Baffle and smoke flavor

[blackdogbbq21]

Sorry for the novel just want to give all the info I can to get opinions

I have a highland that I bought used and when I got it the exhaust was extended to the grate and it had tuning plates. I noticed it seemed liked the tuning plate was radiating heat onto the bottom of the meat so I tried taking it out and put a piece of steel in for a baffle. I did a test cook rack of ribs last week and noticed the ribs had very little smoke flavor, even the next day tasting the leftovers. Is it possible that the baffle somehow adversely directed the smoke away from the meat?

I was using all oak splits. I've had the wood a little less than a year and bought it naturally seasoned from a local supplier (not sure how old it was when I bought it). I've used the wood on other cooks in the past and got good smoke flavor. I store the wood outside loosely tarped and our temperatures are very rarely over 70 degrees. I know it's possible that the wood could be overly seasoned now.

During the cook I had thin blue smoke to sometimes just clear vapor. I put a decent size waterpan in the cook chamber.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Too Seasoned/Dry will give less smoke flavor. Get a bag of Mesquite chunks or mini logs and mix with the Oak.
Was the plate solid or had holes like a convection plate.? If solid it could wise Smoke to bypass meat depending on the size of the plate.
I’d ditch the exhaust extension.

 

[SmittyJonz]

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