Smoking Help...

[nickecarter]

Its been awhile since i've been able to smoke anything... I've been working 70+ hours a week and this is my 1st weekend off in awhile.

So I have a Boston Butt and a Ham for the weekend to smoke....

Question thou....

I use Kingsford Coal... I soak my hickory chunks in water over night... But after an hour or so after the cooking starts... My chunks end up on fire and it makes my temps go crazy... I also found my self digging the wood out throwing it in the water and using another piece for till that catches on fire then change back.

So, questions is.... Is this normal? If it isn't how can I correct it?

 

[rivet]

Yes, it is normal. Wood burns.

You can correct the temperature spikes with several techniques.

Start with a smaller fire with less charcoal. Add less chunks- one or two are plenty and put them at the outer edges not even touching the coals. They will begin to smoke after they lose their water into steam. You really don't need to soak your chunks. There's a big "must soak" crowd out there, but it just delays the woods combustion process which is what you want to happen -SLOWLY- in order to provide smoke.

Eventually the wood will catch fire and begin to burn, but that's why you have started with a smaller fire and less wood chunks so when that happens your temps won't "go crazy".

Always leave your exhaust wide open the whole time. You can regulate the amount of oxygen your fuel gets to burn with your inlet damper. Whatever you do do not choke it down all the way shut. Just close it a bit. Shutting it down causes that thick white nasty smoke which means incomplete burning and lots of creosote being built up on your food.

Give it a try, you'll surprise yourself. Good smoke to you bud!

 

[irishteabear]

Are you putting the wood on the coals? If you are, try moving it to the side, there's less chance of it catching fire that way. You don't need the wood to burn to produce smoke, smouldering will also produce smoke. You want the smoke to be barely noticeable, just enough that you can smell it.

 

[mballi3011]

What she said just move the coals to the edge. And maybe don't put so many coals on either

 

[richoso1]

Excellent advise from John. Points to you John for being so helpful.

 

[tasunkawitko]

combine RIVET'S and IRISHTEABEAR'S advice, and that should take care of your problems!

when first putting chunks on, i do as ITB advises, putting them to the side to pre-warm up to combustion tempearture, then when they take off a little, i can push them into the coals or, jsut as easily, leave them where they are.

as rivet says, wood burns, therefore, i've found it helpful not so much to ahve one bug chunk in, but two or three smaller ones that equate the same amount of wood. this way, a little flicker of flame can play back and forth and it seems to me keep the nasty particulates from forming, but the smell coming out the chimney (which is ALWAYS wide open) is wonderful ~ as long as you smell it, it's getting into your meat!

 

[lennyluminum]

all great advice!! I use a gas smoker now but when I first started I had a offset charcoal smoker. I always had the same problems as you with the wood flaming up and the big temp spikes.

You can try putting the wood in a large soup can and put that on the coals this will heat up the can and make the wood smolder real nice. Kinda like this put with charcoal not gas.
http://smokingmeatforums.com/forums/...t=51119&page=2

also i liked to set the extra wood on top of the fire box on the outside of the smoker to keep it warm so when I add wood to the smoker it doesn't take as long to start smoking.

 

[dropastone]

That all sounds like great advice. I'm gonna those methods out on my next smoke.