# First time smoking on an Oklahoma joe highland



## Wolves1 (Nov 4, 2018)

Smoked a 7 pound chicken and a round eye. It was extremely moist and tender but I need to learn to lessen how much smoke I allow, my kids said it was a little to smoky. I used royal oak lumps and chunks of apple wood. My mistake after  analyzing and please let me know if I’m wrong, I believe when I would add new royal oak I would smother the fire and I also would not have the vent opened all the may. I also believe I should be adding fuel a little at a time and not  smother the hot coals. Does this sound correct. Please if you have any advice it would be much appreciated.


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## atomicsmoke (Nov 4, 2018)

I would get another set of kids. 

Kidding.

So you ran on charcoal only and was too smoky? No wood?


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## Wolves1 (Nov 4, 2018)

I was using Apple wood chunks I would throw on top of hot coals.


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## gmc2003 (Nov 5, 2018)

Apple wood is a lighter profile wood. It's kinda hard to have an overpowering wood flavor with it. My first thought is you had billowing white smoke from adding the unlit lump over the top of the lit. White smoke creates a bitter taste, thin bluer smoke produces a smooth flavor. Also your family may not like a heavy smoke flavor. Try cutting back on some of the wood. For your chicken and eye round I would probably have used 2 maybe 3 chunks of apple.

Chris


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## Wolves1 (Nov 5, 2018)

Yes Chris when adding the wood or the extra lump coal I may have  smother the fire and I was getting a white smoke and I believe the other mistake was keeping the  exhaust vent 3/4 closed.


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## Wolves1 (Nov 5, 2018)

How do you avoid the white smoke when adding wood or coal?


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## atomicsmoke (Nov 5, 2018)

Wolves1 said:


> Yes Chris when adding the wood or the extra lump coal I may have  smother the fire and I was getting a white smoke and I believe the other mistake was keeping the  exhaust vent 3/4 closed.


I have an ok joe too. I understand the exhaust should be kept open st all times.


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## gmc2003 (Nov 5, 2018)

Wolves1 said:


> How do you avoid the white smoke when adding wood or coal?



If you have to add more lump then light it first before adding it to the firebox.  As for the wood just place it in various locations and depths in the fire box and let the burning coals come to the wood instead of placing the wood on the hot coals.
Chris


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## Wolves1 (Nov 5, 2018)

Thank you


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