First couple smokes....too much charcoal flavor.


 
F

FrankJC

New member
So, im new to smokers and smoking meats. I picked up a used 18" WSM. Tried it twice so far, and all i can taste is charcoal. First i cooked chicken quarters, second time was thick pork chops. Both times the meat was cooked nicely, but it seems the meat absorbed too much charcoal flavor. I used the same plain old Kingsford charcoal, that i have been using in my kettle grill, never had that problem before. All vents were open about half way. Not sure what the problem is but it did not taste good. Any suggestions?
 
Hi Frank. I'm not the expert that others are, so my feedback might be discounted but I will assume your smoke times were not extensive given that you did quarters and chops. So it prompts me to ask if you allowed your Kingsford to be well-lit with subtle smoke before adding your food.

I, too, use Kingsford but I've read where some folks have a more sensitive palate, so others may also offer recommendations on different charcoal.

Good luck!
 
I am one of those afflicted with the sensitive palate that BFletcher speaks of. I have found that if I put meat on the smoker while it still has white smoke it can impart very nasty flavors into the meat, especially if you are doing smaller cuts like chicken or pork chops. I like to let my smoker run for at least an hour or as long as it takes for the white smoke to dissipate. I only put meat on when I see a nice thin blue smoke.
 
Could be the extra sensitivity, and also remember the smoker is designed to cook through heat and smoke vs a kettle which is mostly all heat.

That is, by design a smoker is going to bring more of the smoke up to the food since it's farther from the heat source.

As Mark said, try some wood chunks. Pecan or cherry are good choices that cover most meat. I just buy Weber's bags from HD.

No need to soak, just tuck them into the briquettes. Check out Chris' extensive guides on this site for more detailed info.
 
Hi Frank, there is an amazing group here that love to help. I've learned a bunch from reading here.

Can I ask a little more about how you cooked the chicken and the pork chops? all the little details might help the crew here give suggestions.

like how did you start the coal?
what did the smoke look like coming out of the vents? billowy white? grey? blue? tan? brown?
what temp was the wsm when the meat was added?
water pan in or not? water in water pan? or no water?
you said vent's open half way, Is that the bottom vents ? was the top fully open? did the wsm temp stay stable?

Knowing a little more might help us give better suggestions.

Cheers !
 
They were both short cook times. The meat was cooked nicely. The taste of charcoal was just overwhelming. With the porkchops, I used my smoker box, with some apple chips in it, I put it on top of the coals. The smoke was whitish, maybe a little gray. I do not have a water pan, this was a used smoker that I found on Craigslist. Temp was roughly around 300. All vents were open about the same. Both times were experimental and I didn't expect perfect results... I don't want to destroy any expensive cuts of meat...
Thank you all for your advice.
 
Read some of the posts on smoking a pork butt, they are relatively cheap and forgiving, this is a very different animal from smoking on a kettle. It’s just a new technique to learn. It takes some time, don‘t get frustrated. I got lucky, found this place before I bought a smoker so, I was prepared for a hatful of disgusting failures. I applied what seemed like some pretty sound logic to a small pork loin and chicken thighs (both cheap) and the first cook was much better than expected. Subsequent forays were greeted by better support from members than I had ever thought possible. I had international help through my first butt smoke and he talked me off the ledge through the whole sleepless night. Since then, my friend, while always supportive, indeed has told me to put on my big boy pants and get in the game. First brisket was a headache of MY OWN worry, learn how the WSM works and let it do the job it’s designed for. Now, I do overnight cooks and, weather permitting, sleep through until morning.
it’s not hard at all once you get the feel for it.
My suggestion, get a couple of Butts and a terracotta plant saucer to set on the water pan brackets wrap it in two layers of foil and go for it.
I use a slightly different method than many here but, I’ve run my pork hole long enough. Ifyou want to know that method, PM me. Heading off on vacation and will have very limited connection so, if I don’t get back to anyone, don’t worry I’m just “Gone Grillin’”
 
There is a lot of variables when it comes to this. The members above asked pretty good questions that should help you right away.
I know Kingsford needs to be burning a while before you add your protein. It comes down to the smoke for me.....while I do not have a WSM I have a kettle and an E6. A lot of folks on here have the WSM and know what they are talking about. Thick white smoke can be a major factor...when I was new I had too much white smoke and the results are very poor.....I would describe the taste as bitter.....that would be my guess but I would try replying to the above questions and that should get you your answers.
 
Do you have anything between the charcoal and the food grates? If you don't have a water pan, you should have some type of deflector typically on the WSM. Not everyone uses a deflector, especially on a Hot and Fast cook but that is typically the designed setup.
 
FrankJC said:
They were both short cook times. The meat was cooked nicely. The taste of charcoal was just overwhelming. With the porkchops, I used my smoker box, with some apple chips in it, I put it on top of the coals. The smoke was whitish, maybe a little gray. I do not have a water pan, this was a used smoker that I found on Craigslist. Temp was roughly around 300. All vents were open about the same. Both times were experimental and I didn't expect perfect results... I don't want to destroy any expensive cuts of meat...
Thank you all for your advice.
Click to expand...
Generally on a WSM use chunks not chips and mix it in below the charcoal for slower cleaner smoke. Most of the time, smoke boxes are for using at grate level on non-smokers to add smoke. I am not a fan of too much smoke on my chicken I discovered. When I cook or put chicken on the smoker I use maybe one piece of a fruit wood only or non at all.
 
Peach works well for chicken. I've found that even apple can be too overpowering if you use too much.

The flavor should come from the wood and not from the charcoal but if it's too bitter I suspect you have too much white smoke. Kingsford has a definite chemical order when lit and ideally you let that burn off. I would open the top vent full open to promote airflow.

Provide details exactly how you lite the WSM and how much charcoal you used. How long was the cook. I had a similar problem with pork tenderloin. I smoked it for too long at to low of a temperature.
 
Too much smoke will make make the food bitter and acrid. I error on the side of too little smoke as Mary and I prefer it that way. Sometimes I do not add any wood, especially when grilling with JD.
 
I stopped using Kingsford and now I have the opposite problem, my wife thinks there isn't enough charcoal flavor. :ROFLMAO: We will figure it out.
 
There is a person on this forum that mixes his different charcoals together, he might have our answer with that genius idea.(y)
 
I'm not familiar with these brands of charcoal.
I use local lump and quite often they provide enough smoke flavour (mopani)
 
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