Smoke Flavor From Coals Only?
- Thread starter D Arita
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Russell McNeely
TVWBB Wizard
It's been my experience that I don't get much smoke flavor from using only charcoal. I can still get very good flavor, but not a particularly smoky flavor. And sometimes that's all I want. If I want smoke flavor, like for a BBQ type of flavor, I always use smoke wood.
Mike Hartwell
TVWBB Pro
You are going to get a different flavor from 'coal than you would compared to cooking in an oven.
For decades I have done turkeys on the kettle, coal only...much different (and preferred) from the wife's effort in the oven.
Try it.
For decades I have done turkeys on the kettle, coal only...much different (and preferred) from the wife's effort in the oven.
Try it.
Jerry N.
TVWBB Emerald Member
I don't like much smoke so I use very little wood and have tried no wood at all. I like it, but I can certainly tell the difference if I put a little wood in the fire. For me, a little hickory makes ribs taste really good and you don't get that from just charcoal. FWIW, I use lump. I would think you'd get even less flavor from a briquette, but I've never tried it so I'm not certain.
Like most things in BBQ, try it and see if you like it. Unlike using too much wood, you won't ruin anything using too little or none at all. In the end, it's personal preference.
Like most things in BBQ, try it and see if you like it. Unlike using too much wood, you won't ruin anything using too little or none at all. In the end, it's personal preference.
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
IF you want the meat to taste SMOKED, then you need to make the SMOKER, SMOKE.
It's that simple. Does the wood smoke still flavor the meat a while after getting nearly invisible? Sure, a little bit. Do you need smoke the whole cook? NO, Of course not.
...but don't expect the meat to taste "smoked" if you don't see ANY smoke, especially for the first part of the cook...but if your charcoal or lump makes any smoke for any length of time, by all means, use it. That's just not my experience with all the brands I've tried. I honestly suspect there's more smoke made by burning grease around the bottom of the avg cooker than is produced by most lumps and charcoal.
It's that simple. Does the wood smoke still flavor the meat a while after getting nearly invisible? Sure, a little bit. Do you need smoke the whole cook? NO, Of course not.
...but don't expect the meat to taste "smoked" if you don't see ANY smoke, especially for the first part of the cook...but if your charcoal or lump makes any smoke for any length of time, by all means, use it. That's just not my experience with all the brands I've tried. I honestly suspect there's more smoke made by burning grease around the bottom of the avg cooker than is produced by most lumps and charcoal.
I tend to believe that there is a huge taste difference between meat cooked over charcoal alone vs gas or electric.
Keep in mind that all charcoal is made from WOOD. While most will be fully carbonized, I have found in most bags that there are partially carbonized pieces which will still give some "smoke"-type flavour.
My wife isn't a huge smoke fan and she has sometimes complained about smoke flavour from things I have cooked without any smokewood being added.
just my 2 pennies
Keep in mind that all charcoal is made from WOOD. While most will be fully carbonized, I have found in most bags that there are partially carbonized pieces which will still give some "smoke"-type flavour.
My wife isn't a huge smoke fan and she has sometimes complained about smoke flavour from things I have cooked without any smokewood being added.
just my 2 pennies
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Scooter B:
I tend to believe that there is a huge taste difference between meat cooked over charcoal alone vs gas or electric.
Keep in mind that all charcoal is made from WOOD. While most will be fully carbonized, I have found in most bags that there are partially carbonized pieces which will still give some "smoke"-type flavour. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Exactly. If you use a bag that has a few "partially carbonized" pieces, as in pieces that still look like WOOD in places, then you'll get smoke flavor...but is that really much different than adding wood?
I tend to believe that there is a huge taste difference between meat cooked over charcoal alone vs gas or electric.
Keep in mind that all charcoal is made from WOOD. While most will be fully carbonized, I have found in most bags that there are partially carbonized pieces which will still give some "smoke"-type flavour. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Exactly. If you use a bag that has a few "partially carbonized" pieces, as in pieces that still look like WOOD in places, then you'll get smoke flavor...but is that really much different than adding wood?
Vinny G
TVWBB Fan
Hello Guys
Just want to chime in here. Charcoal alone doesn't give me a smoke taste. Putting Three to 4 chuncks of wood in the WSM as the temps are coming up to the 200-225 range, waiting to see the smoke coming out, off the wood, though the vents then put the meat on. One thing I disagree with is that some of you guys said is that you need the wood through the hole smoke. My experience is that after the 1st hour hour 1/2 or so is it. That is as Smokey as it is going to get. It forms a smoke ring and that ring doesn't get any bigger. Don't get me wrong the chunck that I put in most of the time are still in there at 5 to 6 hour smoke, but you can see the first hours is where the smoke is the steadyest. The art of smoking is to get a nice smoke in the begging not a plume but a nice steady smoke. If you put so much wood on the coals and the smoke comes out black (PLUME) you not smoking your making something die that is already dead HAHAHA. So D Arita to answer you question about just charcoal you will get very little but the taste will be better than on a gas grill. And even on a gas grill I can get a great Smokey taste when I have to. But that is at another time and a different discussion.
Just want to chime in here. Charcoal alone doesn't give me a smoke taste. Putting Three to 4 chuncks of wood in the WSM as the temps are coming up to the 200-225 range, waiting to see the smoke coming out, off the wood, though the vents then put the meat on. One thing I disagree with is that some of you guys said is that you need the wood through the hole smoke. My experience is that after the 1st hour hour 1/2 or so is it. That is as Smokey as it is going to get. It forms a smoke ring and that ring doesn't get any bigger. Don't get me wrong the chunck that I put in most of the time are still in there at 5 to 6 hour smoke, but you can see the first hours is where the smoke is the steadyest. The art of smoking is to get a nice smoke in the begging not a plume but a nice steady smoke. If you put so much wood on the coals and the smoke comes out black (PLUME) you not smoking your making something die that is already dead HAHAHA. So D Arita to answer you question about just charcoal you will get very little but the taste will be better than on a gas grill. And even on a gas grill I can get a great Smokey taste when I have to. But that is at another time and a different discussion.
George Payne
TVWBB Fan
I want ALL my meat smoked to the bone (I wish). I always add hardwood to get that hard to find smoked taste you just don't get anywhere but home. I sometimes mix Pecan wood and Hickory, put it close to the center so it gets hot enough to smoke. The WMS is so efficient on its use of charcoal, you might not get the hardwood to do all you want it to do if you don't either put it right on top of the fire on very near, around the edges. Works for me.