Reducing the "Smoke" flavor

[jdt]

I suspect the mesquite is the main problem, its the strongest flavored smoking wood I have found, if you switched to apple and used the exact same amount it would be much more mild.

 

[alx]

Good point.

Using WSM for many years it is imperative to have clean smokes.I usually wait 15-30 minutes for smoker to set up with the wood smoldering.

You can then watch smoke become TBS and put meat on.

Should always have good airflow in these smaller units.

 

[mgnorcal]

Good responses here.

Also, don't choke your fire if temps get too high.

If the temp reads 50* over your target and you panic and shut down the bottom vents, you're likely gonna get a real unclean burn and whitish biting smoke - the kind that stings your eyes and ruins your meat.
So monitor temps closely and don't over-react.
Temp fluctuations won't kill you, but lots of smoldering and white smoke will.

 

[fstarsinic]

Good to know. So if it does get 50+ over what are your recommendations?
shut down the lower vents by 50% ? crack the lid? open the door? weep?
call out for pizza?

 

[ddave]

Depends on the smoker. If it's an offset or bullet smoker, open the lid, door, etc and dump some heat.

Note: Don't do this with a UDS, it will just make things worse.

Dave

 

[fstarsinic]

I'm finding with the WSM i'm not getting an spikes in temperature using the minion method. It's like a miracle everytime. Yesterday i smoked a salmon. I put the salmon on there, shut the vents further than what i would do for ribs to get a lower temperature and left home. when i returned the fish was just about at 131F, and the smoker temp was at about 200. Very pleased.

I also experimented with all charcoals and no wood of any kind and there was essentially no hint of smoke flavor. Perfect (for the experiment anyway).
Now I can kick up the smoke flavor to where I want it.

 

[justpassingthru]

Looks like you are learning your smoker, that’s good, those WSM are great smokers, I saw a thread here with smoked tuna too, I’m gonna have to try some fish.

Sounds like you are doing what I’ve done, using just charcoal without any smoke taste so that I could learn what the different woods taste like.

This might help you with lowering your start up time, waiting 30 minutes before it’s at temperature and cut down on the white smoke at the beginning.

I cut both ends out of a #10 can, then took a can opener and cut holes all around one end.

I fill my charcoal ring with lump and place a fire starting brick directly on the charcoal and light it, place the #10 can over the lit brick and then add lump on top of it, a little or a lot depending on what temp I’ll be cooking at.

When the lump in the #10 can is burning good I pull it off and assembly my WSM, I made a bracket to hold the door open about an inch and a half when it is positioned upside down, it kind of acts like a turbo charger.

I’m usually at 225° in 10-20 minutes depending on how much lump I put in the #10 can.

I hope that helps.

Gene

 

[gnubee]

Sounds like You're on the right track. Apple, cherry, apricot, plum , grape, any of the fruit woods will give just a hint of smoke. Mesquite is far more smoke than I like.

My first smoke was beyond awful because I tossed on the wood before the smoker was hot, then I tossed on the meat. I got that ashes in your mouth taste. Not bitter but not pleasant.
It only takes a few trys till you get the hang of it. Now I actually can tell which wood was used just by their flavours in the meat.

I went from using only apple for just an hour to now doing medium woods like Hickory for 6 hours to get that really nice smokey flavour completely thru the meat.

If you can get it, Alder is the very best wood for fish in my opinion.

The best thing to do is get the smoker up to temp, get the smoke started and when It is Thin blue , then and only then put in the meat.

Aren't these guys great? They always have the right answers, I would be lost without them.