TBS went away after the ribs went on - WSM

[kettlesmoker]

Welp, currently soaking my ribs in thick white smoke it looks like. Had TBS before I put them on but it went away and hasn't come back.

About 70 and sunny here. Filled up the charcoal basket with ab 3/4 bag of ROR, left a hole in the center and dropped 8 lit coals in it. A large chunk of hickory on the lit coals and smaller pecan chunks around it on the unlit. Not soaked. Water bowl is about 1/2 full

Bottom vents all open a sliver and temp is 235-245

Any idea what's going on?

 

[Geebs]

Did you let the grill get up to temp before putting them on? I know sometimes when I open the lid all that oxygen can get the coals going again and will have white smoke for a bit. I always let mine sit for about 45 min before throwing my meat on. Could also be the wood chunk catching fire.

 

[kettlesmoker]

I let it arrive to temp, but definitely didn't let it sit there for long after. TBS just came back, but they got a solid 20-30 of thick stuff

 

[Geebs]

I found that when I wasnt waiting that long to just let the grill sit at my range temp, I would throw the meat on and like you, I would start to see thick white smoke that would go back to TBS after awhile. For me, I now wait 45 min to an hour before throwing my meat on.

 

[kettlesmoker]

Thanks for the advice - first cook on this bad boy. I'll make a not of that in my log and try it next time. The way this went, it seems like a fix

 

[Geebs]

It took me about 4-5 smokes on my WSM before I finally got the hang of it it. I love mine and have had it for a few years now. Just my preference, but I dont put anything in the water pan, I just foil it for easy cleaning. I also bought a second charcoal grate so that I could have the grates going both ways, making a small square patter, it keeps the small charcoal from falling through. Good luck on the smoke!

 

[tbrtt1]

Could be steam and or coals “stabilizing”. With charcoal I find if I start with a larger amount of lift calls that they will settle down and produce very thin or invisible smoke as they calm down as opposed to a small amount of lit coals.

Now, I do use a temp controller with a blower on my drum smoker so the behavior may be totally different.

If that heavy smoke smells really pungent then it probably is nasty smoke.

 

[gmc2003]

Kettlesmoker, you wrote that you put the chunk of hickory on the lit coals. If you did, what you initially saw was the hickory starting to smolder - thus thin blue smoke. Then the chunk probably caught fire and you saw the white billowing smoke. Once the fire went out your back to the thin blue smoke. Next time don't place the wood directly on the lit coals. Place them off to side and bury them in the coals. I think you'll see better results. As for starting the WSM I do basically the same thing you did. If I'm shooting for 250* then I'll let my smoker get to 260* and then close two of the bottom vents completely, and the third about half open. I'll see where the smoker settles - usually takes about 15min. Then I'll make any adjustments needed to achieve 250. Once settled I put the meat on and check in another 15 min. or so. Make any necessary adjustments. Hope your ribs turn out good. Let us know and show some pics.

Chirs

 

[noboundaries]

That white smoke is from the wood chunks, not the charcoal. Cold charcoal can give you "faker" blue smoke, then when the wood starts smoldering, white, white, white.

If I'm in a hurry, I'll bury the wood in the charcoal further out from the center where I load the 8-10 hot briquettes on top of the pile. By doing so, the wood has a chance to pre-heat and carbonize. That's the reason Dirtsailor's propane torch "sidelight" method for the WSM avoids white smoke. The charcoal burns from the side into the pile, pre-heating and carbonizing the wood.

It isn't unusual for me to wait 90 minutes for the smoke to show hints of blue, especially if I'm using big chunks of wood.

 

[Geebs]

Great info Chris and No Boundries!

 

[smokinbill1638]

When I started with my WSM, I would put a piece of wood under or on top of my starting coals that I dumped in removable coffee can. Temps would spike, wood caught on fire. I would have to wait for smoke to clear and temps to come down. I now put wood in coals near start point but not on or under. Lesson learned for me.

 

[kettlesmoker]

That white smoke is from the wood chunks, not the charcoal. Cold charcoal can give you "faker" blue smoke, then when the wood starts smoldering, white, white, white.

If I'm in a hurry, I'll bury the wood in the charcoal further out from the center where I load the 8-10 hot briquettes on top of the pile. By doing so, the wood has a chance to pre-heat and carbonize. That's the reason Dirtsailor's propane torch "sidelight" method for the WSM avoids white smoke. The charcoal burns from the side into the pile, pre-heating and carbonizing the wood.

It isn't unusual for me to wait 90 minutes for the smoke to show hints of blue, especially if I'm using big chunks of wood.

This is what I needed. My first smoke not being on a kettle, this definitely needs the time to get going

 

[SmokinAl]

Your going to get some thick white smoke from time to time no matter how you start your fire.
Most of the time it won't matter. Ten or fifteen minutes of white smoke is not going to ruin your meat.
Al