New member could use some advice after upgrade from ecb

kjarva · Jun 25, 2016

Hey everyone, brand new member but long time lurker and my very first post is to ask for a bit of advice. I live in the UK where smoking isn't nearly as popular as the USA, so I decided to start out with an ecb just to make sure that myself and my family liked smoked meat before investing in anything fancier.

The last month was a total hit and smoked food was loved in my household but because it was me that was running and had to constantly tend to the ecb I decided to upgrade and get myself a proper smoker and I decided on the Webber smokey mountain.

I have now cooked a huge slab of beef and also a couple of whole chickens on it but here's my problem. Ever since getting the wsm, my husband has complained of the overpowering smokey flavour of the food.

Nothing has changed - rub is the same, wood is the same (Apple) - the only thing that has changed is the smoker itself and I'm thinking because the ecb was so unpredictable and so full of leaks smoke wise, that the food was only getting a hint of smoke instead of properly smoked.

I personally like the food out of the new smoker but hubby is saying if the smokeyness could be knocked back just a little bit he'd be in love with it again. Any suggestions apart from foiling everything after an hour or so?

GaryHibbert · Jun 25, 2016

Welcome aboard. I'm not going to give you any advise on this--I use a MES. BUT, there are plenty of members who use the WSM and they'll be along shortly.

Gary

b-one · Jun 25, 2016

Just use less wood start with a chunk add a chunk each cook till you know how much is acceptable to him. Are you leaving the top vent wide open while cooking,you should,and only close it when the food is removed and shutting down the smoker.

kjarva · Jun 25, 2016

In the ecb I was using 3 chunks total. With the wsm I have used 2 the entire smoke, I can certainly try just the one. Yep, top vent fully open I'm only shutting the bottom vents as I hit temp and only put the food on once I see the thin blue smoke after the thick white smoke is gone [emoji]128522[/emoji]

b-one · Jun 25, 2016

Sounds like about all you can do. Maybe your stuffing him with to much smoked goodness!:biggrin:

kjarva · Jun 25, 2016

The only difference I can actually think of bar the change in smoker and the reduction in wood overall, is that up until I got my wsm, everything thrown in the smoker was given a good coating of french's mustard before rub was applied.

The experiments in the wsm so far, no mustard was used - the chickens just had a quick coat of EVOO before rub was applied and the beef had Worcester sauce because I'd seem many people use it with great success.

Does mustard protect the meat in any way?

b-one · Jun 25, 2016

I don't believe the mustard is a magical barrier you can't even really taste it in the finished product,lots of people don't even use it,I notice no difference one way or the other. The WSM is just a better/more efficient smoker!:biggrin:

kjarva · Jun 26, 2016

Thanks for all of the helpful replies ;) I think I may just need to resign myself to smoking for an hour max and then foiling after that, hopefully that should do the trick ;)

don powell · Jun 26, 2016

You need to control the amount of air to your fire. More air and less fuel. You'll figure out what it takes to stay at the temp you want.

kjarva · Jun 27, 2016

Mmmm I don't have a temp problem, I have a flavour problem ;)

tbrtt1 · Jun 27, 2016

Charcoal is the same? You're using the water pan ( with or without water not important) so juice is not dripping on coals? Is it the same food?

Is the smoke flavor from the wood? Sometimes the charcoal imparts too much flavor if it's damp or cheap charcoal.

Try just one chunk and see. Maybe do some small smokes, 1 rack of ribs, or 1 chicken, and use one chunk of wood and maybe cook at a higher temp. Lower temps tend to cause smoldering of the wood and charcoal. Hotter is "cleaner" burn and less likely to impart harsh smoke. Though yo did mention getting thin blue smoke. Hmmmm.

I don't recall anyone complain g about excessive smokiness with WSMs. And there are a lt of WSMs. Good luck and keep us posted. I'm curious.

don powell · Jul 4, 2016

Let me give you my thoughts on charcoal briquettes. Charcoal briquettes are made from compressed charred wood and coal. Now, you can't burn coal in your fireplace in your house due to the gasses it produces. My question then is why do you want to cook your food with it? I the past when I need charcoal, I would buy 100% natural lump charcoal. Problem solved. Now I have a large supply of oak and I make my own charcoal. I hope I don't make anyone mad. But that's where I stand on charcoal.

jasper7 · Jul 5, 2016

Don Powell said:
Charcoal briquettes are made from compressed charred wood and coal.

Can you provide a credible source for this info? Seem more like an internet rumor than fact.

don powell · Jul 5, 2016

Check out motherearthnews.com, guide to wood and coal stoves. While there is few regs today on burning coal, there is a definite improvement in the quality of your meats.

jasper7 · Jul 5, 2016

At the risk of high-jacking this thread

Don Powell said:
Check out motherearthnews.com, guide to wood and coal stoves.

I went to motherearthnews.com and read a 1992 article titled guide to wood and coal stoves. I saw no mention of charcoal briquettes containing coal. Can you point me to where this article says briquettes contain coal?

don powell · Jul 5, 2016

Go to madehow.com/volume-4/charcoal-briquette.html. scroll down to the raw materials.

jasper7 · Jul 5, 2016

I'm aware that coal is a raw material in the manufacturing process used by some brands, such as kingsford. But it is converted to pure carbon as part of the manufacturing process, and the end product contains no coal. It would be like saying a jug of white vinegar contains natural gas. It is a raw material in the manufacturing process, but there is no natural gas in white vinegar. You could say the end products contain molecules derived from their raw materials, but they don't contain the raw materials themselves.

don powell · Jul 5, 2016

If you haven't tried it. Try all natural charcoal. It doesn't burn as long as other products but you will see a big difference in flavor.

sauced · Jul 7, 2016

Anyway.....try less wood as your WSM is not leaking nearly as the ECB was.

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