beginner smoker


 
J

JeremyN

New member
i recently bought an 18.5 inch wsm and was really excited to use it as i love any restaurant smoked meat however in my first smokes i cant seem to shake the "campfire " taste . I have tried pork roast (not good) chicken wings ( turned out really good) then ribs, chicken thighs, a ham and chicken breasts. All them still had that campfire taste to them. I really dont think i am using too much wood from what I have read. Sometimes I use hickory chunks, sometimes apple chips. I have waited upwards of an hour after pouring the chimney on, to make sure i was getting a clean smoke. I tried lump first, then kingsford blue with no difference. I am stumped....Is it my taste buds or am I missing something. The food is tasting like the smoke coming out the , which isnt a good thing... Shouldnt the smoke coming out half way through have a good, intoxicating aroma? Because it never does. Does it have anything to do with cooking in Ontario nov. dec. weather (less then 10 degrees celsius )? I figured that would only use more fuel but wouldnt affect the taste. Any help would be greatly appreciated...my wife is starting to raz me for spending the money and not producing top notch meat lol.

Thanks
Jeremy
 
JeremyN said:
I really dont think i am using too much wood from what I have read. Thanks Jeremy
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Welcome to the forum Jeremy

My first guess is that you were using too much wood, so my question to you is how much wood are you using?
When you put your food on, what color is the smoke coming out? Ideal is light blue, thick white can produce the "campfire" taste you speak of

When I smoke, I get my smoker going pretty good before I put my food on. After the food is on, I throw two, maybe three chunks of wood in. This does produce some white smoke at first, but it's not heavy and it turns blue within 5 minutes or so. After an hour or so, no more smoke comes out of my smoker

I'm a light smoker, I (like you) don't like the campfire flavor. That's how I beat it, I'm sure there's other ways to beat it too
 
I have either used 3 chunks of Hickory a hand full of apple chips. ..i usually put them on when i put in the charcoal.
 
I call it the ashtray effect. Try using less wood on a clean burning fire ...or none at all... and see how that tastes. Adjust from there. Hickory is pretty strong. Apple not so much.
 
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JeremyN said:
I have either used 3 chunks of Hickory a hand full of apple chips. ..i usually put them on when i put in the charcoal.
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Hickory & Apple are an odd couple (imho) but it doesn't sound like the wood is your problem. That said, what charcoal are you using? I've never got the "charcoal" taste from my WSM nor my Mini, but I have gotten the charcoal taste on my kettles. When that happens, it's because I put the food on too soon after lighting the charcoal. But like I said, that's never happened to me, using my WSM
 
Sorry it was either one type or the other. Not both....i am thinking about no wood for my next smoke tomorrow. ..i also took off the buildup layer on the dome just in case it it was producing that creosote taste...i read that somewhere. Thanks for the replies though
 
JeremyN;
Be sure that you are leaving the top vent wide open. Just use the bottom vents to regulate temperature. That way will help insure that you have good venting and should eliminate the creosote taste.

Try using two tennis ball size chunks of apple wood. Your own suggestion to skip the wood next time is not a bad idea until you find what pleases YOU. Then, you can adjust to taste by adding one, two, or three pieces of Apple until you hit that magic level that you and yours, prefer.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Welcome to the gang Jeremy. I grew up in Waterloo and still have some family in Kitchener. Cold temps won't affect smoke flavour. I regularly smoke food when it's -25 and have even done it at -40. My wife doesn't like anymore smoke flavour than what comes off the lump charcoal, another friend likes as much as I can get on the meat so try one chunk of hickory and work up from there. Instead of apple chips go up to St. Jacobs and try and score some of the tree trimming from an orchard.
 
It's weird...I enjoy smoked food that I have had from other people who smoke but mine still tastes different....I guess I am still trying to nail down the technique that will produce the smoke flavour but not the campfire flavour...My parents are bringing me back some store bought apple chunks and pecan chunks from florida soon so I am excited to give them a try as well (no store around here stocks anything but chips and hickory chunks in the winter)
 
just to add to that it wastrying my buddy's (who has a big woodburning offset smoker) ribs that he smoked that finally convinced me I need a smoker. I would assume his particular smoker would put off a heavy smoke flavour and they were the best ribs I have ever had, so I am not convinced its the amount of smoke just type I guess.
 
What type of charcoal are you using? I like a very light smoke and if I use a good lump charcoal, I can get by with no wood. There will be smoke flavor from the lump charcoal. When I do ribs, I will throw a little hickory in there. Otherwise, at most I use a little bit of apple. Personally, I think it's your charcoal given the other smoked meat you've eaten. I also would agree with the advice to keep that top vent open.

Are you using water in the smoker or running a waterless method?
 
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i have tried both lump and kingsford blue with little difference in taste...i normally run without water because the time i tried with water I could get the dome temp above 200 ...it was pretty cold outside though
 
Quality smoke-wood with the right moisture content is key IMO. The parents are setting you up with some fresher wood other than chips, see if that makes a diff.:wsm:

Tim
 
I agree with much of what has already been said. The Webber is very efficient in using wood for smoke. I only use one chunk of wood, usually apple or hickory, no larger than 2"x3".
 
Maybe the wood your using is crap. Its like any other ingredient, if the quality is poor its going to affect the outcome of your food.
 
Is all of your meat tasting too smokey or just some types? Chicken does not absorb much smoke flavor where as beef absorbs a lot. Hickory is a pretty strong wood. I use 1 maybe 2 chunks when I smoke and I throw them on and let them burn down for 15-20 minutes before I put food on the cooker. When not using your cooker does it smell like that campfire smell you don't like? You may have a lot of creosote built up and may need to clean the inside of your pit. I hope one of these suggestions helps.

top vent 100% open all the time
 
Tommy, I am not sure I agree. (Not saying you are wrong) To me, chicken is really easy to over smoke. When doing chicken, I will use one or two max pieces of cherry or apple wood. For beef or pork, I use four or five pieces of wood.

I fire up my WSM using the flame thrower and a ring full of charcoal, give it about ten minutes to establish, and then put the WSM together. I wait until she gets up to temp and blowing TBS, and then I'll add my wood and the meat. The wood will put out a little white smoke as it starts and then it will go back to TBS.

Your mileage may vary...
 
THoey said:
Tommy, I am not sure I agree. (Not saying you are wrong) To me, chicken is really easy to over smoke. When doing chicken, I will use one or two max pieces of cherry or apple wood. For beef or pork, I use four or five pieces of wood.

I fire up my WSM using the flame thrower and a ring full of charcoal, give it about ten minutes to establish, and then put the WSM together. I wait until she gets up to temp and blowing TBS, and then I'll add my wood and the meat. The wood will put out a little white smoke as it starts and then it will go back to TBS.

Your mileage may vary...
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I may think that due to shorter cooking times. I normally cook chicken hot and fast compared to most beef and pork. Less time in smoker less smoke. I always go light on wood regardless of what I am smoking. Typically 1-2 chunks and I am done. I have over smoked beef and it is not pleasant!
 
Plenty of good advice here, all I can add is maybe start out with small amounts of fruit woods as they tend to put off a milder smoke and work your way up to the stronger woods such as hickory and mesquite. See where you balance of amount and tastes end up.
You also said your friend with the offset smoker got you interested in smoking, find out what kind of wood he uses and try that and see if you get the same results.
 
Jeremy....First welcome to the forum. I'm getting in on the conversation late but maybe I can add something. I think I have over smoked maybe one chicken, the family for the most part loves the smoke on the meat. My question is...Where are you positing the top vent when you put the lid on? If I'm standing at my kettle my fire is usually at 12 o clock the meat is at 6 o clock and therefore my lid vent is at 6 o clock allowing for the smoke to pass over the meat before exiting. Not sure where the positioning of your lid vent is, but maybe try 3 o clock so that not so much smoke is passing over the meat. Make sense?
 
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