# Help!  Chicken had bad smoke taste



## jeffed76

I had a smoking fail!  The chicken came out with a nasty smoke flavor.  Could it be that I put the chicken on to early?  How long does it usually take to get your fire established?  I have a brinkman offset smoker.  If you have any ideas please share!


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## seenred

Hi Jeffed.

Can you give us a little more information?  There are a number of variables that would affect the correct answer to your issue: 

Was the taste of the chicken very bitter with a bitter aftertaste, or did it simply taste burned or overcooked?  What was the temperature in your smoker when you put the chicken in?  Did you maintain a fairly constant cook temp?  What were you using for fuel?  What kind of wood were you smoking with?  How long was the chicken in the smoker, and what internal temp was the meat when you took it off? 

The more info you can provide, the better the chances are that we can provide you with accurated advice.

Red


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## buttburner

What did your smoke (color ) look Like?

If you had white smoke like from a freight train that thats your problem

tell us about your fire


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## kc5tpy

Hello and welcome.  Well, you opened a can of worms here!  So many questions come to mind.  Is this your first time using this smoker?  If not the first time, did you use or do anything different this time?  Ect. Ect.  Short answer to your question is I only use lump wood charcoal in my offset and I leave my firebox open for 45 mins. to 1 hr. before I put any meat on the grill; but I'm impatient.   Wood chunks,briquettes or lump wood charcoal?  Instalight or instant lighting briquettes are REALLY soaked in lighter fluid ( i avoid them ).  If your are seeing white smoke out of the stack, wait.  Should see thin blue smoke coming out of stack.  Without more info best advice I can give.
[h1] [/h1]


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## jeffed76

Yea, more info probably would help LOL.  Here you go:

Was the taste of the chicken very bitter with a bitter aftertaste, or did it simply taste burned or overcooked?  bitter aftertaste

What was the temperature in your smoker when you put the chicken in?  [color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Put it in around 150 degrees and it steadily rose above 200[/color]

Did you maintain a fairly constant cook temp?  [color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]not really, probably should have waited to put the chickn on[/color]

What were you using for fuel?  lump, no lighter fuel

What kind of wood were you smoking with? apple

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]How long was the chicken in the smoker, and what internal temp was the meat when you took it off? [/color][color= rgb(255, 0, 0)]They were pretty thin cutlets, so they were in only a few hours.   Not sure about the temo.[/color]

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Is this your first time using this smoker?  [/color]no, but i'm still a rookie.  I think I've used it around 7 or 8 times.

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]Wood chunks,briquettes or lump wood charcoal? [/color]lump charcoal with some wood chunks thrown in

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]If your are seeing white smoke out of the stack, wait.  [/color]that somke was white.  I'm betting my impatience got the best of me.

SMF to the rescue, THANKS GUYS!!!


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## smotch121

what color should the smoke be when its ready for food to be put on?


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## fpnmf

All better now!!!!


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## wwdragon

Sounds like my first smoke, I did chicken as well and lets just say I was told to go easy on the smoke. I quickly found out chicken takes on smoke REALLY fast hence the harsh almost burnt tongue smokey flavour or close to it.  Also white smoke when adding new wood is normal, what you want though is for it to get to e Thin Blue Smoke after a bit (TBS). Remember, even if you can't see the smoke but smell it, the flavour is getting to the food.  Get yourself a good meat therm and put it in the meat this will also help you know when to pull. 

I try to keep my temps at 250 when smoking. Hope this helps. I am a newbie only been smoking for almost 2 months, but have learned a LOT from this form and the amazing people on here helping me with my posts.

BTW: If you dont' post pics, failed smoke or passed we turn into a crazed mob, we love the Qview :) Also remember, even a failed smoke wil help you learn, take notes, see what went right and wrong, soon you will be the one giving advice to others.

P.S. On a side note, I am like you, a wee bit on the impatient side, that took a while to fix and not "fiddle" with stuff while the smoker is doing it's job lol

Barry


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## seenred

jeffed76 said:


> Yea, more info probably would help LOL.  Here you go:
> 
> Was the taste of the chicken very bitter with a bitter aftertaste, or did it simply taste burned or overcooked?  bitter aftertaste  *that's creosote on the meat, caused by thick, billowy smoke *
> 
> What was the temperature in your smoker when you put the chicken in?  Put it in around 150 degrees and it steadily rose above 200*   150 is much too low a cooker temp.  Even 200 is not hot enough for chicken.  I normally smoke chicken @ 275 or higher.*
> 
> Did you maintain a fairly constant cook temp?  not really, probably should have waited to put the chickn on  *Consistent temps in your cooker will make it easier to control variables, including smoke amount and quality.*
> 
> What were you using for fuel?  lump, no lighter fuel  *Do you have a charcoal chimney?  Its a good way to get good hot coals going before they go in your smoker.  Red hot coals will not produce the heavy white smoke that can deposit creosote on your food.  If you don't have a chimney and are starting your charcoal in the smoker, you really need to wait until its a good, red-hot bed before you put meat in.*
> 
> What kind of wood were you smoking with? apple  *If you're using chips, you can make foil pouches with chips in them.  Poke a few small holes in the top of the foil, then toss the pouch on the coals.  It'll still make good smoke, and the chips wont' burn up as fast.*
> 
> How long was the chicken in the smoker, and what internal temp was the meat when you took it off? They were pretty thin cutlets, so they were in only a few hours.   Not sure about the temo.  *It is critical for food safety to cook your meats to a target internal temperature, rather than going on cook time.  For Poultry, IT should be about 165-170*.*
> 
> Is this your first time using this smoker?  no, but i'm still a rookie.  I think I've used it around 7 or 8 times.
> 
> Wood chunks,briquettes or lump wood charcoal? lump charcoal with some wood chunks thrown in
> 
> If your are seeing white smoke out of the stack, wait.  that somke was white.  I'm betting my impatience got the best of me.  *Smoker setup and proper prep is half the battle for smoking meat.  Get the smoker up to target temp, and make sure you have thin blue smoke coming out of the stack before you put your meat on. *
> 
> SMF to the rescue, THANKS GUYS!!!


*Don't give up, Jeff, you'll get the hang of it!  Once you have your methods dialed in to your smoker, you'll be turning out great food in no time!*

*Hope this helps...Good luck!*

*Red*


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## jeffed76

The smoke (blue) made all the difference!  I smoked a bunch of thighs,breasts, and legs...it went well!!!  I had to go redneck with the fan for some extra oxygen.













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__ May 15, 2013


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## kc5tpy

LOOKS GREAT!  A little advice and some trial and error can produce great results.  Keep smokin!


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## seenred

That's some delicious looking bird, Jeff!  Nice job...I like the fan idea, sometimes we have to improvise! 

Red


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## frosty

New batch looks GREAT!  Good job.

Now you are really rolling.


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## millerbuilds

Also make sure you always have you output stack open all of the way, control your temp with the inlet. You want the smoke to wisk across your food, not soak in it.  That can cause build up on the meat as well giving you a strong taste.

Glad it worked out for you!

Happy Smoking,

Jason


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## redwood carlos

jeffed76 said:


> The smoke (blue) made all the difference!  I smoked a bunch of thighs,breasts, and legs...it went well!!!  I had to go redneck with the fan for some extra oxygen.
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Oh oh, sounds like you got the hang of it now. Watch out! Ribs are next. Post pictures


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## forluvofsmoke

millerbuilds said:


> _*Also make sure you always have you output stack open all of the way, control your temp with the inlet*_. You want the smoke to wisk across your food, not soak in it.  That can cause build up on the meat as well giving you a strong taste.
> 
> Glad it worked out for you!
> 
> Happy Smoking,
> 
> Jason


I'm thinkin' you nailed it to the wall right there, Jason.

When I saw the photo with the fan after reading bitter smoke and the mention of low smoke chamber temps, my first thought is that the OP had low ventilation rates. This would account for the bitter taste, which is caused by stale smoke just hanging in the smoke chamber and not really moving like it should be. If the vent stack is open and this is happening, then there could be a mod which has hampered the flow, or there needs to be a mod to improve it, such as vent-stack lowering (to the grate).

My experiences have led me to believe that smoke color or concentration is not much of a factor when dealing with bitterness, tingling or numbness in the mouth after eating smoked food, etc. Stale smoke is what will kill your meal. I've had instances where I had heavy mesquite smoke flavor on brisket, and it never turned bitter...it was such a heavy smoke flavor that I almost could not eat it, but bitterness was not a part of that equation. It was good smoke, just way too much for my liking at that time.

Most of us here on the forums have been preaching thin blue smoke like it's gospel. The color and density of your smoke is not the issue, and different smoke can be used for different applications. If you're new to smoking, yes, thin blue smoke is probably what you want to achieve UNTIL YOU decide it's time to step it up a bit more. If you're on a long smoke with pork shoulder or beef brisket and you don't want a heavy smoke flavor, here again, thin blue smoke is probably your best approach, but if you get periods of heavy smoke, or thick white smoke during this brisket or butt smoke, you won't ruin your prize dinner...you'll just get a bit more smoke than you would have if you kept it thin and blue.

I've laid on some pretty hard-core smoke to birds recently (I mean white, and long running) and didn't find any issues with the pulled meat...smoke was not bitter or harsh, and the skin had a superb color. What you do want to avoid is burning meat drippings giving off a grey/black smoke (gives a grilled taste instead of smoked), or black smoke from flare-ups of wood or fuel.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about what proper smoke is, and what it is not, in the world of BBQ and smoked meats. Thick white smoke plays just as important of a role in certain applications as thin blue smoke does...there are differences in what is in each type of smoke, and each has beneficial characteristics regarding the flavors from resins produced by certain species of wood and smoke color/density. Finding that prime smoke (wood species and smoke color.density) for a certain cut of meat is the fun part.

There is a lot more to smoke than most of us would care to want to know, but for those of us who really want to grab the bull by the horns, jump on and take the full 8-second ride, here's some info which explains it better than I ever could hope to in this reply, so I'll just let you take it from here:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/139474/understanding-smoke-management

This piece gives a little more explanation of thick white smoke vs thin white/blue smoke, and what it can do for long-term cold smoking...different application than hot-smoking for BBQ, but I think you'll see similarities in the overall process:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/140737/country-cured-hams-cured-smoked-ready-to-age-q-v

This really hits on the topic of creosote, how it forms and condenses, and touches a bit on controlling where it condenses (cooler areas in specific)...creosote, BTW, is what gives you that numbing/tingling effect, as well as the bitter taste, when eating improperly smoked meats:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/140797/amnps-smoke-daddy-myths

Hope that helps to clear up the smoke dilemma a bit. Sure, there's a ton of science behind smoking meats, but for the beginners, the basic understanding that the smoke needs to keep moving in the smoke chamber with proper temps for cooking, and that a heavier smoke will produce a stronger flavor earlier, will take you far....knowledge is power...power will allow you to build your skill level and confidence. The only real limitation is your own level of ambition...how far are you willing to ride through the smoke?

Eric


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## fpnmf

Thanks for the great picture!!!!

  Looking good!!!

     Craig


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## ashaw

Hi there, this is my first post and I found this thread while looking for why my bacon wrapped chicken breast tasted awful.  An almost chemical taste to them.

I read through this and I am positive that my reason was the white smoke.  I had white smoke billowing out of the sides and top of my smoker.  

I have been looking for recipes/advice on smoker cooking but my smoker is different than most, it's an attachment to my pretty cool campfire cooker.  

Anyone with tips on smoking better with a smoker like this: http://www.pappyscampfirecooker.com/content/pappys-smoke-shack


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## forluvofsmoke

ashaw, if that smoke shack is vented on the bottom to allow heat in from the fire below, it could have been the fuel you were burning that caused the off taste in the food. Be sure you're burning hardwood, and it may help to have it burned down to hot coals instead of high flames, as they can impart some strong flavor...just a theory. In recent years I have been using very heavy smoke at times, and have yet to create a bad flavor as a result. Adequate flow of heat and smoke through the smoke chamber seems to be a major factor, and I always run with fully open exhaust vents on my smokers, even my kettle grills, when smoking. Stale or stagnant smoke is one of your biggest enemies.

This may help...very good informative reading here: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/139474/understanding-smoke-management-updated-12-08-14

Hope that helps...keep the faith and try again, with a little difference in how you set it up and fire it...somethings gotta make a difference.

Eric


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## ashaw

Thanks SO much.  I appreciate the feedback.  I made the mistake of NOT opening the little chimney on top at all, based upon the advice of another.  This was my first time smoking and since I ruined $10 in chicken and $8 in bacon I think I did pretty good LOL.

I will give it another go with some good hardwood, lower flame, and keeping the chimney open.

You are right, there are vents in the bottom of the smoker.  

Thanks for taking the time to help me out!


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## forluvofsmoke

Any time, fellow smoker, any time. I figured you have a fix, or at least a better direction to head once you got a couple tips from someone. First time rarely yields good results, unless you know a few of the basics. Hey, at only $18 in losses for meat, that's not too bad...could have been $20/lb beef tenderloin...
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






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BTW, please stop by in ROLL CALL forum and introduce yourself and let others know about your cookers and experience with them. We can properly welcome you to the SMF Family and help you better in the future if we know a bit about your cooking experience/cookers right from the start (we can check your profile page and see your posts for more info...cool, eh?).

Eric


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## ashaw

Haha Eric, that sounds like maybe a bit of experience there on that $20 a lb! ;)  I am sure I will be back in here, I am a total smokin' newb but at least it's starting to make sense now and I see some changes to make!


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## forluvofsmoke

HA-ha!!! Actually, it just reminded me of 6 days ago when I reverse seared a couple 1/3lb tenderloin filets on my 26" Weber kettle (along with a mess of other beef steaks)...thought I overcooked them before I even tossed a hot bed of coals into the kettle for the sear. Turns out they just had this BEAUTIFUL mahogany color from the warm smoke with mesquite and cherry, and were sealed-up nice and snug from a dry smoke chamber. Picked them up with tongs and they felt fine, still soft and spongy...they just hadn't warmed through enough to begin venting juices yet...all was well...uh, I mean, med-rare (after the sear)...and extraordinarily tender and delicious, I might add. Been a LONG time since I totally destroyed anything to the point of it not being edible...probably a couple months before I found SMF and joined in on all the fun and learning. You found a massive wealth of knowledge, experience and insight when you found SMF, my friend...and did I mention tons of great people who persue and spread this wealth??? OK, now I did...enjoy your time here!!!

Eric


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## ashaw

Haha!  What a story but hey it all worked out!  I look forward to learning.  I love that Cooker that I got from Pappy's and the Smoke shack is just another fun tool to experiment with.  I can't wait to try again!  I'm excited to have found this place


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## jccampb

I think the problem is the thin slices ..... I always smoke chicken (in my Big Green Egg, I used to have the one you have) on one of those wire 'beer-can' chicken frames holding it up vertically so that the smoke and the heat get into the cavity (and I always cook whole birds). Last one I did (we're still eating it) I put in beside a boneless spiral cut ham for about 2 hours over applewood and chunk Green Egg charcoal and both turned out perfectly...  I know some people "grill" chicken parts but doing it the way I've described above comes out perfect and with just the right smoke flavor.


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## millerbuilds

The other thing to try, is to build your fire close to the door with the inlet vent.  I have an Old Country Pit and I have found to build my fire near the door.

Smoke ON!

-Jason


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## snowaviation

You guys may already know about this, but on my first chicken smoke my fire started to go out so to speed up the process of getting the smoker back up to temp I added Fatwood sticks.  Natural wood right?  Should work great right?

Don't ever do that.  

Yech, bleck, patooey, bad chicken.


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## forluvofsmoke

jccampb said:


> I think the problem is the thin slices ..... I always smoke chicken (in my Big Green Egg, I used to have the one you have) on one of those wire 'beer-can' chicken frames holding it up vertically so that the smoke and the heat get into the cavity (and I always cook whole birds). Last one I did (we're still eating it) I put in beside a boneless spiral cut ham for about 2 hours over applewood and chunk Green Egg charcoal and both turned out perfectly...  I know some people "grill" chicken parts but doing it the way I've described above comes out perfect and with just the right smoke flavor.


Smaller pieces of meat or poultry don't require exposure to smoke for as long as larger pieces to achieve adequate flavor. Other than that, size really does not matter for smoking. I smoke pieces more often than I smoke whole birds...I've never had an offensive, strong, acrid smoke flavor or aroma when doing this. You just need to balance the smoke intensity with the length of exposure to smoke based on size of the meat, smoke chamber temperature, and most importantly, control of smoke quality...quality not so much referring to color and density as it is flow through the smoke chamber...gotta keep the smoke moving from the source through the chamber and out the vent so it does not get stagnant.


SnowAviation said:


> You guys may already know about this, but on my first chicken smoke my fire started to go out so to speed up the process of getting the smoker back up to temp I added Fatwood sticks.  Natural wood right?  Should work great right?
> 
> Don't ever do that.
> 
> Yech, bleck, patooey, bad chicken.









    
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





    
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I bet that was a rude awakening, and a bitter lesson!!! Yep, you can't mess around with resin-woods and direct-fired cookers (that's just like using fir or pine for firing or smoke wood...resin forms creosote...very quickly...the lower the temperature the faster and more dense it forms.

Eric


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## millerbuilds

If you choose to use fatwood follow these directions.

 1- get your fire going

2- add food to fire

3- add the fatwood to the fire keeping 2 extra peices

4- coat your last 2 peices of fat wood with rub and set aside

5- when the meat is finished, throw the meat away and eat the 2 pieces of fatwood.

Don't worry I have a real job and don't plan a career in comedy :)

In all seriousness the posts about about the high content of resin in wood makes for horrible tasting food.

Smoke ON!


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