(HELP) Strong Smoke Taste On Chicken Wings

[RRR]

Need A Little Advice... Maybe A Lot...
I tried to make Honey Barbecue Smoked Chicken Wings. They turned out BAD the smoke flavor was so strong you could not eat them. Trashed them!
I could use recommendations on what you think I did wrong. To much wood not enough charcoal, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Marinate Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Smoker Temp: 250°F
Meat Finish Temp: 165-170°F
Recommended Wood: Hickory or Mesquite
I used Mesquite and Paper tree.

Wing Rub Ingredients
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 

[old sarge]

I suspect too much wood. Mesquite is pretty strong. As for paper tree, is this called tipole or something like that in the Philippines? Had to look it up as I am not familiar with it. Could not find any site recommending it for smoking food. I would try one wood or the other. You could check with a university botanist and see if there is anything especially noxious or toxic about the paper tree wood when burned.

 

[hoity toit]

keep vents WIDE OPEN during cooking. Corn cobs make a great smoke, a little goes a long way. Give them only an hour of smoke., then cook till done.
HT

 

[chilerelleno]

Again, mesquite is very strong.
Should be used only when you can get it to smoke cleanly, thin blue smoke.
And for some meats, perfect example is chicken, it should be used lightly.

I know what a paperbark tree looks like, that is the limit of my knowledge.
Smoking with is uncharted territory.

 

[RRR]

Enough Red Horse will cover up a bad BBQ.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Try getting other Hard Wood. Fruit or Nuts tree woods are mild. I understand Mango and Jackfruit wood works and soaked Coconut Husk is good. Papaya is not. Mango wood smoke can be a skin irritant unless the wood is thoroughly sundried. Growers tend to use a lot of pesticide as it is susceptible to several insects. I would avoid it unless you trust the source...JJ

 

[RRR]

Enough Red Horse and you’ll eat anything!

 

[bbqaddict]

most probably too much smoke. Mesquite has a strong smoke profile. always look for that thin blue smoke and avoid thick white smoke.

i know this is a long overdue thread. im sorry haha

 

[chesterinflorida]

Chicken (poultry in general) absorbs more smoke flavor than other meats and is easy to over-smoke. I go light on wood, and never use mesquite. I like a fruit wood like cherry or apple for chicken. I also would recommend cooking at 300 plus degrees for chicken. Like others mentioned, don’t choke the smoker down, and keep those exhaust vents open. It will still pick up smoke at the higher temps and exhaust open, but will not be over-smoked.