Another TBS question

[rod g15]

This is my smoker. Basic small, electric burner on the bottom, damper on the top.

IMG_20170211_142411231.jpg

• rod g15
• Feb 11, 2017

I drilled about a dozen small holes thru the bottom for an air inlet and set my amazen 6" tube above the holes, damper wide open. This picture is what my smoke always looks like, even a little thicker white than what the picture shows.

IMG_20170211_151809234.jpg

• rod g15
• Feb 11, 2017

Do you think my pellets are getting too much air therefore producing thick white smoke?

 

[Bearcarver]

It's hard to tell by looking at the smoke coming from the vent, but that does look a bit dense.

I don't use the Tube in my Bigger Electric MES 40, because it puts out too heavy a smoke. The AMNPS (5 X 8 Tray) is Perfect for a Small Electric smoker.

Bear

 

[dward51]

Pellet trays and tubes will generally produce white smoke and not TBS (thin blue smoke).  TBS comes from wood chunks that have converted to lit charcoal from burning, but continue to contribute smoke flavor in that almost invisible smoke.  The difference is the smoke source. White smoke from wood chunks in a pit is generally bitter, acrid and has a lot of creosote in it.  It is a low temp smoke as the wood is lighting, but once the wood chunks become stable and fully lit, it switches over the TBS everyone talks about.

The question is what is your smoke flavor on the meat like?  With a pellet smoke source you will always see more white smoke than with a fire pit and real wood at proper temp.  But are you getting an acrid smoke flavor or good flavor?

 

[rod g15]

I see what you mean. Makes sense. The food I smoke tastes fine. I may try the 5x8 tray sometime.

 

[SmokinAl]

The smoke looks pretty normal to me.

Unless you have a stick burner, your not going to get that invisible smoke.

Al

 

[crankybuzzard]

I'd smoke with that.

The gents above nailed it, we won't get the almost clear smoke with pellets. Yours looks ok

 

[Bearcarver]

This is my smoker. Basic small, electric burner on the bottom, damper on the top.
I drilled about a dozen small holes thru the bottom for an air inlet and set my amazen 6" tube above the holes, damper wide open. This picture is what my smoke always looks like, even a little thicker white than what the picture shows.

IMG_20170211_151809234.jpg

• rod g15
• Feb 11, 2017

Do you think my pellets are getting too much air therefore producing thick white smoke?

Allow me to clarify:

The smoke you have coming out of your vent in the picture above is about the same color I get from mine (with my AMNPS), except yours is a lot more dense (Heavier smoke). I don't worry as much about smoke color as I do Smoke Density.

I never try to judge it from the vent, because I have a window in my door. Judging how heavy the smoke is from the vent can be misread, due to  the condensation mixed in with the smoke, from the warm air from inside the smoker hitting the cold air outside the smoker.

I go by how dense it is inside the smoker. If I look through my window, and I can't see the meat or the back half of the rack through the smoke, it is too much smoke.

I've seen pictures that look like there is a White Sheet hanging behind the window. That's much too much Smoke.

Bear

 

[rod g15]

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[mr t 59874]

Learn to adjust the time that you actually apply smoke to the color and density of the smoke. The denser the smoke, the less time required to achieve a good smoked product.

If your product is bitter or has an off taste, regardless the color or density of the smoke, it has been over-smoked.

T