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.

 

[Heart of Dixie]

I heat splits on the firebox year round. Chuck one in, small puff of white, then back to thin blue. or nothing at all.

 

[SmokinEdge]

The key is maintaining a good coal bed. Learn to add a split when it’s still hot but going down. Coal bed is key.

 

[louie d]

The key is maintaining a good coal bed. Learn to add a split when it’s still hot but going down. Coal bed is key.

 

[louie d]

Put your chunks under the charcoal and you will get better and cleaner combustion of the wood

 

[DougE]

A little "dirty" smoke after adding a split is really a nonissue.

We've been conditioned that the smoke has to absolutely be TBS through the whole cook, but it isn't really attainable or necessary. A few periods of white smoke here and there really is no big deal.

 

[philpom]

Someone mentioned it already but yes, put the chunks somewhere in the firebox where they will get hot but no combust and as needed move them to the coal bed, replenish the cold wood as needed to keep a supply of hot wood handy.

Another option is to get an open pit, burn a "camp fire" in it while smoking and use a shovel to transfer chunks of already burning hot coals to the smoke as needed.

Last but not least, using wood means you are going to have to keep an intense but not blazing fire going. This means visiting the firebox at least twice an hour. Attempting to add more wood to get a longer run between visits will likely result in much higher temps. This all depends on the smoker setup yo are using. You mention gas assist so obviously you could just go without wood.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I guess I did not understand the smoker. What I think it is, is a vertical cabinet smoker that runs on charcoal. It has a gas assist to light the charcoal. The charcoal provides the heat that is controlled by the amount of air entering the smoker.

The smoke comes from chunks or splits.

And for chunks/splits to burn clean, they have to combust into flame, which needs more air. And more air = cooking temps rise.

So how to get a clean burn from chunks/splits at low cooking temps ? And that's the age old problem.

Gravity feeds force smoke from the wood, whether in flame or smoldering, through the coal bed. The theory is, the high heat in the coal bed cleans the smoke, by burning off the particles that produce the bad flavors.

Burying the chunks in a bed of fully lit charcoal, might produce the same. But that eliminates the Minion Method, as the coal bed has to run at high heat.

I have tried placing chunks on a grate below the charcoal grate in my WSM. I tried it a couple times, once it worked, once it didn't.

Kamado owners advise to put the chunks below the charcoal grate. They say it works, I can't attest to that.

Some people use very small chunks and add them often, theory is if they combust, they don't produce enough heat to impact the cooking temp. And smaller pieces of wood will combust easier than larger, thicker pieces.

It is conundrum of charcoal/chunk smokers.

 

[orthodoc]

I guess I did not understand the smoker. What I think it is, is a vertical cabinet smoker that runs on charcoal. It has a gas assist to light the charcoal. The charcoal provides the heat that is controlled by the amount of air entering the smoker.

The smoke comes from chunks or splits.

And for chunks/splits to burn clean, they have to combust into flame, which needs more air. And more air = cooking temps rise.

So how to get a clean burn from chunks/splits at low cooking temps ? And that's the age old problem.

Gravity feeds force smoke from the wood, whether in flame or smoldering, through the coal bed. The theory is, the high heat in the coal bed cleans the smoke, by burning off the particles that produce the bad flavors.

Burying the chunks in a bed of fully lit charcoal, might produce the same. But that eliminates the Minion Method, as the coal bed has to run at high heat.

I have tried placing chunks on a grate below the charcoal grate in my WSM. I tried it a couple times, once it worked, once it didn't.

Kamado owners advise to put the chunks below the charcoal grate. They say it works, I can't attest to that.

Some people use very small chunks and add them often, theory is if they combust, they don't produce enough heat to impact the cooking temp. And smaller pieces of wood will combust easier than larger, thicker pieces.

It is conundrum of charcoal/chunk smokers.

Thanks... So, I have this beautiful smoker... But what is the difference between a charcoal smoker and a wood smoker? Seems like I could easily use either.

Playing with this now for a week or 2, my biggest problem, possibly typical of a vertical (non offset) smoker- is that the temps get VERY high very fast.... I guess less fuel?

 

[Smokin Okie]

Thanks... So, I have this beautiful smoker... But what is the difference between a charcoal smoker and a wood smoker? Seems like I could easily use either.

Playing with this now for a week or 2, my biggest problem, possibly typical of a vertical (non offset) smoker- is that the temps get VERY high very fast.... I guess less fuel?

Well, IDK this smoker. I Googled it and saw pics. So, FWIW.

The big commercial roti smokers, like JR Oylers, that are gas assisted, use gas for the heat. And they throw a split on occasionally to get smoke.

In a smaller smoker, I'm thinking smaller splits. That's what I do with my offset. I buy splits 16" long. I cut them in half to 8", then I split them again, and maybe even one more time. So I'm working with a split that's 8" long and never any larger around than a beer can.

But I see what your saying, when the split burns its going to add heat. Offsets don't run at a steady temp. If I can keep the cooking temp within a 25 degree range, I think I'm doing good. But kitchen ovens don't run at a steady temp, they will kick off and on and vary 10* .

Maybe just run strictly on small splits ? Is there some type of deflector plate between the firebox and the cooking grates ?

My gravity feed is somewhat similar, but uses charcoal for heat. I put one of my small 8" splits in the firebox and they burn in flame. But somehow, the temp in the cooking chamber doesn't change. And I can't explain how that works, but it does. I add a split maybe every 20 to 30 minutes, just judging by the smoke coming out of the stack.

Have you contacted Meadow Creek ?

 

[Smokin Okie]

A few years ago, I was testing a roaster oven to use as a warmer to hold brisket. It had large temp swings. I narrowed it down some when I put a half pan of water in it to act as a heat sink, which is what a brisket would do.

 

[Smokin Okie]

In all of Steven Raichlen's PBS series, he smokes almost entirely charcoal/chunk. He even puts charcoal in the Horizon offsets and then puts a large split on top of the coals.

I ran across this the other day, where he details what gasse and flavors are produced at different temps. Its good, except he's wrong about what temps that wood combusts. I believe he says 1800* . In Aaron Franklin's first bbq book, he says wood combusts at 700* and all the good flavors come after combustion.

Vid should start at 6 minute mark

 

[Smokin Okie]

Meathead does a deep dive into smoke on his site here ...............

What You Need to Know About Wood, Smoke, And Combustion

Learn all about wood smoke and how it adds flavor to BBQ. Find out whether you should be using wood chunks, chips, pellets, logs, or sawdust in your cooker. Discover the truth behind the claim that different woods have different flavors.

amazingribs.com

Stage 1 – Dehydration (up to about 500°F). In this stage wood must be heated from an external source like a match, kindling, rolled up newspaper, or (horrors) lighter fluid. A lot of energy is consumed in evaporating the water. Until the wood drys out it cannot get much above 212°F. Steam and some gases like carbon dioxide are given off, but there is no flame or heat produced.

Stage 2 – Decomposition, gassification, and pyrolysis (500 to 700°F). Cellulose and lignin break down and boil off much like the water did in a gaseous cornucopia of volatile organic compounds and particulates. The gases will burn if there is an ignition source like a flame or spark, but they will not ignite on their own.

Stage 3 – Combustion (700 to 1,000°F). Escaping gases burst into flame. You can see this in a log in a fireplace as gases shoot out through cracks and they ignite and burn orange. Prof. Blonder calls this the “burning bush” stage. Other gases emerge, among them nitric oxide (NO) if there is sufficient oxygen. Nitric oxide is essential for formation of the smoke ring in meat. In the sweet spot of about 650 to 750°F, the best aromatic compounds for cooking come off, among them guaiacol and syringol, which are primarily responsible for the aromas we like in smoke. Some are ethereal and dissipate, and that’s why barbecue doesn’t taste the same after it has been reheated. As the temp rises above 750°F, acrid, bitter, and possibly hazardous compounds are formed.

Stage 4 – Charcoal formation (above 1,000°F). Most of the organic compounds have burned off leaving behind pure carbon, or char, which burns as red embers with little smoke, odor, and no flavor

 

[chopsaw]

wood combusts at 700*

Not to go sideways , UL testing numbers for fire ratings , smoke at 600 , combustion at 700 .
Different fire ,,, but 700 is the number .
I like Railclen , but he comes up with all kinds of stuff I believe is incorrect .

Carry on ,,,

 

[Smokin Okie]

Not to go sideways , UL testing numbers for fire ratings , smoke at 600 , combustion at 700 .
Different fire ,,, but 700 is the number .
I like Railclen , but he comes up with all kinds of stuff I believe is incorrect .

Carry on ,,,

I've often wondered if Meathead ever watches Raichlen. They have to know each other, probably well.

But I can envision Meathead watching Raichlen and start throwing stuff around the room when he hears some of Raichlen's ideas and rules and see's what he's doing .

 

[JLeonard]

I thought the gas assist was more to get things started. Try setting up you charcoal like a minion and let it go. Im no expert but give it a go....you might be surprised.

Jim

 

[Smokin Okie]

I thought the gas assist was more to get things started. Try setting up you charcoal like a minion and let it go. Im no expert but give it a go....you might be surprised.

Jim

I went to the Meadow Creek site. They have a controller on their gas assist that allows user to set a temp.

I think we're talking about this vertical smoker, with the gas assist.

Vertical Cabinet

 

[Elf@shore]

I thought the gas assist was more to get things started. Try setting up you charcoal like a minion and let it go. Im no expert but give it a go....you might be surprised.

Jim

Hi!
Contact Meadow Creek.
Ask for Lavern, he is their website expert.
He has a few videos, seems to know what to do!
Let me know how you make out with him!?
Good luck! ELF
Meadow Creek BBQ.com