The Pre-Heat/Pre-Burn method


 
S

Sam Borys

TVWBB Member
I've read of several posters on here who like to load their smoker to the max, add their lit coals and then let the whole thing burn for 1/2 - 1 hour for the purpose of "cleansing" their fuel source of all the white smoke nasties that could otherwise add a bitter taste to the meat.

Now, for the sake of simplicity and to avoid whether that method is accurate or not, I'd rather get a firsthand idea idea of how many of you actually do this and how long it usually takes you to get to that smokeless point where all your WSM is emitting is heat waves and/or the smoke from the wood you've added.

I know that for me, it's not in the first two-three hours, but deeper into my cook when I see a consistent nearly-invisible smoke coming out the top. Usually first thing in the morning after an overnight smoke, when the heat is starting to dip.

Anyway, I'd love to hear everyone's input. I really would like to know if I'm wasting my time and fuel doing this for my next pork butt, or if there really is some benefit to it. The idea makes sense when it comes down to it, but I don't want to be losing 2 valuable hours of cook time...
 
I am, by no means, an "expert" but I use the "tin can minion" method, and put my meat on when the cooker hits 200 degrees (within 20 minutes or so). I place my wood around the central core (the can) before I dump the lit in the can.

I have NO flavor problems whatsoever. I have had guests who had an excellent "nose" and they don't have any problem with my cooks, either.

FWIW
Dale53
 
I fill my charcoal ring and add half a chimney full of lit briquettes. Around 30-45 min my smoker is at the temp I want about 225-245. Then I add my meat.
And around that time I get the thin blue smoke.
 
I don't wait, I fill the ring, start a chimney with about 20 briquettes, when they're all lit and ashed I spread them around a little and assemble the cooker and add my meat. I never have had any bad bitter taste that some get. I've read that as the coals on top start burning it heats up the fuel below and any bad gasses that may be released are burned off as they pass through the hot fire above, kind of like pre-heating wood before burning in a stick burner. I've never had to add fuel but have tossed in a chunk or two of wood. Sure I get a little heavy smoke at the beginning but it's not thick heavy white smoke, just a tad on the grey side but it doesn't last long and thats at the very beginning when I first start cooking.
 
Fill the ring and light it off with some lit. Wait 45 min-ish for it to come up to 250. This is about the time that the white smoke clears, the fire is burning well, and a lot of the volatile organic compounds have burned/vaporized from the charcoal.
 
I agree with whats been said above. I don't think 2hrs is necessary. Takes about 30-40 minutes to come to temp with my minion method. I use the mini Weber chimny (full) and its good to go while I get my meat prepped.
 
For me it takes about two hours for everything to settle down. Typically I start the meat in an offset BBQ, then transfer it to the WSM after about 4-6 hours. So having the two hour wait is really no problem.
 
Don Reed said:
I don't wait, I fill the ring, start a chimney with about 20 briquettes, when they're all lit and ashed I spread them around a little and assemble the cooker and add my meat. I never have had any bad bitter taste that some get. I've read that as the coals on top start burning it heats up the fuel below and any bad gasses that may be released are burned off as they pass through the hot fire above, kind of like pre-heating wood before burning in a stick burner. I've never had to add fuel but have tossed in a chunk or two of wood. Sure I get a little heavy smoke at the beginning but it's not thick heavy white smoke, just a tad on the grey side but it doesn't last long and thats at the very beginning when I first start cooking.
Click to expand...

Same here. As soon as the lit coals go in, the smoker gets assembled and the meat goes on. Never had nasty tasting meat come out of it.
 
I put the meat in once the smoker settles in to the temp. It's not so much waiting for the smoke to clear up. I put wood chunks in with the charcoal so those will smoke up too. I am seeing a lot of threads on multiple forums lately about this topic. Kind of strange. I've never had a problem with a strange taste due to charcoal, especially when smoking.

I've had a chemical taste come from lump and I can see getting an off taste if it is the bottom of the bag and there is a lot of charcoal dust on your coals but I have never had a problem at all with the minion method or using a snake type method. Almost seems like it has been built up to be more of a problem than it is.
 
Robert McGee said:
I am, by no means, an "expert" but I use the "tin can minion" method, and put my meat on when the cooker hits 200 degrees (within 20 minutes or so). I place my wood around the central core (the can) before I dump the lit in the can.

I have NO flavor problems whatsoever. I have had guests who had an excellent "nose" and they don't have any problem with my cooks, either.

FWIW
Dale53
Click to expand...

you can put me down for that too. Word for word. :cool:
 
I use the tin can method, and put the meat on when the starter smoke is gone or at an hour. If you don't believe that starter smoke gets into your meat that's all that matters. It's hard to prove.
 
Fill the ring with hardwood charcoal and Kingsford mixed, wood burried and on top, dump on 15-20 lit, assemble smoker, add the meat and make a cocktail. Done. Never detected any off flavors of any kind.
 
I guess I am the odd man out. I wait till I have a clean burning fire before cooking. It takes ~ 30 minutes once I add my lit to the unlit to get heat waves only. ...but them again I normally use lump. It takes longer (if ever) with briquettes which is one reason I don't use them.

The whole process from lighting the chimney to clean burning fire takes about an hour. I plan this hour into every cook.

Once I have a clean fire I add smoke wood. All the TBS coming out of the top vent is from the smoke wood I added.
 
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