Retain smoke in cook chamber?

[akamarcus]

Hi everyone! New member here - I have a lingering question, the answer to which I cannot figure out, so I hope y'all can help.

I have owned a GMG Daniel Boone for 2 years now. Done 6-8 briskets, 10 pork shoulders, 5 turkeys, and chicken wings. I enjoy the smoker quite a bit. However, I can't seem to get an adequate smoke profile in my meat. I don't expect it to be close to what an offset produces in smokiness, but it's just not enough for me, and I've done everything that I can find to help with this. I always have my pellet tube going for the first 4-6 hours of the cook. For beef and pork, I run it at 225 F and it produces a lot of smoke.

I have thought that if perhaps I kept the smoke in the chamber for longer, the meat would have a stronger smoke flavor. Is this true? Would it be helpful to seal the chimney so that the smoke just cannot escape? What would happen if I lowered my chimney cap so that it was more-or-less sealed off?

Setup:
- Green Mountain Grill Daniel Boone
- Fireblack gasket around lid for insulation
- 3" aluminum elbow pointed at grate level (alternative to Don Godke's Downdraft)
- Green Mountain Grill thin blue smoke pellet tube for additional smoke

 

[Sowsage]

I don't think that trapping the smoke in the chamber is the way to go. You want it to have clean smoke,not a stale smoke flavor. Can I ask what kind of pellets your using? May be as simple as changing to a different wood for a more pronounced flavor.

 

[chef jimmyj]

What Pellets are you using in the tube? Keeping smoke IN the smoker is not a good idea. Too high a risk of Bad Flavor smoke components settling on the meat retaining the smoke too long. You may need to try different pellets or adding a second tube to generate twice the flavorfull Thin Blue Smoke...JJ

 

[akamarcus]

They are Lumberjack 40% Hickory/60% Oak blend. I've also used 40% Mesquite/60% Oak, 100% Hickory, and a Maple/Hickory/Cherry blend.

The smoker seems to produce plenty of smoke, and it almost seems overkill when I add the pellet tube.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Do you Babysit the Smoker for long periods? Lots of us get Nose Blind working with the smoker and smelling the smoke all day. Comes time to eat and you can barely taste any smoke on the meat. But, eat the leftovers a day are two later and the flavor is amazing...JJ

 

[akamarcus]

I don't babysit at all - I follow the adage "If you're looking, you aren't cooking" and therefore detect a heavy smoke smell every time I'm outside. I can even smell it in my clothes when I'm inside, so I don't think I'm desensitized, even on the day of the cook.

 

[JCAP]

I don't babysit at all - I follow the adage "If you're looking, you aren't cooking" and therefore detect a heavy smoke smell every time I'm outside. I can even smell it in my clothes when I'm inside, so I don't think I'm desensitized, even on the day of the cook. I think, at least for me, that even though I can smell the smoke outside and on my clothes, the taste is dulled compared to the next day or if I just showed up to a place that had smoked food. You might get whiffs of the smell here and there but it sticks to you and dulls the senses a bit. Just my opinion though... My thoughts are that smoke is just one of the flavor profiles that I want to taste but not the only thing I want to taste. From your description, it sounds like you're getting smoke but maybe haven't found that sweet spot yet? Also try different pellets if possible. I switched to BBQ delight 100% for cheeses and it's amazing the difference from the others I used before (pitboss maybe?).

 

[BigW.]

Welcome! I have the same GMG. I also use Lumberjack and like them. I switch between 100% Hickory or Apple. I would think with tube you would be getting plenty of smoke.

Do you put the tube to the left of the meat? So smoke blows to the right and out the stack? I assume so.

I usually run a separate temp gauge because my grill runs hot. As you know, higher temps produce less smoke. Maybe yours is running higher than 225?

Last suggestion is trying a 100% Mesquite. Keep us posted if you find the solution for you.

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

Def do not close off the exhaust stack. You will get creosote build up on your meat and it will taste like an ash tray!

You could possibly cold smoke some of your meat prior to cooking.

I don't have a pellet grill but would do what the others have suggested in switching pellets possibly. I don't know though I use lumberjack in my AMNPS and never had a dull smoke flavor.

Drink a few more cold ones and toss some meat on I am sure you will get it there! If not its a good excuse to tell the old lady on why you need a new smoker!

 

[flagriller]

Whatever your smoking will only absorb so much smoke, the key is to keep the smoke moving from the source to the stack. Thin Blue Smoke. What I do is this; I got a smoker box, Weber to be exact from HD, you can also get a smoker tube, I don't like them because the chips don't last.
Soak the chips until fully wet, fill the box and place at the opposite end of the stack, and bingo.
The chips will add smoke to the box without creating creosote! I've even put in a few small pieces
of natural lump.
Keep experimenting that's the fun of it.

 

[jmtyndall]

Trapping smoke is bad. You can try it, but it will probably make your food taste like camp fire. Plus if you trap the heat then you burn less pellets and get less of the tasty thin smoke.

I believe the light smoke flavor on a pellet grill is strictly a product of the grill generating less combustion byproducts than other smokers. In my offset I burn around 3-5lbs of wood per hour and move a LOT of air with it. Stale smoke tastes terrible, you want the smoke and heat to quickly work through the smoker. Most pellet grills advertise a burn rate of like 1lb per hour, so they're generating 20-30% of the smoke byproducts an offset is. No wonder there's less smoke flavor.

First thing I'd probably try is forcing the thing to burn more pellets by propping the lid slightly open. That will vent some of the heat and the grill will have to burn more pellets to keep up, thus generating more smoke. Alternatively, start your smokes down around 180-190F for a couple hours. Pellets smolder a bit longer rather than burning up like higher temps.

 

[flagriller]

Less smoke is common with the pellet grills. Try adding the chip box, I think you'll find it works
pretty good. If not, blame me...... and you next post is completely free!

 

[RCAlan]

Hi everyone! New member here - I have a lingering question, the answer to which I cannot figure out, so I hope y'all can help.

I have owned a GMG Daniel Boone for 2 years now. Done 6-8 briskets, 10 pork shoulders, 5 turkeys, and chicken wings. I enjoy the smoker quite a bit. However, I can't seem to get an adequate smoke profile in my meat. I don't expect it to be close to what an offset produces in smokiness, but it's just not enough for me, and I've done everything that I can find to help with this. I always have my pellet tube going for the first 4-6 hours of the cook. For beef and pork, I run it at 225 F and it produces a lot of smoke.

I have thought that if perhaps I kept the smoke in the chamber for longer, the meat would have a stronger smoke flavor. Is this true? Would it be helpful to seal the chimney so that the smoke just cannot escape? What would happen if I lowered my chimney cap so that it was more-or-less sealed off?

Setup:
- Green Mountain Grill Daniel Boone
- Fireblack gasket around lid for insulation
- 3" aluminum elbow pointed at grate level (alternative to Don Godke's Downdraft)
- Green Mountain Grill thin blue smoke pellet tube for additional smoke

Just by the process of how wood pellets are produced, they will never have the same flavor profile as actual hardwood. Someone can run their pellet grill on Smoke Mode, add a smoke tube, box or tray of pellets for extra smoke and it’ll still never produce the same flavor profile as actual hardwood. That’s a fact. It’s like comparing Apples to Oranges... They’re both fruit, but they’re just different. Is Pellet Smoke bad? No... Many people love and enjoy the flavor profile of good quality 100% wood type bbq pellets. Hickory and Mesquite pellets being the two that produces the strongest flavor profile available. I’ve tried just about everything possible to see if I could get my Pellet Grill to produce a level of smoke flavor profile like a true a Stick Burner... From producing more pellet smoke, to restricting the exhaust flow to hold in more smoke and also using 100% wood type bbq pellets. At the end of the day, I realized, I was going about it the wrong way. The only way to get true hardwood smoke is to burn true hardwood. Some will say, why not just go back to using a true stick burner... Well, because there are advantages to using and having a Pellet Grill. Is it possible to convert a pellet grill into a true hardwood stick burner? Yes... Is the process and effort for everyone? No, but those that miss that true hardwood stick burning flavor profile in their bbq cooks... It is possible. I would first suggest trying the best quality bbq pellets available, run smoke mode at the start of your cooks... Try the tubes, trays ect. and see if they’ll work for you... If they work out for You, great... but if your heart and stomach truly miss that true Hardwood Smoke Flavor Profile, give this some research, it just might be what you’re looking for. It’s like converting your pellet grill into a true offset stick burner, because it is. And note... I’m not trying to promote anything over another... It’s just good to see and know your options. Good luck.

Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Smoke Daddy Magnum P.I.G. Hot or Cold Smoke Generator | Works With Any Outside BBQ Grill | Electric Smoker Pellet Accessory | Add Your Favorite Blend of Wood Chunks or Chips to Customize Smoke Profile

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Smoke Daddy Magnum P.I.G. Hot or Cold Smoke Generator | Works With Any Outside BBQ Grill | Electric Smoker Pellet Accessory | Add Your Favorite Blend of Wood Chunks or Chips to Customize Smoke Profile at Amazon.com. Read honest and unbiased...

www.amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/review/reviews-lightbox//ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_img?ie=UTF8&asin=B00E683N92&tag=smokingmeatforums-20

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[chef jimmyj]

Just by the process of how wood pellets are produced, they will never have the same flavor profile as actual hardwood

Interesting. Can you give more detail here? It's my understanding that Pellets are made by heating Wood Dust to between 170 and 190°F. This softens a small amount of Lignin in the exposed wood cells then the pressure of putting the wood dust through the small die holds it together. Once the Lignin cools the Pellet firms and the pellet becomes stronger.
Does any part of this process effect a great deal of the wood or it's flavor components. I realize their are several but don't know if 190° would make a big impact. Thanks...JJ

 

[mike243]

Start spritzing your meat every 30 minutes, it will add more flavor

 

[chef jimmyj]

GOOD CALL! Keeping the meat moist allows more smoke to adhere. Now it's Really important to have Sweet TBS and that it keeps moving...JJ

 

[RCAlan]

Interesting. Can you give more detail here? It's my understanding that Pellets are made by heating Wood Dust to between 170 and 190°F. This softens a small amount of Lignin in the exposed wood cells then the pressure of putting the wood dust through the small die holds it together. Once the Lignin cools the Pellet firms and the pellet becomes stronger.
Does any part of this process effect a great deal of the wood or it's flavor components. I realize their are several but don't know if 190° would make a big impact. Thanks...JJ

Info on how Wood Pellets are produced...




https://www.pelheat.com/traeger_wood_pellets.html

And Info about Seasoned Hardwood...



All of the links above have great info... Just by the process of how wood pellets are produced, the end product is different from seasoned Hardwood.. Yes, they both will burn and smoke, but the flavor profile is different enough due to the process of how wood pellets are produced. Again, not saying Pellet Smoke is bad, I’m just saying that Seasoned Hardwood Smoke produces a flavor profile that is noticeably recognizable, with a traditional flavor profile when compared to wood pellets. Top quality Wood Pellets are good.... Kinda like a Ford or Chevy and Seasoned Hardwood to me is like having a Bentley... That might be a little much.. lol. But there is a noticeable difference...

Pellet Pro Austin XL and a few more mods... in SoCal and Always... Semper Fi

 

[flagriller]

Just a quick note; Walmart sells pit boss pellets that are actually natural charcoal, I mix 50/50
with pellets and that works well.

 

[texomakid]

Do you Babysit the Smoker for long periods? Lots of us get Nose Blind working with the smoker and smelling the smoke all day. Comes time to eat and you can barely taste any smoke on the meat. But, eat the leftovers a day are two later and the flavor is amazing...JJ

This is a real thing.

I haven't used my AMPS 12" tube in almost a year. I'm totally satisfied with the smoke aroma & flavor I get from my pellet cooker. I get a completely different flavor profile when using the WSM 22" cooker using charcoal & wood chunks (but it's more labor demanding.) I guess it's all about what one likes and maybe some just don't get enough "smoke" flavor from their pellet cookers. I couldn't be more pleased and the dozen or so folks who eat a lot of my cooks seem to agree. I asked others on numerous occasions if they smell & taste the smoke and they all say they do.

 

[JWFokker]

Run as low as possible for the first 2-3 hours, then raise the temp. And as others have mentioned, spritzing will also help.