Wife just bought me a 14.5 WSM and we (me and my 9yr old son) are new to smoking we smoked a pork shoulder for pulled pork this weekend he and his sisters like it but it had a slight bitter taste. I am trying to figure out how to get more then 6 hour on a load of coals and how to remove the bitter taste. Looking to make some mods to the smoker also primarily handles on the smoking chamber.
New to smoking
- Thread starter JFischtz
- Start date
Bob Ivey
TVWBB Emerald Member
Welcome to the forum. My question would be what was your entire process. Did you light all the charcoal at one time, did you put the meat in while there was still white smoke? Those are just a few of the questions that might help figuring out what happened. If you can, list everything you did and in what order. Glad you are here and congrats on that great WSM.
Jim Strickland
TVWBB Fan
Welcome to the forum JFischtz. You'll love your new smoker.
Jas
TVWBB Fan
Welcome Aboard!
There are some great tutorials to read and watch to determine what you did different from them. Sometimes that is easier than telling us your whole process. Once you have the method down w can help tweak it to help you get the flavor you are searching for. Bitter can come from the wrong type of smoke (white smoke) it should be a blueish and mostly clear, not a billowing white smoke you see when you first start your smoker.
There are some great tutorials to read and watch to determine what you did different from them. Sometimes that is easier than telling us your whole process. Once you have the method down w can help tweak it to help you get the flavor you are searching for. Bitter can come from the wrong type of smoke (white smoke) it should be a blueish and mostly clear, not a billowing white smoke you see when you first start your smoker.
Chris Arnold
TVWBB Super Fan
in the 14.5 I usually use 3 or 4 fist sized lumps - sometimes less...remember the meat only takes on the smoke in the first couple of hours anyway...
Enrico Brandizzi
TVWBB Honor Circle
Bitter taste, imo could be:
1) too much smoke. I mean white billowing smoke not the BTS we sgould look for
2) creosoto due to cold smoke in the new briquettes igniction
1) too much smoke. I mean white billowing smoke not the BTS we sgould look for
2) creosoto due to cold smoke in the new briquettes igniction
TonyUK
TVWBB Guru
J.
I think you used too much wood. Although the meat will only take smoke for the first couple of hours, as Chris says, I'm sure that there would be a continued build up of smoke on the outside of the meat.
I usually have about 5-6 briquette size lumps of wood buried in the fire ring.
I think you used too much wood. Although the meat will only take smoke for the first couple of hours, as Chris says, I'm sure that there would be a continued build up of smoke on the outside of the meat.
I usually have about 5-6 briquette size lumps of wood buried in the fire ring.
