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Another newbie smoking thread: heat vs. "good" smoke
Posted on 6/5/17 at 10:26 am
Posted on 6/5/17 at 10:26 am
I've got a couple questions about keeping constant heat vs. "good" smoke. From what I've been reading, you really want a clean, almost clear-blue smoke. Videos I've watched show people controlling this more through how they add "fuel" to the fire. Choking the vents down to stop the temp from climbing too much causes the fire to smolder more and produces the thick white smoke which can be overpowering.
I guess my question is how does this work when you are doing the snake method, or cooking in a kamado? Your fuel is pretty much added from the get go and you control the burn through ventilation. In addition, does anyone have a really good method for offset smokers? I'm in a small, cheap one right now and it takes a good bit of attention to keep temperature. Which means choking back with vents and getting a lot of white smoke. I feel I'm using too much smoke on the last few cooks.
Obviously it looks easy enough when you are watching a guy burning logs in his huge, heavy gauge steel smoker that hold temperature well. But I obviously don't have that luxury.
I guess my question is how does this work when you are doing the snake method, or cooking in a kamado? Your fuel is pretty much added from the get go and you control the burn through ventilation. In addition, does anyone have a really good method for offset smokers? I'm in a small, cheap one right now and it takes a good bit of attention to keep temperature. Which means choking back with vents and getting a lot of white smoke. I feel I'm using too much smoke on the last few cooks.
Obviously it looks easy enough when you are watching a guy burning logs in his huge, heavy gauge steel smoker that hold temperature well. But I obviously don't have that luxury.
This post was edited on 6/5/17 at 9:13 pm
5
Posted on 6/5/17 at 10:50 am to KG6
Depends on the cooker. In a kamado you get your target temp and wait for the fire to stabilize. Then add your food. No need to really adjust as it should hold constant. Maybe some minor adjustments, but not so drastic that the fire will smolder. That only happens if you bow way past your target temp. With practice, you barely need to make any adjustments. For a kamado, bring it up slowly. Make sure you have coals lit, then restrict airflow and slowly come up to your temp until you really know your vent settings.
In a stick burner, you are going to have more temperature fluctuations, but it's not too bad. It takes more practice and more effort to control temp because the temperature is more controlled by the amount of fuel than just airflow. You need to add splits on big offsets every hour or so to maintain temps. It takes a while to really learn the quirks of emperature control on those big offsets.
Honestly, it is just going to be tough. These cheap small offsets are thin metal, not well sealed and the fire box is not insulated, so temp control is always going be an issue. They are finicky and take a lot of babysitting.
In a stick burner, you are going to have more temperature fluctuations, but it's not too bad. It takes more practice and more effort to control temp because the temperature is more controlled by the amount of fuel than just airflow. You need to add splits on big offsets every hour or so to maintain temps. It takes a while to really learn the quirks of emperature control on those big offsets.
quote:
I'm in a small, cheap one right now and it takes a good bit of attention to keep temperature.
Honestly, it is just going to be tough. These cheap small offsets are thin metal, not well sealed and the fire box is not insulated, so temp control is always going be an issue. They are finicky and take a lot of babysitting.
This post was edited on 6/5/17 at 10:58 am
Posted on 6/5/17 at 12:32 pm to NOFOX
Yep, that's why offsets are a pain in the arse, even the good ones take work to learn and use.
Ceramics and Weber Smokey Mountains, you can get something called a heatermeter. It's basically a raspberry pi controlled fan. It will keep temps perfect without any work. It will be almost electric like.
Ceramics and Weber Smokey Mountains, you can get something called a heatermeter. It's basically a raspberry pi controlled fan. It will keep temps perfect without any work. It will be almost electric like.
This post was edited on 6/5/17 at 12:33 pm
Posted on 6/5/17 at 1:02 pm to KG6
I can't provide any useful info on this topic...but I did my first smoke this weekend and I enjoyed it so much that I can't stop researching and reading threads about it. Best of luck 
Posted on 6/5/17 at 9:02 pm to KG6
It's a smoking thread and I can nearly always offer advice but when I read...
then I can't help you. No experience with either one. But your quest for knowledge will someday make you a badass bbq chef...unless your memory is just shite.
Good luck!
quote:
snake method, or cooking in a kamado?
then I can't help you. No experience with either one. But your quest for knowledge will someday make you a badass bbq chef...unless your memory is just shite.
Good luck!
Posted on 6/5/17 at 9:11 pm to GeauxTigers0107
I'm not using the snake method or a kamado now. This summer is an experience with a cheap grill to see what I like. Then I'll buy according to what I think fits my cooking habits. It's just that with those two methods (kamado and snake), it appears that restricting oxygen is what controls temperature. But at the same time, that very thing produces the thicker smoke that's not preferred.
Whereas on a bigger offset, you can control the amount of fuel. Let the wood burn cleanly and get that "thin blue" smoke. But restrict the amount of wood thats burning to control heat. Seems like it would take time to learn and would be very difficult in a cheaper smoker like I have. So I was interested how it was done in other types of grills to see if I can transfer some techniques.
Whereas on a bigger offset, you can control the amount of fuel. Let the wood burn cleanly and get that "thin blue" smoke. But restrict the amount of wood thats burning to control heat. Seems like it would take time to learn and would be very difficult in a cheaper smoker like I have. So I was interested how it was done in other types of grills to see if I can transfer some techniques.
Posted on 6/5/17 at 9:41 pm to KG6
quote:
Choking the vents down to stop the temp from climbing too much causes the fire to smolder more and produces the thick white smoke which can be overpowering.
Yes, that is how you "creosote" meat
quote:
show people controlling this more through how they add "fuel" to the fire.
Correct method
quote:
Your fuel is pretty much added from the get go and you control the burn through ventilation
Not exactly, the coals just take time to ignite each other which ensures only so many are lit at one time, this is why you limit the contact area.
quote:
does anyone have a really good method for offset smokers?
Don't add more fuel than needed to reach desired temp, if you must choke something back ]NEVER let it be the exhaust , easier said than done sometimes if using large chunks of wood in a poorly sealed or lightweight smoker.
Lots of folks shared this with you in your previous thread
Posted on 6/5/17 at 9:48 pm to KG6
Ahhhh...I understand now. This is the whole key.....
I've got 4 pits and the thinnest one is a stainless pit made out of crimped insulation metal (think aluminum facia). And I can and have smoked in it before. Drop coals in it and put my divider in (I built it out of the bottom of a turkey roasting pan). I just laid out a template with cardboard so it fits flush under the grate then straight down around the edges of the charcoal tray. Light the coals, get them hot, put the divider in then put the meat on the other side of the pit (indirect heat). Right before I put the meat on I drop a few chunks of whatever flavor wood I want for that cook and that's it.
I pay attention to wind direction a lot with this pit. I want the breeze coming into the side of the pit that the coals are on so it blows the heat across the meat. When my smoke is burning nice and clean I put the meat on.
This is my big offset.....
It's obviously WAY different than the pit I just described. I've learned with this pit that using logs works better than chunks. I've got both vents figured where I can maintain 250 all day. Wind direction is a factor here as well. But when my temps start to drop I know that I can open the firebox, drop two logs and close it then and my smoke quality maintains. It all comes down to trial and error and learning your pit. I can't necessarily advise you without never having cooked on your pit.
I would say don't run yourself crazy trying to manage your smoke and focus more on managing your heat. The first two hours of smoking is when your meat will take the most smoke so if you run that time clean enough at the right temp you'll never have a problem.
quote:your pit. Doesn't matter if it's a cheap, thin-metalled smoker of a heavy duty one. Learn how to manage the pit. A thinner will obviously not hold heat as well so you'll burn more fuel (wood/charcoal) to maintain temp. Weather will affect it more too.
take time to learn
I've got 4 pits and the thinnest one is a stainless pit made out of crimped insulation metal (think aluminum facia). And I can and have smoked in it before. Drop coals in it and put my divider in (I built it out of the bottom of a turkey roasting pan). I just laid out a template with cardboard so it fits flush under the grate then straight down around the edges of the charcoal tray. Light the coals, get them hot, put the divider in then put the meat on the other side of the pit (indirect heat). Right before I put the meat on I drop a few chunks of whatever flavor wood I want for that cook and that's it.
I pay attention to wind direction a lot with this pit. I want the breeze coming into the side of the pit that the coals are on so it blows the heat across the meat. When my smoke is burning nice and clean I put the meat on.
This is my big offset.....
It's obviously WAY different than the pit I just described. I've learned with this pit that using logs works better than chunks. I've got both vents figured where I can maintain 250 all day. Wind direction is a factor here as well. But when my temps start to drop I know that I can open the firebox, drop two logs and close it then and my smoke quality maintains. It all comes down to trial and error and learning your pit. I can't necessarily advise you without never having cooked on your pit.
I would say don't run yourself crazy trying to manage your smoke and focus more on managing your heat. The first two hours of smoking is when your meat will take the most smoke so if you run that time clean enough at the right temp you'll never have a problem.
Posted on 6/6/17 at 7:11 am to cave canem
quote:
Not exactly, the coals just take time to ignite each other which ensures only so many are lit at one time, this is why you limit the contact area.
I understand this, but I would also assume that if you left all vents wide open, they'd burn much hotter and faster. I can see in the snake method that you set up the coals in a way to control contact area, but in others, it looks like it's just all thrown in there. Would seem like you come across similar issues (choked back fire) at times.
As GeauxTigers0107 is saying, I guess it will just take time. I'll probably just burn some wood this weekend when I'm bored to see if I can figure it out more. Also going to focus more on the heat than the smoke for now. And maybe cut back on the smoke to only half of the cook since it's been a bit overpowering.
quote:
Lots of folks shared this with you in your previous thread
I never had a previous thread.
Posted on 6/6/17 at 7:30 am to KG6
quote:
I never had a previous thread.
My mistake
quote:
I'll probably just burn some wood this weekend when I'm bored to see if I can figure it out more.
I would strongly recommend picking up a good thermometer and learn to keep it in the º225 range without having to choke it back too much, once you can do that you are set.
FYI don't practice on an empty smoker, at least put a pan of water on it to act as a heat sink just as a large chunk of meat would otherwise you are going to end up around º175 or so when actually cooking and fight temps all over again
I dont put a water pan on smokers when cooking like some folks but they do an excellent job regulating temps, pretty hard to heat the pan over º212F and that gets you close to where you want to be.
Water pans do nothing to increase moisture content in meat, that is an old wives tale.
just practice on whole chickens, they are cheap enough and pretty good once you figure it out, plenty of beer also required.
Posted on 6/6/17 at 8:30 am to KG6
#1 is use good quality woods when smoking. I am not a fan of green wood when smoking
#2 you need the wood to actually burn and not just smolder if that makes sense to get the good clean smoke you hear people talk about.
The issue with #2 is you have to learn your pit and know how to manage your temps. Its a lot of trail and error until you get the hang of it.
I am not a fan of the snake method using Kingsford type coal, a true lump coal used in BGE type cookers is acceptable.
#2 you need the wood to actually burn and not just smolder if that makes sense to get the good clean smoke you hear people talk about.
The issue with #2 is you have to learn your pit and know how to manage your temps. Its a lot of trail and error until you get the hang of it.
I am not a fan of the snake method using Kingsford type coal, a true lump coal used in BGE type cookers is acceptable.
Posted on 6/6/17 at 9:14 am to TexasTiger
quote:
#2 you need the wood to actually burn and not just smolder
Conversation with my uncle one time regarding soaking his wood chips:
Me: Why are soaking the wood chips?
Unc: So they will put off more smoke and last longer.
Me: You do know that you need the wood to actually BURN for them to put off that smoke you so desire right?
Unc: Well yeah.
Me: So what effect does water have on burning wood?
Unc: Uhh.............I see what you mean.
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