No smoke in my 22" WSM


 
B

Brian Merz

TVWBB Member
Hey all you experts and any newbs too. I seem to never get enough smoke out of my WSM, I light my Kingsford Comp Briquets minion method with about quarter to half chimney and put 2 to 3 tennis ball sized chuncks of hickory around the ring infront of the vents.

I try to run my cooker at 225, but when I run that low of temp all my vents are closed and the cooker will run like that for as much as 10 hours with out touching. I tried running hotter around 275 but even one vent open and my cooker goes out of control.

Could I be the only person complaining about a too effitient WSM?
 
My guess is that it's the wood. I don't think that you need to be that strategic in placing the wood but whatever works for you. What type of wood are you using and have you tried a different batch of wood?
 
Thanks for the fast response E Mann, I have used the cheepo Wal-Mart wood and some logs that I cut into chunks. I think it is the lack of air with my vents closed, could a Guru help with my air flow?
 
If your running 225 with the vents closed than you have air leakage from somewhere. The coals should go out if you close the vents. Check the fit on the door. Is the middle section out of round? Stick a light inside assemble it and see where your gaps are.

As for the wood distribute it through out the coals and have 1 chunk under where you pour the lit so you get smoke right away. Also remember that you don't need to see smoke billowing out the top vent to get a good smoke flavour. If your wood is to dry you wont get much flavour from it.

Hope this helps.
 
I always put one chunk on top of the chimney to get lit with the first batch of charcoal. many times while you dont see smoke coming off (esp if your not running water) the wood is still smoldering and giving smoke.
 
Maybe I'm mis-reading your post. If you're starting Minion method and the chunks of hickory are under the briqs and up against the ring, then the burn isn't getting to the hickory until later in the session. Remember, with the Minion method the fire burns from the inside out so chunks on the outside won't be 'gotten to' until later.

Besides, the smoke wood will be just shy of combustion temperature by the time it starts to burn. So it won't produce a ton of smoke.

If you want more smoke then put the chunks much closer to the center when you start the Minion.

Russ
 
I light my Kingsford Comp Briquets minion method with about quarter to half chimney and put 2 to 3 tennis ball sized chuncks of hickory around the ring infront of the vents.
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You're putting them, inside the ring, along with and directly on top of the charcoal, correct? I just wanted to be sure, since the wood should be burning even when you're lid temp is a lot less than 225.
 
Just a thought. You say all the vents are closed. The top vent should always be wide open. I keep mine around 225 to 250 with top open and bottom just barely open. No problem burning all the wood chunks.
 
Thanks to everybody for a quick responce, this site seems to have the best members.
I lite the coals first dump the coals then add the wood ontop of the coals. I Have a Cajun Bandit Door with enough gunk inside to seal everything prety well.

I do like alot of smoke on my meat so maybe I am expecting too much from my WSM. I will try getting a chunk going at start up as Chris suggested.

Thanks again to everybody.
 
Brian.
If you're not gettin enough smoke flavour on your meats, than I agree that the wood is too old and dry.
I used to use the bag stuff (and I still will in a pinch) and it was kinda alright as long as I used 3-4 chunks.
I..personally noticed a big difference in the amount of flavour when I switched over and used this wood.
http://www.smokinlicious.com/
Now I only use 1-2 chunks.

Tim
 
Brian, I'm just a newb, but I've been lucky and got nice woodsmoke flavor in my first WSM cooks and good smoke rings. I see a pretty continuous thin blueish smoke from my 18.5 the whole time.

For what it's worth, my approach is just basic, since I don't know all the different wood combustion science - I light up, Minion method using Wicked Good lump. Get the fire going well. Put two lumps of wood, right on top in the middle of the fire, then assemble the cooker with the meat on board. Once the temp reaches 225, I move bottom vents to about 20% open and observe.

If it seems like my WSM wants to burn kind of hot, I don't close the vents any further - I put ice in the drip bowl instead and regulate that way. From everything I've read on this site, it's important to keep the air moving, so I work on sustaining that.

I sniff what's coming up through the top vent (always wide open)every hour or so, and if I feel it's not woodsmoky enough for my liking, I add another small chunk of wood to the fire. I make it a rule to use no more than two chunks every three hours. Mostly I use less.
 
Originally posted by timothy:
Brian.
If you're not gettin enough smoke flavour on your meats, than I agree that the wood is too old and dry.
I used to use the bag stuff (and I still will in a pinch) and it was kinda alright as long as I used 3-4 chunks.
I..personally noticed a big difference in the amount of flavour when I switched over and used this wood.
http://www.smokinlicious.com/

Tim
Click to expand...

Amen to that, and that link sounds like a good option to those that can't find wood locally.
IMHO, most of the wood that comes in a bag is too dry for optimum results in a charcoal smoker.
 
Thank You Tim, after work yesterday I took a trip out of my way to a bbq shop that is out of town to buy some good wood. I have to admit I thought you might be a little crazy and into one of those BS bbq tips that everybody has. I even bought a small butt to smoke overnight before work. Worked like a charm, light blue smoke the whole 6 hour cook. Before I had zero. Went to Smokenlicious to get a little explanation and it made sense.
Thank you Tim and everybody else the responce time way awsome. Glad I joined after lurking for the past 3 years.
 
dave interestin bout the storage of wook chunks on the smoking site.. i live in SC and have kept my wood in boxes in the garage, could they be too dried after months of storage?? i smell good smoke coming outta the cooker, but should we be keeping the wood indoors?? Glenn in SC
 
how the heck do ya test the wood chunks moisture??? i have always got my stuff from chigger creek, but got stuff that have been in the garage which gets pretty hot in the summer do i need too re hydrate them??? Glenn in SC
 
Glenn, the thing is, one word comes to mind when it comes to what I think of as ideal storage of smoke wood: TERMITES.

Because of that, I just let it sit on bricks in the shade between trees out back. I have to resign myself to the fact that most of what I get at a time is gonna dry up and end up in the fireplace or my firepit instead of going in the wsm....since my wife says I barbecue too much as it is.
icon_frown.gif
 
Originally posted by glenn fleming:
how the heck do ya test the wood chunks moisture???
Click to expand...

Not sure. I've just been going by appearance (any bark left, for instance?), smell, heft, and what it sounds like when I knock the pieces together.

Oh, and I don't think the re-hydrating works too good because I hear that the wood won't reabsorb moisture very well. I guess that's why most boats float so well.
 
One more thing, Glenn. The smoke cleans up as the cooker comes up to temp, but after that, if the wood flames up bad before I have the water pan filled and the meat on, I'd say the wood is too dry.

...but it is relative to what I'm cooking, though. I suppose that smoke wood for ribs and chicken doesn't need to be as moist as what I use for brisket, or especially pork butt.
 
Brian.
Glad that helped. Everyone has different tolerances for the amount of flavor (or smokiness) that any smokewood puts out, be-it chips, chunks or pellets.
Me.. I'll use whatever I have at hand(to a point)butt I really did step up my game using wood that had the rite moisture content IME.
I like to store my wood in cheap dollar store laundry baskets, inside my garage kept up off the floor.

Tim
 
good points dave i think it is ok in the garage, but may move it in the house.. i did talk too a lady at ssmokinglic today and she was very helpful.. put in a small order too check it out will let u know.. thanx again. damm HOT down here in SC, nice Dixie Storms this PM helped a little,, Glenn in
 
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