Smoked Turkey in WSM 18.5" came out black! - Which seemed to rub off.. Burned spices or creosote?

[Fastrack]

Hey.

First time poster..

I've had a Masterbuilt electric smoker for over 10 years which I always used the cold smoker attachment to provide the smoke. I converted it to propane last fall, well last week it caught fire because of the grease build up.. We relighting the burner.. Overall bad idea !

Anyway.. I purchased a WSM 18.5" based on reviews. This is the second use - first time was chicken thighs and they turned out great. I used a water bowl and Royal Oak briquettes for that. Trying to average 210-225F with those.

I prepped the Turkey with dry brine (salt) in the fridge. I coated it with olive oil and the Simon & Garfunkel spice blend as per Meat Head just before putting it on the smoker. I DID not put the spice under the skin but on top - which is how I usually do it in the oven.

WSM 18.5":
- Turkey prepped with dry brine (salt) in the fridge, Olive Oil on skin with Simon & Garfunkel spice blend - On skin not under it.
- Small foil pan on lower rack with veggies as per Meat Head
- Water pan empty but wrapped in foil
- Lump Charcoal XYLO - Coffee can in the middle filled the basket
- Lump Charcoal XYLO - Filled the weber chimney starter 3/4 up. Let it burn until it was started - dumped in the middle where coffee can was.
- Thermoworks probe in the side port
- Temp averaged 290F to 325F on the Thermoworks - vents were open full blast entire time.
- Temp on lid gauge as a little higher

A few Apple wood chunks about 2"x2" every hour or so. I had to add unlit lump a few times through the process. Once the temp dropped to 290F

Cook time was just over 3hrs. We open the lid and find this!:

It did rub off - we suspect the spice mixed burned?!!? Or it is creosote? There is a thick black coating on the inside of the lid now - that feels like glass.

The turkey was VERY moist and tasty, but we are trying to prevent this in the future.. Looking for feedback!

Ben

 

[noboundaries]

Your adding apples chunks every hour or so caused the black skin.

All smoke is not good smoke. You want clean smoke which may be thin blue or completely invisible, but you can smell it with a whiff of your hand. When you add chunks during a smoke in a WSM, you are getting raw, dirty smoke.

If you want the cleanest tasting wood flavor from a WSM, bury your wood chunks (4 to 6) in the bottom of your cold load of charcoal. Then add the hot charcoal load to the top of your load. Chemically, the wood chunks will preheat and carbonize the bad smoke causing elements of the wood. Then be patient as your fire comes up to temp. Let the temp stabilize at your desired temp BEFORE adding the meat. If you do so, the next time you'll get a nice, reddish brown skin and a bird with GREAT flavor.

 

[tx smoker]

If you do so, the next time you'll get a nice, reddish brown skin and a bird with GREAT flavor.

Yep...exactly what he said. Great advice and well detailed response.

Robert

 

[Fastrack]

Thanks all makes perfect sense. I'll try this on my next smoke. Which is a pork shoulder. Planning to do a combo of Apple/Hickory. I'm going use the water bowl this time.

Since this will be a much longer smoke...

1) If I have to add wood how do you do it? Or would avoid it?
2) If I have to add Charcoal Briquettes do I pre-light them in the Weber Chimney?

Ben

 

[noboundaries]

1. Ben, you won't need to add wood if you put, say 6, fist sized chunks in the bottom of your charcoal pile. The chunks will do their stuff for the entire smoke. One whiff of your hand will prove it.

2. At the end of a smoke I personally crank up the temp. IF I need to add charcoal, I fire up the briquettes in the chimney, then use the access door as a charcoal chute. Wear gloves!

You can over load the charcoal basket by 2-3 inches above the rim for a long smoke.

Ray

 

[gmc2003]

I do it the same way noboundaries stated above. Except I don't use as much wood. Here's a shot of my first smoked turkey on the WSM.

Chris

 

[Fastrack]

1. Ben, you won't need to add wood if you put, say 6, fist sized chunks in the bottom of your charcoal pile. The chunks will do their stuff for the entire smoke. One whiff of your hand will prove it.

2. At the end of a smoke I personally crank up the temp. IF I need to add charcoal, I fire up the briquettes in the chimney, then use the access door as a charcoal chute. Wear gloves!

You can over load the charcoal basket by 2-3 inches above the rim for a long smoke.

Ray

Thanks. I ended up using this method on my Pork Shoulder @ 225F! 38F when I started. I lit 40 briquettes in the chimney and spread them over top.

After 9hrs I added 3/4 of a Chimney of lit briquettes.

Turned out great. Stalled as it has in the past with my Masterbuilt at 154F or so.. And again at 182F for 2hrs - down to 32F at that point and it was Midnight ... I took them out and finished them in the oven at 225F (wrapped in foil). 12hrs in the WSM. Another 3hrs in the oven at 250F.

On a separate day, I smoked some Back Ribs for the first time in the WSM (I didn't write down the exact timings). But they were in the smoker for approx. 5-6hrs @ 225F and finished them off in the oven (wrapped in foil) until 195F @ 250F. Best ones yet. The smoke ring is unbelievable compared to the electric Masterbuilt! I used some OAK chunks off my wood pile (freshly split about fist size) and some hickory from the store, probably 8 chunks total.

I do it the same way noboundaries stated above. Except I don't use as much wood. Here's a shot of my first smoked turkey on the WSM.

View attachment 440333

Chris

What did you season it with? My bro seems to still believe it was the herbs that burned. But I gotta agree with the posts here since as above these smokes have turned out great.

Up next gonna do another Pork Shoulder & Brisket at the same time - last brisket I did in the Masterbuilt was about 10 years ago and was like a piece of shoe leather.

Ben

 

[JWFokker]

It was the water pan with no water. You were burning up the drippings at a relatively high temp. That's vaporized grease on your bird.

 

[gmc2003]

What did you season it with? My bro seems to still believe it was the herbs that burned. But I gotta agree with the posts here since as above these smokes have turned out great.

Weber Garlic and herb is my favorite rub for poultry. I did cover the bird in aluminum foil when it reached the desired color. My water pan was dry and covered in aluminum foil with an air space between the pan and the aluminum.

Chris

 

[hawtsauc3]

im always amazed at the wood chunk suggestions. I have found on my 18.5" that more than 2 chunks of wood ends up completely overpowering on flavor.