todays smoke

chevyjared

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Feb 21, 2010

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #1

todays smoke was an epic fail. I guess it was to much amoke.
I used pleanty of ventalation , but just came out plain nasty!!!

I used mostly white Alder, it burned nice and smelt great. the end result sucked.

what do you guys do at the smoking part of the process any help would be great.

 

pineywoods

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #2

What kind of bacon?

 

mossymo

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #3

- What are you using for a smoker?

- What is your method of putting wood in the smoker/

- Is the exhaust to the chimney baffled and how much smoke is coming out?

- What were the temps during the smoke, till you finished?

 

chevyjared

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Feb 21, 2010

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #4

It was the first time doing a smoke on bacon and i wanted to do a cold smoke to cook up at a later date.
The smooker i use is a small char broil side fire box.

Started with a few hot coals and follow up with wood every hour.

the exhaust is compleatly open and there is quit a bit of smoke the flows out

the temps were between 75 and 90 degrees

 

Bearcarver

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #5

Did you cure it?----How?
I doubt if you put too much smoke on it----I tried that.

Pictures?
We need more info to help you.


Bearcarver

 

mr mac

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #6

If you had billowing white smoke then that is likely your problem. It should be a thin blue smoke or, in many cases when I smoke, just the smell of the wood burning. Too much smoke will by all means produce a bitter taste and can also deposit creosote onto your dinner...not good by any means!

 

tjohnson

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #7

Been There Done That, and these guys guided me in the right direction.

Ruined my 1st bacon too!

I ended up soaking the bacon in warm salt water and scrubbing the hide off it. Then, soaked it in numerous cold water baths.

I also cut off the a thin layer of fat.

In the end, I was able to salvage the bacon, but it was still too bitter to fry up. I ended up adding it to beans and other food, to get a nice smokey flavor.

Too much smoke for too long, and control your smoke by the intake vent, not the exhaust.


Todd

 

Bearcarver

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #8

I can't seem to find the "intake vent" on my MES 30. Any hints?

BC

 

rbranstner

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #9

As others mentioned was it thick white looking smoke coming out or was it a small amount of thin blue/grey smoke coming out of the stack? If there is a lot of smoke coming out I would bet that it was creosote and that is the flavor you are tasting on the meat. Did you take any pictures while you were smoking?

 

tjohnson

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• Mar 10, 2010

• #10

BC

Only intake vent on your 30" mes are the (3) little holes in the chip loader. I had attached an external smoke generator to my MES and did not provide enough intake air. The result was some of the best creosote one could make!

I posted for help on SMF and the guys gave me lots of ideas on what I did wrong.



TJ

 

chevyjared

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Feb 21, 2010

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• Mar 11, 2010

• #11

didnt take any pics and ill tell you what, it was some nasty stuff.
i hope that it will turn out better someother time.
i did cure it with the simple cure.
do you yhink that it could have been the wood at all?
I was using mostly white alder and some fruity wood.
some of the wood chips were green and I REALLY hope that wasnt the problem.

thanks

jared

 

Bearcarver

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• Mar 11, 2010

• #12

Thanks, TJohnson,
That's what I thought. That's why I couldn't figure out what you meant by "control your smoke by your intake vent". The intake on my MES is what it is, and I run my exhaust vent wide open most of the time. I usually run my smoke heavy, but I guess I've been lucky----No creosote so far.

 

mballi3011

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• Mar 11, 2010

• #13

Ok it sounds like you have figured it out to me. So just remember what you diid and don't do it again after all we ALL have done it too. We here are just learning now matter who they say they are. And learning requires the eating of less then desireable meat. I have many times