Gravity fed lacks smoke flavour

[Ridley]

I have just started using a gravity fed smoker (stumps clone) and I am finding there is little to no smoke flavour on the food.

I am putting wood into the ash pan and a nice clean smoke is coming out of the chimney, but the food has little smokey flavour, colour yes flavour no.

No either I've had Covid for a month or I am doing something wrong here.

I have thought that maybe the chimney is too far open but would it make that much difference?

Any ideas?

 

[smokerjim]

what type of wood you using, what meat ya smoking, what temps. did you try the meat a day or two after, was it any better. not familiar with your smoker but i don't think the chimney wide open would be your problem.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Cook temp and time in the smoke makes a huge difference.

 

[jcam222]

As others said more detail on wood and cool temp would help. My first thought would be to step up the amount of wood you are using and the frequency you replenish it. With large cuts of meat is also worry less about the perfect incisive to blue smoke and just make sure you have a fair amount of smoke rolling. Lastly I unfamiliar with the chimney damper but perhaps you can choke it off a little?

 

[kmbelt81]

Aren't you supposed to put the wood chunks in the feeder section along with the charcoal?

 

[chopsaw]

I've never used one , but I thought the wood went below the charcoal and as the charcoal burns it drops down on the wood .

 

[Ridley]

Aren't you supposed to put the wood chunks in the feeder section along with the charcoal?

I think you can do either way.

 

[jcam222]

I've never used one , but I thought the wood went below the charcoal and as the charcoal burns it drops down on the wood .

Yep that is the proper way to use them

 

[Ridley]

Yep that is the proper way to use them

That's what I've been doing

 

[motocrash]

Put the chunks in with the charcoal and see if your flavor improves.

 

[Ridley]

Put the chunks in with the charcoal and see if your flavor improves.

Ru saying that it will?

I don't get it. I've had hours of good looking smoke and no flavour.

Does the chimney position have an effect?

 

[wbf610]

Are the chunks actively burning under the coal? I mainly use a WSM, the chunks actively burn, producing great flavor. Maybe if they are smoldering only, you just aren’t getting enough smoke.

 

[Ridley]

Are the chunks actively burning under the coal? I mainly use a WSM, the chunks actively burn, producing great flavor. Maybe if they are smoldering only, you just aren’t getting enough smoke.

Yep actively burning, went through loads of wood yesterday.

 

[Chasdev]

I put wood in with the charcoal and a LOT in the ash bin.
No issues with smoke flavored meat for me.
Not offset stickburner flavor but way more than a pellet spitter or Kamado.

 

[Ridley]

I put wood in with the charcoal and a LOT in the ash bin.
No issues with smoke flavored meat for me.
Not offset stickburner flavor but way more than a pellet spitter or Kamado.

How much wood in with the charcoal? Also do you keep replacing the wood in the ash bin. Yesterday and last weekend i went through quite a bit of wood in the bin and the oke from the chimney looked good.

How open do you have the chimney?

 

[normanaj]

what type of wood you using, what meat ya smoking, what temps.

This^^.

Regardless of smoker these three things are key in what smoke profile you get.

 

[normanaj]

Yep actively burning, went through loads of wood yesterday.

Sounds more like you have a wood stove going than a smoker.If you're going thru "loads" of wood that's a problem.

 

[Ridley]

This^^.

Regardless of smoker these three things are key in what smoke profile you get.

Last weekend I was using cherry, this weekend oak.

Last weekend I was running at 225° this weekend 250°

Last week pork butt, this pork butt and short ribs

 

[motocrash]

Ru saying that it will?

I'm saying try it. What's to lose?

 

[jcam222]

Can you ID both the charcoal and wood you are using? Also the source for the wood? Couple others things, what smoker were you using prior to this and did you have a lack of smoke flavor with it too? Have you tried the food the following day and if so did it still lack in smoke? Sometimes I find the day I’m smoking and tending the smoker I go nose blind to smoke somewhat until the following day.