GMG Additional smoke

[pmixmaster]

Ok Folks-

Hoping someone has some ideas to get a more heavy smoke flavor. Im currently running a GMG danile boone and the cooker is amazing but just lacks a heavy smoke flavor. Ive already tried the smoke tube and it just doesnt do much . Plus its hard as all hell to keep lit even with a torch .

So question is does anyone have any other ideas to get a heavier smoke flavor. .I was thinking of cast iron with a couple of charcoals briquettes and placing a nice chunk wood on top but not sure . Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[WaterRat]

Lower temp if possible. Our pellet smokers just burn clean at higher temps. I don't have trouble with my tube (which I don't often use) you may want to try various locations, I usually have mine right above the burn pot.

 

[BigW.]

Have you tried different pellets? 100% wood like hickory, mesquite or blend pellet? Lower temp is good advice and a stronger pellet may also be helpful. I use Lumberjack Hickory or Apple and have been happy w/GMG.

 

[Jabiru]

My tube doesn’t go out, burns for about 3 hours. Try a small fan pointing up at the bottom of your hopper box that will cause more draft through the smoker. If you blow to much air it will burn the tube to quick.

I run at 180f for 30-45 mins depending what I’m cooking. Then to 225f.

 

[texomakid]

I too run my pellet cooker as low as possible for maxium smoke. 150 is my lowest setting and it will produce smoke. Pellets are critical - Hickory & Mesquite pellets should give a strong(er) smoke flavor. As much as I LOVE my pellet cooker at the end of the day it will not match cooking with real wood & charcoal (I use the WSM 22" for that.) In my experience they are 2 completely different smoke profiles but I like them both. One requires a lot less fire management than the other but back to your point I'll agree low temps & pellet type will produce a bit heavier smoke flavor with a pellet cooker. I rarely use the AMPS tube anymore since I've learned to utilize these things for smoke in the pellet cooker but I do still use it on Low & slow briskets & Jerky.

 

[pmixmaster]

Thanks for all the replys , i do go low and slow and it does produce alot of smoke just not the heavy flavor of the stick burner. I also have a masterbuilt i was thinkign for bigger meats brisket pork butts , maybe start them on that to get the heavy smoke then turn then over to the GMG . I love my cooker so please dont get that impression . I just went from an actualy wood burner with heavy smoke to the pellet which is a lot less. But the set it and forget process is much much better and results are always perfect

 

[nchapelheel]

I also have a GMG Daniel Boone pellet grill. I do NOT get smoke flavor using just
the pellet feeder. I got the A-maze-n pellet tube to supplement smoke and it seems to work well. I still don't get the smoke flavor I got with the MES 40, it is OK. My plan for future smokes is to run at 150 for an hour or two and then bump up to 250 for the cook. I have a eye round curing in a brine this week (Pastrami), plan to cook it this weekend with more smoke at a lower temp. It will be interesting to see if I get smoke flavor.

 

[pmixmaster]

let me know ow it turns out ive tried low temps just doesnt get the smoke flavor , so either im gona smoke for 2 hours on my stck burner then transfer or ima gona do like a cast iron with charcoal and a coule wood chunks that shoudl do the trick

 

[nchapelheel]

The eye round has no smoke flavor. To switch things around, Traeger pellets were
on sale at Costco for $15 for a 20 pound bag. I bought two of the hickory pellets.
I haven't tried them yet, but will later this week. I also saw that a class action
law suit against Traeger is proceeding based on the fact that they used flavored
oils in the pellets along with cheaper wood. It will be interesting to see the outcome.

 

[gmc2003]

Thanks for all the replys , i do go low and slow and it does produce alot of smoke just not the heavy flavor of the stick burner. I also have a masterbuilt i was thinkign for bigger meats brisket pork butts , maybe start them on that to get the heavy smoke then turn then over to the GMG . I love my cooker so please dont get that impression . I just went from an actualy wood burner with heavy smoke to the pellet which is a lot less. But the set it and forget process is much much better and results are always perfect

I don't think you'll ever achieve the same smoke profile as a stick burner with a pellet smoker. No matter what you do. It's just not in the cards.

Chris

 

[mike243]

The smoke flavor wont ever be the same no matter what you do imo, you can get a little more but most of the time its a bust if you are expecting the same

 

[texomakid]

I am in total agreement with Chris & Mike. With that said I personally get a great smoke & smoke flavor from my pellet cooker. When I want what most of us know as "true smoke" or more accurate "traditional smoke" flavor I fire up the WSM and use the wood of choice. It's all smoking just different means, methods, process, & end results.

As far as flavored oils in wood? I try to stay clear of those products using only 100% wood of choice in the pellets. They're are several that produce & sell this product.

 

[mike guy]

I genuinely don't think anyone means the same thing when they say traditional smoke flavor. Especially among BBQ casuals, but even among enthusiasts.

You get a different flavor profile from the method used. Charcoal and smoldering wood chips will taste different than gas or electric and wood chips. Charcoal and smoldering chunk will even taste different than charcoal and chips.

A pure burning wood fire on a 900 lb smoker with correct draft will taste different than a pure burning wood fire that is choked from oxygen.

Pellet grills taste the closest to a clean wood burning BBQ. They don't taste like the other methods that use more charcoal and smoldering techniques. Do pellet grills taste as good as a perfectly managed all wood fire? No, but they are a lot closer than I think a lot of people say they are. I spent years perfecting a clean burn technique on an offset smoker. Using small splits that reached total ignition quickly. BBQ made with this technique tastes very close to what you get when you use a high quality big flavor pellet like hickory. You can tell the two apart, but if you were asked to rate the smoke levels (not flavor, just smoke amount), you'd put them about the same.

Based on that, when people say they aren't getting enough smoke flavor, I automatically assume that they are looking for the charcoal / smoldering style flavors.

There is nothing wrong with that mind you, just that it helps to be more specific in the type of smoke that we want. Personally I like both styles. I enjoy a heavy charcoal oxygen deprived short smokes like pork ribs. I think Kamados make the best pork ribs, but vastly prefer an offset or pellet for butts or briskets. Just my personal preference, there is no wrong answer here.

But we should call out that thicker white smoke from smoldering wood, or flavors we get from charcoal are not what you would call traditional BBQ flavors to be honest. If you told that to a "traditional" pit master, their eyebrows would go up. Heck, "traditional" east coast pit masters don't even burn wood in their smokers, they pre burn it and transfer the hot coals to a fire box or a ground pit. I've been to many of BBQ joints around Texas, some small and some famous, and almost none of them have that wood smoldering flavor, they are all closer to the all wood, total burn flavors. I only mention this because it helps to have a "palate" of the different types of smoke profiles out there, and that may help you adjust expectations that you are or are not getting enough and what to do about it.

Just my .02, and my advice is to play with your pellet choice, and spraying the meat more to get the smoke to stick.

 

[bregent]

I've been to many of BBQ joints around Texas, some small and some famous, and almost none of them have that wood smoldering flavor, they are all closer to the all wood, total burn flavors.

On a cross country trip last year we stopped at several BBQ joints in Texas, OK, Memphis, and Kansas City. The smoke profile from all of them were the same as I get on my pellet grill with 100% hickory and no additional smoke tube. The smoke was a light background flavor, not up front.

 

[pmixmaster]

As usual you guys always deliver thanks for the many perspectives , i truly do love the ease of my pellet cooker and the results it does produce

 

[nchapelheel]

On today's cook, I set the grill temp to 180 and let it go for 2 hours. Upped the
temp to 220 for as long as it took the pork to get to 147 internal temp. The
odor from the pork has a good smoke smell test. I am letting the meat rest for
a few hours before slicing. THEN I will know more about smoke flavor.
The GMG Daniel Boone with wifi does a good job with everything but the smoke
flavor. I prefer more smoke flavor than I get, but I cannot say the food is "bad".
We have eaten everything that was cooked on the GMG. (had to choke it down)!!

 

[kstone113]

Check out the thread in pellet smokers on the "heavy D" and also the smokedaddy magnum P.I.G. cold smoker.

I think the cold smoker by smokedaddy inc could be best. I am strongly considering one not for every cook but for ones I want more smoke flavor like in briskets and ribs.