no smoke???

[jturpen]

Hi,  I amnew to smoking and have prepared ribs, and chicken.  I have an electric smoker that has a temp control and a dual digital thermometer that monitors both meat and smoker temperature.  I have never seen visible smoke furing the cooking process.  When I look at the wood box I see a mix of charcoaled chips and normal wood colored chips.  Seems I should be seeing lots of smoke at 220 but apparently this is not the case.  Is this something related to an electric smoker or what am I missing.  Thanks 

 

[SmokinAl]

   Glad to have you with us!

What smoker do you have?

 

[jturpen]

It is a vertical type that I got at Cabella's. 

 

[roller]

Show us a picture......sounds like your chip pan is to far away from your element...just guessing..It needs to be about 1/4 in. above it.

WELCOME to the forum...

 

[SmokinAl]

A very large number of guys with electric smokers use the AMNPS for generating smoke.

Here's the link, you may want to check it out.

http://www.amazenproducts.com/

 

[jturpen]

thanks for the welcome.  My smoker looks like a Brinkman, it has achip pan, a water pan and three racks.  Actually, the chip pan rests on the electric element.

 

[jturpen]

thanks for the link, that is an interesting  approach and I will give it a try

 

[roller]

If your chip pan is resting on your element and your temp is 225* and your not getting smoke....Thats impossible unless your chips are floating in water.Better check your thermo....Post a pic of the way you have it set up...

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Let's touch on the basics of smoking for a moment:

If your chips are getting charred, your food is getting smoke. It may be that it takes a bit longer than most smokers to get the smoke wood heated up enough to produce smoke, so start the smoker early, then it should be heated and smoking before you put anything in to cook.i

Remember, if you can smell smoke coming out the vent but can't see it, you're still smoking, and this is primo smoke, IMHO...thin and blue...nearly invisible at times. Alson if you taste and smell smoke when you eat, you're doing it right. Sometimes, you taste much smoke because you,ve been smelling it all day, so you become desensitized. Your clothes, hair, hands...everything exposed to the smoke carries it with you, so, until you shower and change clothes you"re not going to get away from it.

Oh, most smoker user manuals state that you shoul soak the wood chips...DON'T...it only delays the onset of smoke because the wood has to evaporate internal moisture before it can produce actual smoke. The white "smoke" you see when wood is first heated is actually water vapor.

Getting a good smoke requires exposing the wood to the proper balance of heat and air. Too hot and/or too much air and the wood burns up...too little of either and you get zip...nadda.


Eric

 

[roller]

Well if he ant seeing any then he ant getting any....but nice theory Eric...you can see thin blue smoke...unless there in a wind storm...I can asure you that 99.9999999% of those that smoke  there food can see the smoke...

 

[tjohnson]

Looks like good advice to me!

TJ

 

[roller]

Well they want have any trouble seeing or smell smoke with the AMNPS for sure....

 

[jturpen]

Thank all of you so much.  I viewed the youtube video from your site and based on the video and all of your responses I think I am doing OK.  My meat tastes really great and it has that pink layer on the outside so I think I am doing OK.  Just newbie insecurity, and I really appreciate the help.  I will be trying smoking shrimp and bacon wrapped chicken breasts this weekend and just wanted to be sure, especially considereing the price of jumbo shrimp :-)  Take care, Jim

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Well if he ant seeing any then he ant getting any....but nice theory Eric...you can see thin blue smoke...unless there in a wind storm...I can asure you that 99.9999999% of those that smoke  there food can see the smoke...

Hmm...it's not just a theory, it's a practice those of us who have mastered the art and craft live by each and every time we fire up a smoker.

I have no problem with using a device to generate smoke with dust, chips or pellets...the principle is the same. But don't knock methods that are proven...call it old school or what ever you like. If you don't understand it, you don't understand the principles of the method, and you may not have gotten the smoke generation mastered. Myself (and many others, I'm sure) would be happy to offer knowledge on the subject, and there are numerous threads and a Wiki or two discussing it.

Using a smoke generator is easier, requires less preperation, and if it works correctly, gives the same results as using the smoker's heat source to generate smoke. If that's how you want to smoke, that's your choice and preference.

I personally enjoy spending my time mastering every smoke I do...hot, cold, cured meat or fresh. I develop a basic plan and follow it, making changes as I feel are needed along the way, and, I get enormous satisfaction in knowing what it takes to get my food from freezer to plate, and everything between, including making my own dry rubs, marinades, brines and brine cures.

There is a form of art involved in cooking, and, smoking is no different. If you carry the passion to create great meals with your own hands into smoking, you will truely understand my point of view. Learning the craft doesn't happen over-night, and can at times require a great of determination, as well as a few tips from frindly, knowledgable folks when using traditional methods.

Using a device takes away from part of the satisfaction for me, and likely, many others.

The O/P asked for a few simple pieces of info...I offered what I felt was asked for. He didn't give me any indiction of giving up on his current method, but instead wanted to know if he was doing it right, so I offered no advIce on changing to a different method. So, with that, I called it a I saw it and told it has come to be for me.


Eric

 

[roller]

I am not knocking anything you had to say. BUT you can see TBS that is why it is called TBS because you can see it... They said that they could not see ANY smoke..If you cant see smoke then you are not getting any . Thats why they call it smoke....If I was smoking and saw NO smoke then I would be cooking without smoke...All I am saying is if you cant see it then you don`t have any and if you can`t see it then you do not have TBS.

 

[teeznuts]

Hi,  I amnew to smoking and have prepared ribs, and chicken.  I have an electric smoker that has a temp control and a dual digital thermometer that monitors both meat and smoker temperature.  I have never seen visible smoke furing the cooking process.  When I look at the wood box I see a mix of charcoaled chips and normal wood colored chips.  Seems I should be seeing lots of smoke at 220 but apparently this is not the case.  Is this something related to an electric smoker or what am I missing.  Thanks 

Does any smoke come rushing out if you open the smoker door/lid mid smoke?
 

 

[venture]

If your chips get burnt during the smoke, you are getting smoke.  How many chips you want to burn depends on your taste for heavier or lighter smoke.

In my hot smokes with the AMNS, the smoke is so thin that I can't get my camera to register it, yet the sweet smoke smell will draw people from the garage to the smoker on the patio.  TBS is good.  The amount of TBS you like is a taste preference.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[roller]

Jturpen Good luck and I hope your smoker works out well for you...LSU 1 and 0 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[drworld]

I'm having same issue with MSE. It used to smoke great, now, not so much. The drawer for chips looks OK, not bent or anything. Anyway, I removed drawer and put piece of hardware cloth (1/8" perfs) directly on heat element. So far, looks very promising. Anyone ever do this? Any problems?