Over smoke??

[banderson7474]

I personally think there can't be too much smoke but when I smoke a piece of meat, it really is heavy on the smoke. It seems like all of Jeff's recipes say to use smoke about half of the cook time. My question is what do people use instead of smoke wood? I could wrap it in foil but I really don't like to do that plus I'm still burning smoke wood for heat. I could try to use charcoal again but when I first started out, I would lose temp waiting on the coal that I replaced to get to temp.

My process is using a charcoal lighter can and let it burn for about 30 mins. Then I put that into the hot box. Then I start to throw my smoke wood until I get to temp. Then I manage the temp throughout the process but I don't know what people do when/if they want to stop using smoke wood but still need hours of cook time.

 

[bbqbrett]

Lot of people wrap but if that is not your thing you could take the meat off the smoker and finish in the oven. Then again if you like the heavy smoke just keep on smoking it.

 

[Geebs]

Are you getting thin blue smoke when you put the meat in? If its white smoke that going to give a really harsh smoke flavor to the meat. Usually the meat is only going to absorb the smoke for about half the cook, I believe that is why Jeff suggests that.

 

[banderson7474]

I've never really noticed if it was a thin blue smoke. It always seems white to me. That makes sense what you said about Jeff. I think he wraps a lot of his stuff in butcher brown paper too.

 

[SmokinAl]

If you have a stick burner, your going to get smoke the whole cook, cause wood is your heat source.
Personally I let the smoke roll the whole time on all my smokers, unless the meat is wrapped in foil.
And it's not true that the meat will not pick up more smoke flavor after a certain point.
Now you don't want thick white smoke, but in a stick burner most of the time all you get is heat with a tinge of blue smoke coming out the stack if your fire is burning correctly.
Al

 

[banderson7474]

I'm confused about "fire burning correctly" I guess I need to do research on it b/c if I use store bought smoke wood, I don't know any other way to burn it except for put it in the firebox to continue temp.

 

[SmokinAl]

I'm confused about "fire burning correctly" I guess I need to do research on it b/c if I use store bought smoke wood, I don't know any other way to burn it except for put it in the firebox to continue temp.

You want to keep a nice coal bed in the fire box,so when you put a split in it will catch fire right away. If you have too small of a coal bed or put in too big a split it will begin to smolder, and that is when you get the thick white smoke. It's OK to leave the fire box door open a little until the wood catches fire. Then close it up & you should be seeing thin blue smoke or just heat. It is a learning process.
Al

 

[banderson7474]

You want to keep a nice coal bed in the fire box,so when you put a split in it will catch fire right away. If you have too small of a coal bed or put in too big a split it will begin to smolder, and that is when you get the thick white smoke. It's OK to leave the fire box door open a little until the wood catches fire. Then close it up & you should be seeing thin blue smoke or just heat. It is a learning process.
Al

Hey Al, I will keep an eye out to see if I can do it like you mentioned. I've never really paid attention before. I noticed you are in Sebring. I have family that live in Lake Placid. That may be where I retire for good....still undecided at this point. Do you ever go to the 12hrs of Sebring?

 

[Bearcarver]

If you have a stick burner, your going to get smoke the whole cook, cause wood is your heat source.
Personally I let the smoke roll the whole time on all my smokers, unless the meat is wrapped in foil.
And it's not true that the meat will not pick up more smoke flavor after a certain point.
Now you don't want thick white smoke, but in a stick burner most of the time all you get is heat with a tinge of blue smoke coming out the stack if your fire is burning correctly.
Al

Banderson7474,
Dang!!!
I can rest my typing finger on this one, because I agree with every word Al said in the Quoted Reply above!

Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

Hey Al, I will keep an eye out to see if I can do it like you mentioned. I've never really paid attention before. I noticed you are in Sebring. I have family that live in Lake Placid. That may be where I retire for good....still undecided at this point. Do you ever go to the 12hrs of Sebring?

I've been here over 13 years & on the coast for 35 years before that.
And I have never gone to the race, although some of my friends have worked the race for free admission.
This area is a great part of Fl to live in, it's quiet & if you want chaos, your only 1 1/2 hours from either coast.
Although we had a hurricane roll thru here last year, it's a rarity in this part of Fl.
Al

 

[SmokinLogs]

I’m just a newbie myself, but like Al said, you will always get some white smoke until the split catches fire pretty well. Once the white smoke settles you know you are getting pretty good combustion. One of the things I have learned from this site is that setting the next log or split you intend to use on top of your fire box will help to heat it up and dry out any moisture, thus making it catch fire faster when you put it in the fire box. This gets you to the good clean (blue) smoke that you are looking for much quicker. But keep an eye on it lol ive had wood start smoking just from sitting on top of the fire box door.
-GOOD LUCK, KEEP ON SMOKIN’

 

[SmokinLogs]

One more thing, letting your meat cook in the smoke the whole time will help you get more of a beautiful smoke ring. Thats like the icing on the cake, or should I say the Q? Lol