Just finished three racks of baby backs. Smoked at around 225 for around 5 hours. Used apple wood this time (usually use hickory for ribs). This was only my fifth time using my smoker. I'm a total noobie at smokin'.
I didn't have great smoke penetration, flavor, or ring this time around. Couple of questions:
1. Was it the apple wood that prevented the ring and stronger flavor this time?
Also, and somewhat related...Two times during my smoke, I got white smoke, not TBS. I opened my smoker up and each time I had lots of 'red coals'. I don't think the wood caught fire, but it wasn't what I expected. I use a 10" cast iron skillet on top of the factory chip tray in my Masterbuilt XL. This time i put some foil on the skilletbefore adding the wood (hadn't done that before, but I think that is unrelated. If anything, I think it would have helped.).
2. What is causing these 'flareups'? The wood is having a charred look to it. Do I need to raise the height of my cast iron skillet? Or,
3. Do I need to move it so it isn't over top of the flame (it isn't direct touching the flame, but could the skillet be getting too hot based on location??).
Below is a picture from an older run but shows my setup. You can see the propane burner, then factory chip tray, then cast iron skillet. I can't imagine the flame is getting to the wood, but perhaps it is too close and getting too hot and igniting???
4. Is that too much wood, not enough, or just right? Seems as though I have to add every 2 or 2.5 hours using this setup, and I have either ash or black char left in the pan.
Any thoughts on my above questions? Thanks.
I didn't have great smoke penetration, flavor, or ring this time around. Couple of questions:
1. Was it the apple wood that prevented the ring and stronger flavor this time?
Also, and somewhat related...Two times during my smoke, I got white smoke, not TBS. I opened my smoker up and each time I had lots of 'red coals'. I don't think the wood caught fire, but it wasn't what I expected. I use a 10" cast iron skillet on top of the factory chip tray in my Masterbuilt XL. This time i put some foil on the skilletbefore adding the wood (hadn't done that before, but I think that is unrelated. If anything, I think it would have helped.).
2. What is causing these 'flareups'? The wood is having a charred look to it. Do I need to raise the height of my cast iron skillet? Or,
3. Do I need to move it so it isn't over top of the flame (it isn't direct touching the flame, but could the skillet be getting too hot based on location??).
Below is a picture from an older run but shows my setup. You can see the propane burner, then factory chip tray, then cast iron skillet. I can't imagine the flame is getting to the wood, but perhaps it is too close and getting too hot and igniting???
4. Is that too much wood, not enough, or just right? Seems as though I have to add every 2 or 2.5 hours using this setup, and I have either ash or black char left in the pan.
Any thoughts on my above questions? Thanks.
