Question about the color under the dome


 
S

Steve_N

TVWBB Member
I just got my WSM 22.5 on Fathers day and had my second smoke today.

I'm a bit of a clean freak when it comes to my tools, cars and cool toys like the WSM. So naturally I inspected the unit after both smokes.

After the first smoke i noticed that the color under the dome was a light brown kinda muddy color. I thought nothing of it. Just thought it was a new smoker and this was part of the seasoning process.

So after my second smoke today, I looked under the dome and it was shiny black like it was the day i put it together. No residue of any kind that I can notice.

I'm assuming (I know I shouldn't do that) that I must've burned something funky the first time around and the second longer smoke cleaned things up.

Any suggestions about the funky brown color?

First smoke was BB's and the second brisket. Used K blue both times and cherry wood chunks from the same bag. No lighter fluid.

Steve
 
alls good. the brown was probably from the first smoke and after the second its starting to get its layer of carbon build up, but im no chemist.
 
Did you use water in the pan both times? I might be wrong, but I don't think that I get the brown build-up when I run the pan with no water.

I do know that I'm not worried about black build-up flecks falling on the meat if I don't use water in the pan. If I do use water, I'm careful to remove build-up with a plastic putty knife between most cooks, just to be on the safe side. I had black flecks on my pork butts one time, and that wasn't pretty. No worries if there's no water in the pan, for some reason or another.
 
Dave doesn't use water.. When did that happen?
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I agree with what youre sayin, I don't have that happen on a non H2O run WSM.

Tim
 
Tim, Thanks for the link to the FAQs I should've looked there first. Silly me. Anyway, yes, the color looks about the same but it certainly didn't look like rust to me. And I didn't have to brush it off, it cleared up at the next cook and it looks nice and shiny black now.

I'm still thinking that it was coated with something that turned brown on the first cook. I'll write back if it happens again.

Thanks,
Steve
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
Did you use water in the pan both times? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, and I used water both times.

I'm not worried about the black flecks yet. I had to deal with them with my gasser.

Thanks,
Steve
 
Steve.
I usually point back to the FAQs on these type of questions, but I would like to hear you're follow up if this happens again.

Tim
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by timothy:
Dave doesn't use water.. When did that happen?
icon_smile.gif

I agree with what youre sayin, I don't have that happen on a non H2O run WSM.

Tim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tim, Ya didn't see my "eatin' crow out of a clay pot base" thread on the wsm forum?
icon_biggrin.gif


I've cooked without water MANY times, both HH and low-n-slow cooks, but I wasn't using any heat sink in the pan. I wasn't happy with how the bottom grate was so much hotter, how the cooker maintained temps (mainly speaking of low-n-slow, here)....as well as temp recoveries after taking the lid off.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve_N:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:
Did you use water in the pan both times? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, and I used water both times.

I'm not worried about the black flecks yet. I had to deal with them with my gasser.

Thanks,
Steve </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Steve, I guess now that you clarify that, I've noticed some cooks that gave me a brown color and some that ended up black, just the same as yours, both conditions with water in the pan. No idea why, but I'd think that the brown color might have something to do with more creosote or something.

Anyway, when you think about it, just wipe off the inside of the dome between cooks, and maybe hit the high spots with foil or a plastic putty knife. Those black flecks will kind of "sneak up" on ya in the middle of a long cook.
icon_eek.gif
 
The brown stuff is from creosote. Its a by-product of your smoke wood burning. I get it in my dome too sometimes. The first time I saw it I was a little worried. But its no big deal. Usually what I do is use a hose and a steel brush to brush it away. Once I finish my dome is nice and shiny black again. Its actually a sign that you're doing things right because it means you're getting good smoke.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Russ Harris:
Its actually a sign that you're doing things right because it means you're getting good smoke. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's good to hear...Thanks
 
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