New to wood/charcoal.... how to get clean smoke

[orthodoc]

Just got a meadow creek cabinet smoker with a gas assist. The gas makes igniting very easy and if I fall asleep and the charcoal burns out it keeps temp very well..

My problem is that as soon as I add a split or chunk I wind up with very heavy white smoke..... If I open the dampers more to let more air in to burn more efficiently the temp goes way up. I guess this is "welcome to not using my pellet grill anymore."

Suggestions on how/when to add wood to hot charcoal to keep smoke thin?

 

[Smokin Okie]

You've asked the $64,000 question.

The white billowy smoke is a product of charcoal/chunk cooking. It comes from the chunks smoldering instead of complete combustion.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Many people like the flavor of charcoal/chunk. I got that smoke on a WSM for 15 years and enjoyed a lot of good barbecue from that cooker.

IMO, I think the key is to not use too much of it. Put some chunks in the cooker at the start of the cook but don't add any more. That's what I did on my WSM.

You can also cook at higher temps, like 275* and above. The chunks will burn somewhat cleaner. That's what Harry Soo does when he competes with WSM's, and the guy has won a lot of trophys doing that.

I still use my WSM to cook direct heat chicken. I try to run it at 325*.

 

[Up_In_Smoke]

Harry Soo is the WSM man.