I built a smoker -- Now I need help!

[GMcMurry]

I have never smoked before and I am pretty old.

I got the urge to build a smoker. I am a pretty good fabricator.

I have real pictures as well, but its hard to see what it really looks like.
Its all made of 3/16 steel and sits on top of a gas burner. Originally the burner was intended to be a WOK cooker but I never used it as such.
The flames comes up and heats the bottom of the pan you see. I fill it up with wood chips and it starts smoking.

There are a couple of grates made of expanded steel metal. I put my meat on one of them and away I go.

Today I tried it with meat for the first time. WAY TOO SMOKEY.

I have been reading here in these pages and I think I have my ideas for the next try.

WAIT -- I should have let the smoke burn WAY down before cooking. I can easily control my temp to 200 to 275 degrees. I cooked some beef ribs and a big piece of steak and is was so smokey after a couple of hours ( I kept it at about 230 degrees ) that I could not really eat it.

I have lots of hobbies. However, for this project I head off myself with no forum help. Now I need to decide what to do next.
Bottom line is that I have good temperature, too much smoke. Maybe the wrong kind of wood ( I used mesquite) and my food was no good.

I want a nice mild smoke flavor. I don't care how long it takes.

I just throw this out there so I can get some ideas about where to go next.

Greg

 

[fullsmoke]

Mesquite is very strong smoke try oak it’s very mild clean smoke or hickory just put little in at a time smoke for couple hours depending on how thick of Meat at 200-225 don’t have to smoke the whole cook . Make sure your stack is open all the way to keep fresh smoke rolling old smoke or poor air flow can keep old bitter smoke in there !

 

[daveomak]

If you have whole logs, try cutting them into "cookies"... ONLY USE 1 in the pan... That's what I have found in one of my smokers..... The cookie will gradually smoke for an hour or so... That's usually adequate smoke without overpowering the food... If you like more smoke, ditch the used up cookie, clean out the pan of ash and add a second cookie....