Let the flavor wood burn down to embers?


 
Jeff B

Jeff B

TVWBB Member
Im getting better thanks to his forum! After 5 cooks on my WSM I'm getting confident enough to try different things to see what happens. I read a lot of posts about letting lump and briquettes burn down to coals before putting the meat on because the early burn smoke can leave a bitter flavor. After over-smoking my first few attempts with Royal Oak and hickory chunks I tried K briquettes and just a few chunks of hickory to tame the smoke flavor a bit. The results were much better - only a subtle flavor of smoke which allowed the meat flavor to come out better. I was pleased but not completely satisfied, though. (Perhaps perfection will come after my 6th cook?)I put the hickory chunks on after the briquettes set up nicely and they immediately flamed up. I scratched my head looking at the pretty flames for a minute and then put the pork loin on and let her rip. The taste was great but i think still a little bitter. Maybe it was my imagination after reading so much about the bitter taste of the early smoke but I have to ask - does the early flaming of the flavor wood give off bitter flavor? Do you guys get the flavor wood going early and hold off until they are glowing embers before putting the meat on?
 
You might try a milder wood than hickory. I used it for my first several smokes and the flavor can be strong. I prefer pecan or a fruitwood.
 
Add lit, wood on top of lit, middle section on, meat on without waiting for any temp rise, close lid. That's just the method I follow and haven't had any issues. I don't worry about white smoke early. It stops in a short while.
 
There really is something to getting good smoke on the wsm, but most folks are happy since the amount of bad smoke they get is only at the start of the cook, and not so overpowering. I guess it's personal taste, but it seems like more folks are concerned with whether they have to add charcoal or not sometime in the cook than how the 'Q turns out. Just sayin', but here's my thoughts on it in random order.

Anyway, I'm not a fan of preburning wood, and I'm not a fan of putting meat on a cold fire, either. I light the top of the ring, but I don't put the meat on until the fire is hot enough to burn the charcoal and wood clean enough to my liking. Seems like this happens faster lighting the ring with a torch and/or using a few firestarter cubes mixed in. Another method I've seen is to light a partial chimney in the middle of the grate, pour unlit around it, and then remove the chimney to pour in the middle when it's engaged. Accomplishes the same thing, which is to try to light only part of the charcoal, but still heat up the rest and get a hotter, cleaner burning charcoal ring. I don't go by how the smoke looks all the time since the steam from the water will often be visible...just use my nose.

Choking down a fire (flaming chunks) by putting the lid on is going to produce nasty smoke, and sometimes for a pretty good while. Better to bury chunks and get initial smoke by laying hot wood on the top of your charcoal around the edges and put the dome on before they catch on fire. This is why a lot of guys light the center of the ring and put the wood on top around where they lit.

To add wood, wedging a chunk between the ring and the bowl will get it hot and then you can move to the coals. Never turn a wood chunk over that's been on top and has quit smoking. No idea why, but it'll start smoking nasty.

As "efficient" as running a dry pan and putting the meat on after putting a dozen lit briqs and wood on is, it's not the best smoke flavor, I can promise you that. Just use your nose, and compare to the old school weber method. Want better 'Q or do you want to save charcoal? Yes, preheating will get you a better smoke flavor, and you'll even be able to use hickory, the king of smoke woods.
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Not trying to argue or any disrespect to others...just trying to help.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
To add wood, wedging a chunk between the ring and the bowl will get it hot and then you can move to the coals. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dave - this sounds like kind of like what I do with wood on my gas grill. I found that if I use chunks (chopped to fit) in the metal box that they get hot and start to blacken and smoke without ever flaming up. I like the idea of putting the wood in the coals just away from the center where the lit coals will start. This should let the wood come up slowly.

Thanks,
Jeff
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ethan G:
You might try a milder wood than hickory. I used it for my first several smokes and the flavor can be strong. I prefer pecan or a fruitwood. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

George,

thanks - i think I want to try apple next. I used the hickory so far because I use this on my gas grill with success. I guess you get a lot more smoke from wood on a WSM than on a gas grill set up. I have to try to find other woods. The BBQ sections at the stores by me are a packing it in for the season so I have to buy what I can get my hands on. Although.... maybe my wife wont miss a branch or 2 from the apple tree in the yard.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">There really is something to getting good smoke on the wsm, but most folks are happy since the amount of bad smoke they get is only at the start of the cook, and not so overpowering. I guess it's personal taste, but it seems like more folks are concerned with whether they have to add charcoal or not sometime in the cook than how the 'Q turns out. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ditto!
 
Jeff, Welcome to this Super Site. You are in the mist of Greatness (not me). I too have only had 5 smokes on the Mighty 18.5 WSM. My approach on the smoke wood gig has been as follows:

1. Have used the Minion Method with K Blue for each smoke.
2. Filled charcoal ring then removed enough to fill starter chimney 3/4 to full.
3. Put you favorite wood in the ring.
4. Cover the unlit coals and wood with your hot coals.

The Smoke is ON like a light switch. I use chunks of wood rather than chips. Mostly Hickory so far.

What I have learned (not only on the WSM but after many years of campfire/outdoor cookin' is this:

Pay attention to the color of the smoke coming out of your rig and you too can become a member of the Order of "The Thin Blue Smoke". Not steam vapor (white in color) and especially not grey or black in color. If you see grey or black, it is an indication of an incomplete burn on the wood and will add creosote or other undesirable elements to the meat.

Lastly, on two of my five smokes, I tried adding some pecan wood given to me by a Friend. These split limbs still had bark on them and after adding I noticed an immediate change in the color of the smoke (from blue to grey then black). The first time, I let it burn and noticed a slight bitter taste on the bark of the brisket I was smoking. The second time I saw the darker smoke, I opened the side hatch on the WSM and removed it. While it smoldered, I saw that it was the source of the black smoke. Lesson learned for me is that NO Bark on my smokin' wood from now on.

Just my .02 and a Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!
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Mike David P, thanks for the observations regarding the pecan wood bark. Any idea how old the wood was?

Regarding the smoke, if I suspect I'm seeing a lot of steam I just use my nose. If it smells too strong it probably is.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
Mike David P, thanks for the observations regarding the pecan wood bark. Any idea how old the wood was?

Regarding the smoke, if I suspect I'm seeing a lot of steam I just use my nose. If it smells too strong it probably is. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dave that wood was about 6 months old and had been at close to 100* everyday because of the hot summer here. It looked very dry but not bad.
 
Just checking.

To be frank and earnest, I think that the bark is only an issue for us backyard cooks that are looking for ways to clean up the smoke on a queastionable fire.

I'll knock any loose bark off, but the kind of fire you've got is what's important. You can over-smoke with small bone-dry bark-less old apple or cherry wood if you use it on a cool bed of coals. Been there, done that.
 
Dave what is a "cool bed of coals?"

I usually minion almost a full chimney across the top of unlit. I bury some wood in the unlit for long butt cooks. I have noticed that when I toss wood on top of the lit coal and close up the smoker it does take 10 min to get the smoker "calmed" down. I've taken to putting the meat in the center section and placing on the coals immediately after spreading the lit coals. however I find if I toss in a couple chunks of smoke wood through the door after the smoker's been going for 15 minutes closed up those chunks smoke nicely than if I throw them on the glowing lit coals.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
Just checking.

To be frank and earnest, I think that the bark is only an issue for us backyard cooks that are looking for ways to clean up the smoke on a queastionable fire.

I'll knock any loose bark off, but the kind of fire you've got is what's important. You can over-smoke with small bone-dry bark-less old apple or cherry wood if you use it on a cool bed of coals. Been there, done that. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That make good sense Dave. I've used K Blue exclusively but have only had 5 smokes so far. I seem to be trying to control higher heat more than low heat. Could be an incomplete combustion issue due to me having to choke the bottom vents down so far in an attempt to maintain low n slow and depriving the wood (which may have a higher flashpoint than the coal) of proper combustion. I'm not having the same problem with bark less hickory chunks though.

Thanks!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chris E:
Dave what is a "cool bed of coals?"

I usually minion almost a full chimney across the top of unlit. I bury some wood in the unlit for long butt cooks. I have noticed that when I toss wood on top of the lit coal and close up the smoker it does take 10 min to get the smoker "calmed" down. I've taken to putting the meat in the center section and placing on the coals immediately after spreading the lit coals. however I find if I toss in a couple chunks of smoke wood through the door after the smoker's been going for 15 minutes closed up those chunks smoke nicely than if I throw them on the glowing lit coals. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Chris, sounds to me like you're smoking.
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When I speak of a "cool bed of coals", I'm addressing putting the meat on immediately after lighting a COLD pile of unlit briqs with only 12 or 15 briqs....often choking down the vents since there's a dry pan and/or little meat on the cooker. Lots of guys here do this and I'm just encouraging them to try something different and see if they can't improve their smoke flavor. Bottom line to me is that if you're not using water in the pan, targeting a little higher temp like 275* is a good idea for cleaner combustion.
 
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