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First time use disaster

  • Thread starter Thread starter mfalle
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mfalle

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I used my Brinkmann Smoke King Deluxe for the first time this past weekend. I did a couple of whole chickens. 4 - 41/2 hours at 200-225 give or take. When reached an internal temp of 185 we took it out. It looked good, was nice and moist, but the taste was a disaster. No one in the family could eat it. What could I have done wrong. I just used Kingsford Charcoal. It seemed that the smoke was overpowering.
 
No.....it sounds like the creosote was overpowering........

Kingsford has additives and can't be added directly to an existing fire in quantiites. Briquettes need to be pre-burned in a charcoal starter before adding to keep the bad smelling, bad flavoring crap (creosote) from getting into your food.
Adding 4 or 5 to the back side of your fire to backlight usually won't cause much of a problem.
Lump charcoal is preburned, so is ok to add to an existing fire. You might try using a combination of briquettes and lump next time. Use the Kingsford for your coal bed, and the lump for your heat.
 
Doesnt sound like nothing with your method.

And temps were right.

With no flavoring wood, there shouldn't have been an overpowering taste.

I'm stumped on this one.

KC, you ever do whole birds?

Any chance it was bad birds?

Was your pit seasoned properly?

Stumped
 
Stack on the smokebox open all they way? Other than that I can't think of anything that hasn't been mentioned.

Another reason I just use Kingsford to start my fire and then feed the beast wood. If something doesn't smell right it's easier to pull the wood than the briquettes. I trust Ma Nature more than any manufacturer.
 
Read somewhere that 40% of all chickens are infested with bacteria. Must take extra care when smoking fowl, or they will taste foul. :(
 
Stack on the smokebox open all they way? Other than that I can't think of anything that hasn't been mentioned.

Excellent point! Stack vent on your smoke chamber should always be wide open, control the fire with the firebox damper. Sounds like you might have been choking the exhaust, so it had no place to go but into the food. That was one of my first big errors too, thanks for the reminder, Jorge! Good pick up!
 
KC, you ever do whole birds?
Not whole birds, but turkey boobs are one of my favorites. Never had this problem. I agree with Brother Kick, suspect kingsford as the culprit. The occasional "black smoke" problem I had a while back completely disappeared when I quit using kingsford (during the cook). I still start with a chimney full of kingsford unlit in the fire box and then add lit lump to get going. Where economically feasable, wood is good.
 
200-225 give or take.
All else sounds good, provided these temps are reliable. Verified by something other than the door thermo. 140 to 160 indicated on my door is actually cooking range 215-235.
 
Not whole birds, but turkey boobs are one of my favorites. Never had this problem. I agree with Brother Kick, suspect kingsford as the culprit. The occasional "black smoke" problem I had a while back completely disappeared when I quit using kingsford (during the cook). I still start with a chimney full of kingsford unlit in the fire box and then add lit lump to get going. Where economically feasable, wood is good.

Point well taken. We have enough oak, mesquite, and pecan that prices aren't too bad and I've found that it's actually cheaper for me to burn wood than it is charcoal. That's probably why I have to look around for lump down here and why I don't buy it.
 
mfalle, what did you season the chicken with? I just noticed you didn't mention that in your post. Something you have used in the past? Any chance some of the ingredients, or whatever you may have used were bad?
 
Was it matchless Kingsford? Kingsford web site states not to add matchless to hot coals while cooking.

I use regular Kingsford all the time and never have had any of the problems you did. I light the left side of the basket, add coals to the right side wher they self light over time and still no problems with taste of anything. And I run the top damper full open at the start and the between 1/4 open to 1/2 open durring the cook because those setting shows an immediate air temp rise on the digital therm.
 
OK I started with a full chimney of regular Kingsford (not matchlight) and added a chimny full (pre-started) as needed to maintain temp. Temp was 220-225 per my Maverick Smoker Thermometer. The Chickens were seasoned with Lysinger poultry rub which I have used before. My smokestack was wide open the whole time. I am beginning to think chicken might not have been a good choice. Maybe best left to the Weber Kettle.
 
Al, I think the gradual lighting that occurs in your basket overcomes the problem I have when plunking a few briqs on hot coals. Never had bad smoke to the extent it could be tasted in the food, but you could see it (black residue) on fatty's or other short cook items, brats, hot links etc.

I also think with experience, some dialing down of the top damper will be desirable. Keeping the overall cfm of air moving through the cooker down some, will help keep from drying meats out. Have done a lot of looking at contests and the experienced cooks almost always have the top damper dialed shut some. I'm still green and will have my top full open for now, but will be experimenting.
 
First time I did chickens the farkers would not get done. Then I rememebered to light the burner. :twisted:
 
mfalle said:
OK I started with a full chimney of regular Kingsford (not matchlight) and added a chimny full (pre-started) as needed to maintain temp. Temp was 220-225 per my Maverick Smoker Thermometer. The Chickens were seasoned with Lysinger poultry rub which I have used before. My smokestack was wide open the whole time. I am beginning to think chicken might not have been a good choice. Maybe best left to the Weber Kettle.

Sounds to me like the fire was squared away. Temp looks good if you have confirmed that the thermometer is accurate (and if the chicken was cooked, and still moist, it sounds like it is). The vent was open. All sounds good to me.

Check the seasoning to make sure nothing has soured etc.... I had some bay leaves that got really rank once. I had to cook two different dishes to figure out what it was. My best guess is they weren't dried properly. Maybe try a little seasoning on a chicken breast done in a pan on the stove.

Did you season the smoker following the instructions in the owners manual?

The only other thing I can think of, and it has already been mentioned, is that it was the chicken.
 
kcquer said:
Al, I think the gradual lighting that occurs in your basket overcomes the problem I have when plunking a few briqs on hot coals. Never had bad smoke to the extent it could be tasted in the food, but you could see it (black residue) on fatty's or other short cook items, brats, hot links etc.

I also think with experience, some dialing down of the top damper will be desirable. Keeping the overall cfm of air moving through the cooker down some, will help keep from drying meats out. Have done a lot of looking at contests and the experienced cooks almost always have the top damper dialed shut some. I'm still green and will have my top full open for now, but will be experimenting.

As I read your CFM comments, I need to add other facts, my results are at an altitude of 6,700 ft above sea level and the oxgen content is only 20% or so in a cubic foot of air. Because of the altitude and low oxgen moving thru the fire box, I have never been able to get the smoke chamber above 255 F, even when using lump and wood. I have never Cooked in my unit without one of my baskets. All the paint is in tack on the fire box and smoke chamber and no rust anywhere due to the low humitiy.

I do whole chickens sitting on a cast Iron "Chicken Rocket" filled with booze and butter (it's like a beer can, but it is stable). All have been good, the last one (last Sunday) was above the heat shield (mistake) and I had to finish it off by off-set grilling over coals in the fire box.

My bet (guess) on the taste of the chickens maflee did was paint that did not seal in the seasoning of the new unit before using it.
 
Hey Al - try a grease fire in your smoke chamber. That'll break 255 - no sweat.
 
I think Al is right - it probably didn't get hot enought during seasoning.

R
 
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