To much smoke?


 
B

Bill Mengel

TVWBB Fan
Has anyone ever put to much smoke to a butt? If so how much did you use for wood? I use 4 fist size pieces and I would like to get alot more smoky taste.
 
Bill
What was the wood your using? Hickory and oak are stronger flavored, while fruitwoods and pecan would be milder.
4 chunks is safe normally but if you find it bitter then next time cut back.
Jim
 
I use Hickory. Yes 4 pieces is normally what I use and it's pretty good. However, I want to try a cook that really gives the butt a strong smoke taste and am wondering if I can over do it.
 
Bill, do you remove the fat cap before cooking? If you don't and you scrape it off after the cook you have lost perhaps 30% - 40% of the surface area that received smoke contact.

I always remove the fat cap and I like the results.
 
Bill -- I normally use 6 pieces and may throw more on during the cook, but I believe that I like a lot more smoke than many people on this board. (I also tend to be excessive in a lot of spicing)
 
Thanks Vernon. I was thinking about trying 8 pieces, maybe I'll go 6 and ad later in the cook. I'm still wondering if anyone has ever over smoked a butt?
 
I have never over smoked one for my taste. I have used hickory or mosquite. My wife doesn't like as much smoke flavor. That's whats nice about the butts, if you don't like a lot of smoke flavor, the inside doesn't get near as much smoke and she get's that, I get the outside. I have sliced the butt before just to get more surface area open to the smoke. (Maybe 1" slices)
 
Bill,

Perhaps a combination of things can help:

1. As Shawn recommended - remove more of that fat cap (not all) for better smoke absorption.

2. Add 1 or 2 more wood pieces. Go slow with adding more wood. If you over-smoke, you may not like the resulting flavor.

Good Luck.

-Albert
icon_smile.gif
 
Bill,

I have used to much smoke on one of the first butts I did. I basically turned the pork into ham.

It was a cople of years ago, so I don't remember how much I used, it was mesquite wood. I think I started with about five large pieces and then I just kept adding to it.

My guests said they liked it but, I was really dissapointed with it.

But, if you wanted ham it was really good, but that wasn't what I was shooting for.

Tom in VA
 
To much smoke gives a ham taste, I wouldn't have guessed that. Interesting.I haven't been able to do my cook yet,but my plan is. Hickory, start with 6 chunks, and add 2 more later in the cook. I may also trim the butt if I don't get too lazy and just leave it on.
 
I don't know if you have ever seen or purchased smoked pork chops. They are very common in stores in our area, to me they basically taste like ham. That is how that butt turned when I over-smoked it.

I hadn't really checked out this site until recently. So I've done quite a bit of trial and error on my own. Sometime the things work and sometimes I wished I hadn't tried something different. But you know the saying, nothing ventured - nothing gained. Thats how I kind of look at it.

Good luck,
 
An "enhanced" butt might give that flavour regardless of whether you smoked it or cooked it any other way. Pork butt can handle a lot of smoke even though the smoke flavour diminishes as you move toward the centre of the meat.
Was it ham-like in texture too ?
 
No this wasn't "enhanced", I buy them from the same place and since I've figured out what I'm doing they turn out fine. I had cooked one or two prior to doing that one, they were fine. I just over smoked it. When I was cooking it I just kept adding wood chunks, I really smoked the crap out of it. I mean, it went all the way to the center. This was at least a year and a half ago. Like I said I do a lot of trial and error and this was just one of those "errors".

Just one of those live and learn type things....

Tom in VA
 
Thanks Tom thats just the type of info I was looking for. I was planning on smoking the crap out of a butt myself, maybe I'll hold back a little. Or maybe not
icon_smile.gif
 
I haven't oversmoked a butt but I did use too much hickory once on ribs. It was with my old brinkman and hickory chips. I soaked the chips for about an hour. Anyhow I went to eat the ribs and wow talk about hickory flavor. It was better described as rib flavored hickory. They were not inedible but they were borderline.

It was so bad I haven't been able to bring myself to even use hickory since. It has been a couple of years ago this has happened.

I got some pellets recently and have pecan which is a nice substitute. I love the smoke flavor. The past few smokes I have used like 5 chunks of wood, oak and fruit then use the pecan pellets once and once or twice with the jack daniels pellets. After all that the butt was primo.

My neighbor raves abour mesquite. I am going to have to do one with only mesquite just so I know what it tastes like. I have been afraid to try it. I can't stand those mesquite flavored potato chips. Like that would be a good comparison anyhow.
icon_wink.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top