New Smokin-It #3 Too much smoke

[brnzbk]

I did my first smoke this afternoon, one rack of ribs and 4 oz. of hickory wood which apparently is too much wood for one rack of ribs.

The ribs were moist and flavorful but to smokey for my taste, I guess it is a learning curve and I am at the bottom.

Anyway I set the smoker at 225 and smoked for 4.5 hours, the rib rack was huge, probably the largest pork ribs I have ever seen very fatty and a lot of meat.

We were trying out a new rub and that's the reason I only did one rack, perhaps two would have had a different outcome.

I have been using a Traeger Lil' Texan for the last 7 years and really didn't have to think about the volume of wood, any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[themule69]

It is all a learning curve. Learn your smoker and all will be good. In about any smoker the volume of the smoker is the factor not the amount of meat. It would have probably been the same with 2 racks or 3.

Happy smoken.

david

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Yeah, a Smokin-It definitely doesn't require much wood!!!!!!! :biggrin:
This issue has been discussed a lot on the Smokin-It forum.




~Martin

 

[tbrtt1]

You said 4 oz of hickory? What brand of wood or where did the wood come from?

I have a #2 and have some suggestions and observations:

1-Check out some of my threads about my experiences with wood and smoke. Click on my name and it should allow you to see treads I've started. You may need to take precautions against scorching and combustion of your wood. Don't soak your wood as an attempt to rectify this. You will mainly get steam until the wood dries out.

2-The Smokin-It website has a forum as well that has some info.

3-The type of wood is very important. The fruit woods are considered milder and the hardwoods (hickory and mesquite among those) impart a heavier smoke flavor. Try some apple and or cherry. Peach is fabulous. Hickory can be strong.

4-The brand of wood makes a difference. Fruitawood is a popular choice. Check em out. If you used the hickory dowels that were sent with the smoker then it is easy to get too much smoke. I personally did not care for the dowels and I like a lot of smoke.

5-The amount of wood is critical. And as mule said, smokiness is not proportional to the amount of meat in the smoker. Once you get a level of wood that works, it will work relatively the same no matter the amount of meat.

6-Consider a secondary smoke generator, such as the AMNPS, is lieu of the smoker box. I wouldn't smoke without one.

 

[padronman]

I use no more than 2 oz in my smoking-it #2.  Cut down on the wood and you will see a difference.

 

[superdave]

I've only eaten food off of someone else's Traeger and found it to be very light of smoke so maybe that is a taste that you have just become real accustom to?  But that's the beauty of smoking your own food, smoked to your specifications.