belch

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newsmokerky

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Dec 25, 2014
290
78
Bowling Green
Put a butt on tonight. I had a 3 oz or so piece of hickory wrapped in foil with hole punched in it, and another a little smaller laying in the wood tray. The tray is lined with about 5 layers of heavy foil. In the past, I've not used that much wood. After it started smoking, I checked on it, and the smoke was pretty heavy. I decided I needed to back off on the wood. As I started outside, it belched real big. Why do they belch like that? I turned it off, opened the door, and let the thick smoke clear out. I removed the foiled piece of wood, and started it back up. Thin white smoke now. Should last about 2.5-3 hours, then I'll add more wood. I never get over 3 hours of smoke from a 3-4 oz piece of wood.
 
Combustion gasses building up in the smoker and igniting, setting wood on fire is one theory; or it may be a reversal of that theory. It is momentary as the oxygen in a tight smoker (assuming you are using an electric like a Cookshack or Smokin-it or SmokinTex) will be consumed rather quickly and the fire goes out, and the smoke thins out. I just let it go. No harm and not foul.
 
Combustion gasses building up in the smoker and igniting, setting wood on fire is one theory; or it may be a reversal of that theory. It is momentary as the oxygen in a tight smoker (assuming you are using an electric like a Cookshack or Smokin-it or SmokinTex) will be consumed rather quickly and the fire goes out, and the smoke thins out. I just let it go. No harm and not foul.
Thanks. It's a Smokin It 2. Never seen it do that. Smoke was too heavy, and dark. Too much wood I assume. It's going good now. Thin white smoke. Another lesson learned.
 
I have had my CookShack belch once and my Smokin-it belch once. I assumed it was the gasses exploding. In our fireplace, when the flames die out and prodigious amounts of smoke are being produced, I will toss a lit match into the embers and woosh: flames and the smoke dissipates. That is why I say gasses exploding. Some folks believe the belch is when the wood catches and lots of smoke is rolling out of the smoker. They open the door and sure enough, the wood is on fire. I am not doubting that theory but will add that if the wood chunk(s) are glowing red hot and smoking, the minute you crack the door open and oxygen rushes in you are going to get fire. Difficult to see what is actually happening without a window. I don't blame you or anyone from wanting to vent heavy grey smoke or even heavy white smoke but it has been my experience to just let it go as it will settle down. Hopefully.
 
I have had my CookShack belch once and my Smokin-it belch once. I assumed it was the gasses exploding. In our fireplace, when the flames die out and prodigious amounts of smoke are being produced, I will toss a lit match into the embers and woosh: flames and the smoke dissipates. That is why I say gasses exploding. Some folks believe the belch is when the wood catches and lots of smoke is rolling out of the smoker. They open the door and sure enough, the wood is on fire. I am not doubting that theory but will add that if the wood chunk(s) are glowing red hot and smoking, the minute you crack the door open and oxygen rushes in you are going to get fire. Difficult to see what is actually happening without a window. I don't blame you or anyone from wanting to vent heavy grey smoke or even heavy white smoke but it has been my experience to just let it go as it will settle down. Hopefully.
I feared a rush of O2 would cause a fire, so I turned it off, and waited about 10 minutes before opening the door.... The smoke was pretty dark, so I was afraid it would mess the flavor up. It was about an hour in, so no problem.
 
I don't foil the wood when I smoke and never get heavy smoke. About as much as from a fine cigar.
I just foil it to try to make it last longer.... A 3 oz chunk of wood will not last 3 hours at 250 in my smoking it 2, even with layers of heavy foil in the tray. Is that normal?
 
For the vast majority of Smokin-it users, that is completely normal. As for foiling, folks do that to restrict air and thus reduce the chance of the wood catching fire. It may also produce a thinner less dense smoke.
 
I had a crappy propane kettle smoker before I got this Smokin It. When I used it, I didn't worry about the smoke volume. I just let it roll. I think I have been too conservative with the smoke volume on this Smokin It unit, which is why I've not had good bark. I see comments and comments about thin white smoke.... Maybe I have been too conservative on the smoke.
 
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