I am pretty new to smoking, but I'm having a great time so far (mostly). One problem I keep having t

[lolwels523]

I am pretty new to smoking, but I'm having a great time so far (mostly). One problem I keep having though is that nasty ash trey flavor on my food. I am using a Masterbuilt electric smoker, but not with the chip trey. I have a knock off of the amazin smoke tube, but I buy the genuine hardwood pellets (Hickory and Mesquite).

 

[biteme7951]

Even the original amazin smoke tube puts out too much smoke for the MES. Most folks use the tray style in the MES. You may want to do a search for mailbox mods on this sight as they do a better job of controlling the smoke levels.

Barry.

 

[Locomotive Breath]

One problem I keep having though is that nasty ash trey flavor on my food.

My ex would flick her cigarette ashes into the coals of my first smoker. She's an ex for a reason LOL...

 

[SonnyE]

My ex would flick her cigarette ashes into the coals of my first smoker. She's an ex for a reason LOL...

ALL Ex's are Ex's for good reasons.
At least the two I let go of were for good reasons.
Third times the charm. I got a gooden now.

I use a "mailbox Mod" exclusively on my MES 30. No ash to be found in the box. especially after the smoke travels 8 feet through a corrugated aluminum tube.

 

[forgiven1]

I am pretty new to smoking, but I'm having a great time so far (mostly). One problem I keep having though is that nasty ash trey flavor on my food. I am using a Masterbuilt electric smoker, but not with the chip trey. I have a knock off of the amazin smoke tube, but I buy the genuine hardwood pellets (Hickory and Mesquite).

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies. I am confused about something though. Why is this appearing in a separate thread. I see in the first post there is an exact quote from my thread here?
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ash-trey-flavor-on-my-food.274896/

Is this like a glitch or something?

 

[normanaj]

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies. I am confused about something though. Why is this appearing in a separate thread. I see in the first post there is an exact quote from my thread here?
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ash-trey-flavor-on-my-food.274896/

Is this like a glitch or something?

Apparently another user(lolwels523) quoted the first part of your post from the ash tray thread and posted it here as his own.

I've been using the Amazen tube with the ubolt mod for quite some time now and I've had no issues with ashy tasting food at all.From what I've discovered its all about airflow.I use the chip loader as an airflow regulator,depending on the weather/wind once I get it just right and the smoke comes out the top at just the right clip my food tastes perfectly fine.I can't speak for others but the tube works much better than the tray in my MES30.

 

[forgiven1]

Apparently another user(lolwels523) quoted the first part of your post from the ash tray thread and posted it here as his own.

Okay, well, I'm happy to share :) I posted my responses in the thread linked above. Very much appreciate everyones input. My food thanks you all.

 

[Locomotive Breath]

I see in the first post there is an exact quote from my thread here?
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ash-trey-flavor-on-my-food.274896/

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ash-trey-flavor-on-my-food.274896/Maybe that poster REALLY LIKED your question. :)

 

[daricksta]

I have a few basic questions: what kind of meats have you smoked so far? What temps do you smoke them at and generally for how long?

It sounds like you're oversmoking the meats. Oversmoking imparts a harsh and bitter flavor to smoked foods. You're using hickory and mesquite pellets in a tube smoker. Generally speaking, it's much harder to oversmoke food with a tube smoker and pellets, which is why I asked you those questions. I have the 6" A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker which I've used a few times and it has never put out an overwhelming amount of smoke to me. I use the AMNPS which is the large pellet tray, and I've begun using the smaller AMNS and filling it with Dust.

I used wood chips when I first started out smoking and just about everything I pulled out of my MES 30 was oversmoked. When I switched to A-MAZE-N trays and wood pellets, I stopped oversmoking foods which is why I find your complaint of food that has a nasty ash tray flavor interesting.

 

[forgiven1]

Hi daricksta,
Mostly I smoke salmon. I've done a tri-tip also. The tri-tip turned out ok, I think mostly because it was a hot smoke and fairly short. The salmon being a relatively cold (I end at about 140F IT). A couple of days ago I did that mailbox mod which eliminated my creosote problem. I smoked salmon about 5 hours and scarcely had even a tan haze on my window.

However I still got some of that bitter taste. Your probly also right about too much smoke though. I think the smoke was still a bit heavier than what it should be. It was thinish, but not wispy thin. I tried filling my tube only half high but it didn't stay lit well, so I filled it full. I still get only white smoke no matter what accept back when I did the tri tip on the hot smoke. It seems to me like what needs to be done is a ridged stainless box be made (rather than the mail box) so the smoke box can also be hot enough to produce the blue smoke. I am going to post pictures and details about the project in my original thread linked above probly tomorrow.

 

[SonnyE]

Ya know, tube smokers tend to put out more smoke than a tray. And daveomak recommends sawdust because it is much cooler and controlled. So you might experiment with sawdust as well.
Try experimenting with less pellets (or fuel) in the tube.
Often I have to go out on my patio and get close to my MES 30 to see the smoke volume escaping the smoker.
Yes, it is that thin.
I always run my outlet wide open, and my inlet wide open on my MOD box.
You can do a lot of experimenting with your smoker empty. All you are doing is burning pellets/chips and learning.
Or, if you want, put some raw almonds in your sm00ker and see how they taste.
My MES 30 is a long way from Georgia now.
You're welcome to any ideas there.
Most of my smoker use is for Salmon, too. I just did my batch yesterday, and vacuum packaged today. It's in the chest freezer.
You'll get there, Just Keep Swimming!

 

[daricksta]

forgiven 1, I've read that creosote really isn't a problem with electric smokers burning wood chips or pellets because they don't generate the amount of heat that stick burners generate. I've had no problems with creosote in the 5 years I've owned my MES 30 but I still wipe down the inside with damp paper towels to get rid of dried cooked food, carbon deposits, and excess grease.

I haven't used the 6" tube smoker much since I've also had problems keeping it lit inside my smoker and in my Weber charcoal kettle grill. I'm, going to experiment more with it this year because when I want to add wood smoke flavor to grilled foods I prefer to use it with wood pellets than to throw wood chips over the coals which then causes flare ups. So, I wasn't aware that the tube smoker generates more smoke than the AMNPS or AMNS but it makes sense since the wood pellets are all in one pile inside the tube while in the tray the pellets are more spread out. There are times when I get heavier smoke from the tray at higher temps (if you don't keep the hi-temp cutoff switch on the back wall clean the controller on your MES can send the temp to over 300°F. It's happened to me) but I really haven't had any problems with oversmoking since I switched to using pellets and the AMNPS.

I haven't done the mailbox mod thing because I like to keep things simple. I put my smoker on a small card table. If I were to add a mailbox mod or a cold smoker unit it would just be one more thing to deal with, an extra appendage sitting on the ground attached by a tube I'd also have to bring out with the smoker and put back. I've noticed during smokes that at times the smoke rising from the top vent is heavier than at other times. If the smoker temp is where I want it, I don't worry about heavier smoke since nothing I've smoked has tasted bitter and harsh in years. I mainly look at the top vent to make sure smoke is rising up. If not, that means the wood pellets or Dust have gone out.

I'm looking forward to seeing your posted photos tomorrow.

 

[dr k]

Put some pellets in a strainer, dip in water and they expand back to sawdust. Spread it out on foil/pan and dry it in the smoker.

 

[forgiven1]

I have posted an update to this with pictures here.
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/ash-trey-flavor-on-my-food.274896/#post-1826412