New smoker break-in BAAAD Taste

I've bulit a new insulated smoker and burned it in. Temp got above 500 degrees for several hours. Nothing split or broke but, at times, the smoke from the chimney would be brownish yellow and it went away pretty quickly. The next day I cleaned the unit with soap and water then rubbed it down with lard and brought it up to 300 for 5 hours. everything looked and smelled fine. Today I brought the cooker up to 250 and put chicken thighs in and cooked for a couple hours. The taste was BITTER.

Notes:
Started with 1 chute of kingsford charcoal, when temp got to 200 I put in 1 stick of year old pecan and 2 sticks of 6 month old maple then put in the chicken and brought up tp 275 roughly. at one time I thought I saw the brownish yellow smoke again.

The smoker has 1.2 inch 1200 degee rockwool insulation all around and the fire box has 2000 degree ceramic insulation.

Thoughts:
I wonder if I did not seal the firebox tight enough and the heat/fire got to any of the insulation, it would cause the smoke and bitterness.

If I eat the bitter meat would it hurt me?

Any thoughts on this subject? I am "bitterly" watching for any comments.


I am also hoping all the money, time and effort wasn't wasted.

no i just put it on like I've always done.

As I post this I removed all the wood put in more chicken with charcoal only. I also cut the side to check on the insulation and it is in great shape. We will all know in a couple hours how it tastes (at least I will :wink.

Cooked with charcoal only and the bitterness gone. Now I have to re-weld cutout and patch up holes on the inside but I believe after some 2 weeks practice I'll be ready for the Winder, Ga- Lake Oconee - and Cleveland KCBS cooks.

I will try to post picts asap

captndan said:

I go for the wood/ blue smoke idea. Where did you get the ceramic insulation?

Click to expand...

McMaster-Carr has both the ceramic and rockwool.