Over Smoked

[new2smoken]

I smoked for the first time this past weekend and apparently "over-smoked".  I want to learn so my family will enjoy the food I smoke.  I have an MES 40".  How do you tell when you need to add more chips?  The MES 40 has a window, so I watch the smoke in the unit, but don't know how thick it should be.  Any help / advice is welcome. 

Thanks.

Oh, I made two fatties and a 3lb sirloin round roast.

 

[new2smoken]

I made a sirloin round and two fatties.
 

 

[smoking b]

You don't want thick smoke at all - you want what is known as "thin blue smoke."  If you had thick white smoke that is probably why your meat was oversmoked. Thick smoke will give you a bitter taste. You also want your exhaust vent opened up when smoking so air can flow through your smoker & keep you from creating creosote.

The MES requires more chips roughly every half hour. A lot of people - myself included - use an AMNPS in their MES from here http://www.amazenproducts.com/   It will give you a steady source of thin blue smoke from one fill of pellets. You can also cold smoke with it. The owner of Amazenproducts Todd is a sponsor & member here. He has the best customer service you will ever find. Good luck with your smoking adventures

 

[chef jimmyj]

Definitely get an AMNPS for your MES...In the mean time you only want to add about 1/4 Cup of Chips to the drawer every 30-40 minutes. Anything more can lead to White Smoke, with bitter tasting food and/or a Fire in the MES. Stick to Mild Fruit Woods, like Apple, Cherry or Peach. Pecan and Maple are pretty mellow too but avoid Hickory and especially Mesquite, way too strong for Newbie Families... Regardless of what the Manual says, Always keep the Top Vent 100% Open while smoking...JJ

 

[beernuts]

One thing to watch for is how you start putting the chips in the smoker.  If you the full amount that the instructions call for there will be lots of smoke AND flames.  When I use the chip tray I start with only a few chips (5 - 8) let those smolder down then do it again.  This allows a base of ash to form and helps avoid the white smoke and flames.  After a couple of rounds this way add a quarter cup and go from there.  I currently use an AMNPS to get a nice TBS without over smoking the food I'm making.  It give me hours of TBS without tending to the chip loader.

 

[new2smoken]

I'm relatively new to this.  What is TBS?

 

[smoking b]

I'm relatively new to this.  What is TBS?

TBS is Thin Blue Smoke. You don't want heavy white smoke you want thin smoke with a slight blue tint - TBS 

 

[new2smoken]

When it first starts, it is thick white smoke.  how do i prevent that?  I have made a few different things and they have all come out over smoked.