WTF? "Too much smoke makes it hard to hold Q"

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

I was complaining to the owner of one of the very few BBQ joints we have here in Vermont that their Q has no smoke ring and not hint of smoke taste. (I had seen on a earlier trip that they use a couple of FEC100s.)

He assured me they smoked the ribs and brisket for many hours. I pressed the issue saying I saw no evidence of smoke. He then replied that they do not want to get too much smoke because it is very difficult to hold Q that has been smoked well!!

WTF?

The have great smokers, it would take no extra effort and very little extra cost for pellets, but they choose to, in effect, bake the meat and avoid much smoke. I wonder if anyone else has ever heard of such a concept?

 

[Harbormaster]

Q with no smoke isn't Q, is it?
It's like Rock-n-Roll without booze and drugs.
Christianity without Christ.

 

[big brother smoke]

I was complaining to the owner of one of the very few BBQ joints we have here in Vermont that their Q has no smoke ring and not hint of smoke taste. (I had seen on a earlier trip that they use a couple of FEC100s.)

He assured me they smoked the ribs and brisket for many hours. I pressed the issue saying I saw no evidence of smoke. He then replied that they do not want to get too much smoke because it is very difficult to hold Q that has been smoked well!!

WTF?

The have great smokers, it would take no extra effort and very little extra cost for pellets, but they choose to, in effect, bake the meat and avoid much smoke. I wonder if anyone else has ever heard of such a concept?

He is full of chit! Makes no sense! I find food last longer when smoked.

 

[tjus77]

I worked for a BBQ resturant in HS. One day the owner (who knew nothing at all about the business) told the manager that he had gotten a complaint that the meat tasted too smokey. So for about 2 months, we had to leave the pit doors open when we stoked the fire until no smoke was visible AND wrap the meat 1/2 way through cooking. Also went from cooking it at 250, to cooking it at 325.

When business got bad enough, the owner asked WTF was going on... manager told him people didn't come here for baked meat, they came here for smoked meat. We went back to the old way of doing things. We always left the doors open when we first started the fire, but stopped doing it when we added wood AND stopped wrapping the meat and of course went back to low and slow.

Some people just don't know what good que is, and they need to go eat chinese food.

 

[jbrink01]

I have personal experience with this...

We vend and cater out of an FEC 500. I got a complaint about lack of smoke 2 weeks ago (I got behind and cooked at 275). Well, no more. I now cook butts 8 hours at 180 and 8 hours at 250. The flavor is back and better than ever.

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

They're everywhere...

 

[kickassbbq]

No smoke? Well, that ain't gonna work either when I am smokin' meat or when I'm in the Harley Shop just smokin'!!!!!!!!!!!!
PARTY@@@@@@@@@!&%@*^%#@(*#(#(%#(*%#*^# DOWN)(*&^F(&^R)*RD)*&TR)*&RF
Whew, that hurt. Where's the Aspirin? Aspirin, heck, where's the Whiskey?
The Smoke Never Ends
Smoke On!!!!!!

 

[Steppenwolf]

I wouldn't be surprised if they simply applied liquid smoke to basting the outside for the "smoke flavor". I doubt that it would be false advertising that way.
It's funny how the public perception varies from what's real or (in our eyes) "better". Everyone says that they prefer fresh potatoes for fries over QIF (quick instant frozen) fries. But the general public expects fries to taste the same as Mc Donald, Burger King, Jack in the Box, ect. fies over trues fresh cut-blanched-fried potatoes. All nice and even in color you know.

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

I wouldn't be surprised if they simply applied liquid smoke to basting the outside for the "smoke flavor". I doubt that it would be false advertising that way.
It's funny how the public perception varies from what's real or (in our eyes) "better". Everyone says that they prefer fresh potatoes for fries over QIF (quick instant frozen) fries. But the general public expects fries to taste the same as Mc Donald, Burger King, Jack in the Box, ect. fies over trues fresh cut-blanched-fried potatoes. All nice and even in color you know.

The point is that there ISN'T any smoke flavor. They have the technology and just aren't using it right -- ON PURPOSE!

 

[RichardF]

No smoke? Well, that ain't gonna work either when I am smokin' meat or when I'm in the Harley Shop just smokin'!!!!!!!!!!!!
PARTY@@@@@@@@@!&%@*^%#@(*#(#(%#(*%#*^# DOWN)(*&^F(&^R)*RD)*&TR)*&RF
Whew, that hurt. Where's the Aspirin? Aspirin, heck, where's the Whiskey?
The Smoke Never Ends
Smoke On!!!!!!

Just don't let the lens get fogged-up :wink:

 

[The_Kapn]

We vend and cater out of an FEC 500. I got a complaint about lack of smoke 2 weeks ago (I got behind and cooked at 275). Well, no more. I now cook butts 8 hours at 180 and 8 hours at 250. The flavor is back and better than ever.

That is the trick for a FEC.
For those who do not know--a FEC burns super efficient.
Mine with the IQ4 seems to use at or less than 1/2 pound per hour. That is about one very small log for a mid-sized cooker :lol:
Very few Nitrates or Nitrides to cause smoke ring and little smoke flavor per hour.

So, the trick is to extend the time in the smoke. Per Tony at CookShack.
I use about 2 hours at 180ish and then go to 240-250 ish for the cook on Roast type meats.
Same principle, just different times. I am still working on the right combination for me.

That Dude is smoking something--but not the meat! :lol:

TIM

 

[RichardF]

That is the trick for a FEC.
For those who do not know--a FEC burns super efficient.
Mine with the IQ4 seems to use at or less than 1/2 pound per hour. That is about one very small log for a mid-sized cooker :lol:
Very few Nitrates or Nitrides to cause smoke ring and little smoke flavor per hour.

So, the trick is to extend the time in the smoke. Per Tony at CookShack.

TIM

OK - So you have this very efficent smoker that's so good, you have to extend the cooking times. I'll need to think about that for a while...

 

[Bigmista]

He then replied that they do not want to get too much smoke because it is very difficult to hold Q that has been smoked well!!

WTF?

One of the original reasons for smoking meat was to preserve it. It's much easier to hold that way. He's full of Hooey(technical term).

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

One of the original reasons for smoking meat was to preserve it. It's much easier to hold that way. He's full of Hooey(technical term).

My very thought, Mista.

 

[Single Fin Smoker]

In California, "...BBQ..." restaurants have no smoke ring at all(unless you eat at Bigmista's or Norco's). All you have to do is make everything swim in bbq sauce....

 

[Bigmista]

Sad, ain't it?

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

In California, "...BBQ..." restaurants have no smoke ring at all(unless you eat at Bigmista's or Norco's). All you have to do is make everything swim in bbq sauce....

Bet they don't use FEC100s to bake the Q though.

I know just what you mean about bbq sauce swimming - same here.

 

[Steppenwolf]

In California, "...BBQ..." restaurants have no smoke ring at all(unless you eat at Bigmista's or Norco's). All you have to do is make everything swim in bbq sauce....

You got that right. We only had 3 here that actually used wood. "Had" because one got eaten by a whale in a freak boating incident a few years back.

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

You got that right. We only had 3 here that actually used wood. "Had" because one got eaten by a whale in a freak boating incident a few years back.

ROFL -- We need a BIT more detail on the eaten by a whale thing.

 

[Single Fin Smoker]

I forgot to add, in addition to swimming in bbq sauce they ain't cheap either.

For the cost of one plate and a beer at one of these places I can feed 4-5 people with said required smoke ring.