Sour Tasting Pork

[devgnoll]

Hi all, newbie here. 3 smokes, all pork,  same issue: an underlying sour/acid  taste on the surface of the meats. 

I have changed the process and fuels but it's still there. 

I am using an OK Joe offset smoker, I have sealed up the joints, but not the  lids.

I am starting the fire with a chimney full of lump charcoal.  

First smoke was a undated pork lion out of the deep freeze, brined to thaw.  Fuel was selected from the wood pile, mostly maple, but for this first one I was not very carefull.  This fiirst smoke included a seasoning set per the smoker's insturctions (controlling heat  with both intake and outlet), followed into the smoke, controlling heat with intake only. 

Result: Deep smoke sour taste on the surface and. a glassy  coating on the inside of the smoke chamber.  Added a exhaust extension and got a Maverick at this point. 

Second was a Boston Butt.  Much more careful about fuel selection - no bark, and nothing that didn't look like maple to me. No brining, surface spices only. Very definite sour taste, at the surface and a little way into the meat.  The Maverick probes came out with a glassy coating where they were not in the meat.  The exhaust extension did not become glassy. 

Third was ribs. Fuel was charcoal, a mix of storebought  "Cowboy charcoal" and home made.  3hrs open, 2hrs in foil.  The sour was still there, but less)

Thoughts on what to try next?

 

[daveomak]

The coating is creosote....  a bitter, acrid, acid rain taste....    The meat surface should be dry, and a pellicle should have been formed before adding smoke....   The fire should be burned down to hot coals with a few thin splits added periodically for smoke flavor...  and add smoke for a few hours then hot coal heat to finish the cook or move to the oven to reduce the smoke flavor...

Too much smoke can have a bitter taste...   it all relative and personal preference....