What I see on TV ... what I taste in my kitchen.

[hallertau]

So, its been awhile since i have done a butt or brisket. Have done chicken here or there and some jalapenos and a kick ass turkey breast. I use a Weber Smokey Mountain. My question is, I have had issues in the past with all my food tasting like astringent (the skin portions) due to too much creosote. My question is, every cooking show I see about every famous or delicious BBQ they show a smoker with clouds of bilowy smoke. They cut to the brisket/butt/etc and folks chomping on the skin with hoots and hollerin' about just how delicious they are.

Now are they not having issues with creosote because the smokers are just so much bigger than a WSM? I have yet to enjoy a skin from anything I have smoked, even a few hours with the thin blue smoke (if any at all) produces off tastes.

Am I just being dupped by clever editting (cause who wants to she a smoke free BBQ, right) or is there some science behind it?

 

[s2k9k]

I don't think anyone will say it tastes bad with a camera in their face and if they do then it will just get edited.

What kind of wood are you using?

 

[hallertau]

Small chunks of hickory or mesquite, 3 - 4 half fist sized pieces every 3-4 hours

 

[jsdspif]

I've been dying to post this story so I will now . As for what's on tv , I wouldn't put too much clout in it , especially if it's an infomercial . I'd say use maybe smaller pieces and not as often ??? I have a MES 30" so I'm afraid I'm not much help . Sometimes I think there are people who just don't know what good food is or isn't . Which brings me to this story .

  I went over to a guys house and his girlfriend was there and she said he was going to grill a steak and the guy said he had a big tbone steak . She said he grills the best steak . So he puts charcoal in the grill and dumps a lot of lighter fluid on it and lights it . Then he says bring me the steak . So she brings out the steak and it is frozen solid . It looked as though it was packed in dry ice , so it was really frozen . He proceeds to throw it on the grill about 20 seconds after he lit the charcoal and there is still a ball of flame from the burning fluid . Then we go inside and a few minutes later he told her to check the charcoal and she came back and said the fire was almost out , so he grabbed the fluid and with a big smile said he'll get it going again , so he went out and just started squirting fluid all over the steak and inside and outside of the grill , and I took off running because I thought it was going to explode and he and his girl were laughing and she looked at me and said , he really does grill the best steak .

    So that's an example of not knowing the food you're eating is not good .

 

[jarjarchef]

I've been dying to post this story so I will now . As for what's on tv , I wouldn't put too much clout in it , especially if it's an infomercial . I'd say use maybe smaller pieces and not as often ??? I have a MES 30" so I'm afraid I'm not much help . Sometimes I think there are people who just don't know what good food is or isn't . Which brings me to this story .

  I went over to a guys house and his girlfriend was there and she said he was going to grill a steak and the guy said he had a big tbone steak . She said he grills the best steak . So he puts charcoal in the grill and dumps a lot of lighter fluid on it and lights it . Then he says bring me the steak . So she brings out the steak and it is frozen solid . It looked as though it was packed in dry ice , so it was really frozen . He proceeds to throw it on the grill about 20 seconds after he lit the charcoal and there is still a ball of flame from the burning fluid . Then we go inside and a few minutes later he told her to check the charcoal and she came back and said the fire was almost out , so he grabbed the fluid and with a big smile said he'll get it going again , so he went out and just started squirting fluid all over the steak and inside and outside of the grill , and I took off running because I thought it was going to explode and he and his girl were laughing and she looked at me and said , he really does grill the best steak .

    So that's an example of not knowing the food you're eating is not good .

OMG that is horrible!!!!! But I feel ya have had similar experiances. Most like to cook the steak to like shoe leather.

As for what you see on tv. They have food stylist and all kinds of people to make it "pretty". I always ask them "since you make it pretty, can you make it tasty too?" Very often I get a blank stare. If you make a great quality product, the looks will come if that is what you want.

Try smaller pieces or you could put chips in a smoke box on the coals. That will help.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Hickory and especially Mesquite produces some Very Powerful Smoke...You may find other Hard woods or Fruit woods more to your liking. Maple, Pecan, Alder or Oak and Apple, Cherry or Peach are great mild choices...As far as Billowing White Smoke...Looks way better on TV then the barely there TBS that the Real Pitmasters are going for...JJ

 

[dragonmaster194]

Amen to that, I think that a lot of people have no idea what good tasty food is like until they find out from a true grillmaster!  Steve

 

[s2k9k]

I've been dying to post this story so I will now . As for what's on tv , I wouldn't put too much clout in it , especially if it's an infomercial . I'd say use maybe smaller pieces and not as often ??? I have a MES 30" so I'm afraid I'm not much help . Sometimes I think there are people who just don't know what good food is or isn't . Which brings me to this story .

  I went over to a guys house and his girlfriend was there and she said he was going to grill a steak and the guy said he had a big tbone steak . She said he grills the best steak . So he puts charcoal in the grill and dumps a lot of lighter fluid on it and lights it . Then he says bring me the steak . So she brings out the steak and it is frozen solid . It looked as though it was packed in dry ice , so it was really frozen . He proceeds to throw it on the grill about 20 seconds after he lit the charcoal and there is still a ball of flame from the burning fluid . Then we go inside and a few minutes later he told her to check the charcoal and she came back and said the fire was almost out , so he grabbed the fluid and with a big smile said he'll get it going again , so he went out and just started squirting fluid all over the steak and inside and outside of the grill , and I took off running because I thought it was going to explode and he and his girl were laughing and she looked at me and said , he really does grill the best steak .

    So that's an example of not knowing the food you're eating is not good .

Now that's a fire!

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Less is more!!! :biggrin:

Cut back on the chunks, try apple chunks for chicken and a mixture of apple/hickory chunks for butt/brisket.
Pre-heating the bone dry chunks will help them burn cleaner, milder and 'bluer'.

HTH

~Martin

 

[hitechredneck]

I agree, smaller chunks and a different wood will probably help you.  You definitely don't want thick, white, billowy smoke anywhere near your Q!  

We've all had the smoke indigestion from this at one time or another btw... :)

 

[hallertau]

Thanks for all the replies! I apprecaite the info!