strong tasting wood is non-existant would find Mesquite over powering? When I was growing up green Hickory was the majoritie's choice. In those days 90% of people chewed,dipped or smoked which deaden's sense of taste and smell. Same is true when one was raised where wild fresh water trout is plentiful. Catfish and flounder often make them sick. I suppose I'm like a hound dog,some is different but I like it all.

[DaveAlvarado]

Does this apply to Beef, poultry, fish, and pork?

Don't know about fish, I've never cooked that in the smoker.

Beef, pork, and chicken all come out just right in a stick burner on hickory running at 300F.

[Lowki]

warm the meat to death

Thnx bludawg, that one got a good chuckle outta me.

[WareZdaBeef]

Don't know about fish, I've never cooked that in the smoker.

Beef, pork, and chicken all come out just right in a stick burner on hickory running at 300F.

I was referring to kicking your dog and cheating on your taxes.

[SmittyJonz]

:shock:

[SmittyJonz]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6ubTQfr_tyY

[bucko]

Money can't buy you happiness but it can buy you a bandera or smokehose

[ChrisBarb]

As far as charcoal goes, the quality matters. Since I have switched to Weber, that "charcoal taste" has pretty much gone away.

[SmittyJonz]

Still True........

[EyeBurnEverything]

Still True........

Thats a lot of chunks. Might as well use splits.

[SmittyJonz]

:wink:

[Pug-N-Monk's BBQ]

Captain Creosote strikes again!!
http://coppercartcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/cartoon-captains-captain-crunch-clipart-clip-art-library.jpg