white smoke

[blacknbluedog]

I'm smoking a butt today and getting white smoke. Is this bad? I have a electric ecb. Using soaked hickory chips in foil pouches. I drain the chips at least 30 minutes before using. Seems like I had white smoke the last time I used this also.
Thanks
Brian

 

[flash]

I get white smoke early in my smokes with Charcoal. Then it disappears. If it continues well into the smoke, maybe too many chips. You want a thin blueish smoke, but if it thin white, that can't be too bad either.

 

[blacknbluedog]

I've been getting white smoke all the way through. I just hit 165 so I foiled it and won't be adding more chips. If I can I will add pics to this post. By the way Merry Christmas to all.
Thanks
Brian

 

[linescum]

i am not familiar with the elec ecb but when i have large amounts of white smoke it will settle down to a tbs

 

[flyin'illini]

BNBD, In my limited experience with elec ECB. (6 or 8 butts) I have found I get the white smoke when I was using soaked chunks rather than now when I go with chunks that are not soaked. I have found it changes to TBS soon enough. I am always more concerned with temp regulation with my varied outdoor ambient temps than anything else. (Need one of those mods for temp control installed)

Someone with more experience will be along shortly I am sure...

 

[ds7662]

Like Flash said I usually get white smoke when everything is just getting started and then for a couple of minutes after putting more wood on. Everthing thin changes from a thin white to a thin blue smoke.
Should be ok as long as it is not billowing white smoke in huge clouds.
Other than that I am not familiar with the elec. ECB. Just the charcoal ones.

 

[richtee]

Try not soaking your chips. Being in HI they might not need it. The moisture content is probably OK there.The smoke should settle to thin blue within 15 or so min. usually.

 

[blacknbluedog]

 

[bbq bubba]

Look's good, please make pic's smaller, dial-up user's are gonna crash on those!!

 

[blacknbluedog]

Sorry I don't know why but the pics did not post right and I couldn't caption it. First pic is at 165 before foiling and next is at 205. I think I went too long. It was dry. There was no creosote or bitterness but also smoke flavor was not strong enough. Next time I'll stop at 195? Live and learn. And eat
Brian

 

[brentman0110]

I have experienced thi as well with my ecb. What I have surmised is that since this unit does not have a temp control, it usually gets to about 250F. At this temp, the water in the pan boils and creates smoke vapor that I confused as too much wood smoke. But, when I removed the body and checked the wood chunk, it was giving off a tbs as it should. Maybe this is what you are experiencing. Anyone else with an ecb care to comment?

 

[brentman0110]

Hey everybody, sorry to bump my own response, but I was just wondering if anyone had experienced this issue as well.

Thanks!

 

[bbq bubba]

Brent, put sand in the water pan and that problem will go away!!

 

[brentman0110]

Will that also increase the heat? Seems as though it would...

If it does, than that is even better for items like chicken...

 

[bbq bubba]

I have noticed the heat run's a little higher with the sand but the idea is the heat you HOLD when opening the top, act's as a heat sink and regulate's the temp's more evenly.
Also nice not to have to add water or clean up that nasty water bowl!!

 

[flyin'illini]

I will try this as I do not like dealing with water as you mention. In MI we need this extra heat now anyways. I need a windbreak and thinking how to create a portable one over the holiday break. (either this or find a way to wrap the ECB without creating a fire hazard)

 

[fatback joe]

Definitely don't have a need down here, but have heard of a lot of folks having good success in wrapping in a welding blanket.......just a thought.

 

[flash]

The FujiFinePix takes a mean photo, but really too big. In photobucket you can resize your uploads. Usually 800 x 600 pixels is enough. Selection OPTIONS as you get ready to upload. You can also resize an image already uploaded. In your album, locate the photo and above its thumbnail is EDIT. Choose a smaller size and upload. You will get a new URL that you can use to replace the one on this thread.

 

[flash]

Well, the water steam is very little, hardly noticable, so I am not sure about this. I mentioned I have white smoke with my Charcoal ECB at the start of smoking, then adding some new charcoal later into a long smoke. With the starting of the cook, I don't even have wood in the pan. Also, alot of times, I don't even use water, put Playbox sand instead. So no steam there. No lighter fluid either, so not sure where the white smoke is coming from

 

[richtee]

Incomplete combustion of the wood. Bad thing. Look up "preburning" here.