How long do I want to smoke my meat?

[Ryan Barrett]

I was once told that you don't want to smoke the whole time that you are cooking. The person that told me this said that after the internal temp. of the meat reached a certain point the smoke would start to take on a bitter taste. Has anyone know anything about this and what kind of internal temp. are we talking about?

 

[Mark Silver]

I only use 2-3 small (less than fist sized) chunks when I first put the meat on the smoker in various place around the charcoal ring so it doesn't all catch at once. Too much wood (especially stong wood like mesquite) will quickly overpower your meat and leave a bitter taste.

 

[Ines Burriola]

Hi Ryan, I have never had a problem with a bitter taste, I use apple and hickory wood in most everything I smoke. I usually use three to four fist size chunks in the charcoal ring. Assuming your using a WSM the internal temp depends on the meat your smoking. When the desired temp is reached it's done. If you keep reading this board you will find all the answers to the questions you have for Qing and using the WSM. Good Q'ing

Chach

 

[Jim Minion]

Ryan
There are a couple of things being mixed together here. First the production of smokering continuse until the internal temp of the meat reaches aprox 140º. Second as long as wood is in the smoker smoke will be layed on the meat, by using too much wood or bad combustion of the wood you can have bitter flavor layed on the meat.

Once smokering production stops it doesn't mean you have to stop smoke, the wood used also dictates how much you use, hickory, oak, pecan and mesquite are stronger flavor than fruit woods and alder as an example.
Jim