thomasjurisd
03-15-2010, 08:51 AM
Okay friends, I have a question about something curious I ran into yesterday while smoking some chickens in the Bandera.
I was using Royal Oak Lump Charcoal (USA) and HIckory mini logs sold under a brand called "Western" here in Texas at Academy sporting goods stores. Last weekend I had used the same brand's mequite and was happy with it so figured I'd give the Hickory a try. When I dumped the logs out of the bag, I noticed that a couple had bark that to me looked like Pine.... The bag also contained a few split logs with no bark but the grain of the wood looked alot like the grain on the ones with the pine-looking bark. Anyway, I got the coal going and put a couple of the nicer looking logs on, nothing but sweet blue. Then, I put on one of the split logs and started noticing some black smoke. I open the fire box lid to vent and let the log burn until the black smoke subsided...which was basically until it had been reduced to coals. Later in the smoke I warmed up one of the pieces with the off-looking bark and dropped it into the fire box...black smoke...this time I just took it out and discarded into another pit to burn off.
Two questions: 1) has anyone else had this issue with this brand? 2) Could it be that they had some pine mixed into the bag/does pine produce black smoke?
By the way...Wife said it was the best smoked chicken she had ever tasted. :clap2:
I was using Royal Oak Lump Charcoal (USA) and HIckory mini logs sold under a brand called "Western" here in Texas at Academy sporting goods stores. Last weekend I had used the same brand's mequite and was happy with it so figured I'd give the Hickory a try. When I dumped the logs out of the bag, I noticed that a couple had bark that to me looked like Pine.... The bag also contained a few split logs with no bark but the grain of the wood looked alot like the grain on the ones with the pine-looking bark. Anyway, I got the coal going and put a couple of the nicer looking logs on, nothing but sweet blue. Then, I put on one of the split logs and started noticing some black smoke. I open the fire box lid to vent and let the log burn until the black smoke subsided...which was basically until it had been reduced to coals. Later in the smoke I warmed up one of the pieces with the off-looking bark and dropped it into the fire box...black smoke...this time I just took it out and discarded into another pit to burn off.
Two questions: 1) has anyone else had this issue with this brand? 2) Could it be that they had some pine mixed into the bag/does pine produce black smoke?
By the way...Wife said it was the best smoked chicken she had ever tasted. :clap2: