Smoking Wood is burning black smoke

[ImTotallyNotAFreeganVegan]

Hello fellow 'smokers',

I'm struggling with keeping temperatures between 250-300 F without causing black smoke from the wood burning. I have a 'Old Smokey' bbq that I set up with water pans, snake method charcoal and all sorts of tricks. Yet still find it difficult to maintain low temp with clean burning wood. Any suggestions/tips? (I'd appreciate anything at this point, having ruined 2 short ribs from a sour and disgusting taste on the bark of the ribs)

 

[mike243]

exhaust stack wide open and maybe cut back on the wood amount? what type of wood?

 

[daveomak]

Try adding an upper air inlet....

 

[chopsaw]

Are you talking about the Old Smokey that looks like 2 wash tubs ? The charcoal grate is solid like a pizza pan with holes in it ?
If so , I have never used one but like the idea of them . I have seen guys buy a smaller regular wire charcoal grate . Add mounting lugs under the stock charcoal grate to hold the wire one . They build the fire on the smaller wire grate and the stock one becomes a diffuser . I've always thought the air flow would be poor in the stock set up , but like I said I never used one .

 

[Murray]

Black smoke usually indicates a contaminated fuel source. A forest fire is thick white smoke, a dump fire can be black depending whats burning. Any chance your fuel has been contaminated?