# noob question - do I need smoke all the time I am cooking?



## Lakewood (Dec 24, 2019)

Hi all

I am a new comer to smoking meat, so please be gentle.  :)

I have a nice off-set smoker and am having lots of fun trying to smoke meat and poultry.  
It seems that I start a nice charcoal going, add some wood (hickory, mesquite, pecan, etc) - get some good smoke going, and then add the meat to the smoking chamber.
I have learned good control of the temperature and get meat cooked to the right temperature.
However, the meat is often very, very smoky flavored.  

Once I have added wood to the coals, do I need to keep adding wood throughout the smoking/cooking process, or do I just need to add the wood at the beginning and have the smoke flavor imparted to the meat at the start?  And then let the smoke die, but keep the temperature up with more charcoal as necessary?

Thank you for your feedback and advice.
--Lakewood.


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## pineywoods (Dec 24, 2019)

The key is the type of smoke your producing. You don't want billowing white smoke instead you want TBS (thin blue smoke) basically very light smoke or maybe not see any smoke just smell it. If you can smell the smoke so can the meat. 
One of the biggest problems we find with new smokers is they use to much wood and get to heavy a smoke


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## smokingunny (Dec 24, 2019)

pineywoods said:


> The key is the type of smoke your producing. You don't want billowing white smoke instead you want TBS (thin blue smoke) basically very light smoke or maybe not see any smoke just smell it. If you can smell the smoke so can the meat.
> One of the biggest problems we find with new smokers is they use to much wood and get to heavy a smoke



I'm no expert but I agree with this 100%. I made this mistake myself when I first started. Here's the thing. Even if you don't see smoke, the meat will still have a nice flavor if wood is your fuel.


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## jcam222 (Dec 24, 2019)

pineywoods said:


> The key is the type of smoke your producing. You don't want billowing white smoke instead you want TBS (thin blue smoke) basically very light smoke or maybe not see any smoke just smell it. If you can smell the smoke so can the meat.
> One of the biggest problems we find with new smokers is they use to much wood and get to heavy a smoke


Love your comment on “if you can smell the smoke so can the meat”. I don’t think anyone could say it any better.


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## Lakewood (Dec 24, 2019)

Ah - thank you all.
I think I am seeing the error of my ways.  - I can see a solid stream of white smoke billowing out of the chimney.  That much smoke is, I now see, way too much.  
I am planning on smoking some pork loins this weekend - I'll cut back on the wood I'm adding and I'm sure my meat will be much better.
Thank you so much for your advice.
--Lakewood.


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## pineywoods (Dec 24, 2019)

With less wood you should notice a huge difference one or two pieces at a time depending on size should be plenty and many of us will keep that light smoke going the entire smoke unless we foil others will just smoke a few hours then not add anymore it's a matter of personal tastes


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## smokingunny (Dec 24, 2019)

Lakewood said:


> Ah - thank you all.
> I think I am seeing the error of my ways.  - I can see a solid stream of white smoke billowing out of the chimney.  That much smoke is, I now see, way too much.
> I am planning on smoking some pork loins this weekend - I'll cut back on the wood I'm adding and I'm sure my meat will be much better.
> Thank you so much for your advice.
> --Lakewood.



First, what smoker to you have? Second, are your dampers open far enough?


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## GATOR240 (Dec 25, 2019)

jcam222 said:


> Love your comment on “if you can smell the smoke so can the meat”. I don’t think anyone could say it any better.


That jumped out at me also...classic!


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## Lakewood (Dec 25, 2019)

smokingunny said:


> First, what smoker to you have? Second, are your dampers open far enough?


I have an Oklahoma Joe off-set smoker (best I could afford as a starter).  The chimney damper I keep wide open, and then adjust the temperature via the damper on the off-set (where the coals and wood are smoking - not sure what to call that chamber  :)  ).  Thank you for asking.  Hope what I'm doing is not contributing to my problem?


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## pineywoods (Dec 25, 2019)

I didn't go down that road because you said you were controlling smoker temp just fine and cooking to proper temps so that's not the problem. I should have asked what you use for a thermometer to determine what temp to run the smoker at? Factory thermometers are famous for being way off. Personally I think you already know the cause and the remedy.


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## RiversideSm0ker (Dec 25, 2019)

I own an OKJ Highland and feel that it is a very solid offset smoker. I was going to ask about the chimney vent as well. On mine I always smoke with that wide open. Closing that down will hold the smoke in your chamber longer. You obviously have that dialed in. Where I live wood is harder to come by for smoking. I use charcoal as my main heat source. Wood chunks are easier to obtain and provide all the smoke that I need. Nobody has ever complained to me about my barbecue. I definitely think that once you figure out how to maintain a consistent temp with the least amount of fuel necessary you will be a master of your pit. Have fun and enjoy your delicious results. 

G


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## Lakewood (Dec 25, 2019)

Hi pineywoods ....I use a wired set of thermometers - one in the cooking chamber, and then one in each piece of meat (if I have more than one in the smoker at a time).  I've calibrated the thermometers by checking them against a known temperature, and then make compensation for there inaccuracies.  There are not a real expensive set, but they are accurate once I knew their variances.  :)

Hi RiversideSm0ker ... yep, getting the right amount of smoke is going to make more success.  People I have had over for a meal have always said (maybe politely) how nice everything tastes.  However, my wife and best judge, has remarked the meat often was very smoky.  And I must admit, sometimes the meat has lost its meaty flavor and is just smoke.  

I can't thank you all enough for your comments and advice.  I discussed all this with my wife, and we are both very excited to try less smoke for our next meal (this weekend).  

My best wishes to you all for a fabulous Christmas!

--Lakewood.


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## smokingunny (Dec 26, 2019)

I have a Highlander as well. I start my fires with charcoal as a base layer of heat and then add logs. By the time it all burns down to coals the charcoal is gone and I feed it logs as needed to maintain the temp. As for the probes it sounds like you have that down. I noticed, through trial and error, that the factory locations of the gauges read about 50 degrees hotter than at the food grates so I installed a gauge at grate level. I find that keeping my firebox damper between half and 3/4 closed is the sweet spot, but every smoker is different, even if they're made by the same company. For me, some wood just burns better than others depending on how seasoned it is.


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## sawhorseray (Dec 26, 2019)

Welcome to SMF Lakewood, it's a great place to be! One thing to remember when adding wood to the firebox is keeping the door to it open until the wood you've put in catches flame. If you just put the wood in and close the door you'll be billowing white smoke out the chimney, not good. You'll see when you first add wood to the coals the wood begins to smolder white smoke. Keep the door open until the wood burst into flame, then close, that'll help. RAY


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## Lakewood (Dec 26, 2019)

Ah, another thing I am doing wrong .... I am adding wood and closing the door.  And yep, I do see white clouds of smoke, not only out the chimney, but also swirling around in the cooking chamber.

Here's how I have been smoking:
1. light charcoal in a charcoal chimney,
2. add unlit charcoal to the fire box,
3. open chimney damper on smoker wide open,
4. add lit charcoal (from charcoal chimney) to fire box, on top of unlit charcoal,
5. once I have good heat coming from fire box into cooking chamber - about 180-200, I have been adding 2 or so, 8 to 10 inch long hickory or mesquite or pecan split pieces of log to the coals,
6. shut the fire box door,
7. wait until temperature comes up to about 215 or so,
 8. shut the fire box damper almost all the way (seems to be how I need it to keep the temperature from going way too hot),
9. add meat,
10. get clouds of white smoke everywhere,
11. keep adding charcoal and wood as needed to keep the temperature correct.

Wow, you guys are awesome - with just one post (my original post), I have learned so much and can't wait to try out everything you've all suggested.   Not adding too much wood, allowing wood to catch before shutting the door, placement of probes, and working with less coals and wood for a better temperature.  

I think we will be enjoying much better meals this weekend - we'll be able to taste the meat and its smoky flavor, rather than just being overwhelmed by the smoke of the meat.  :)  This will be so much fun.  I'll let you know of my success after the weekend.

--Lakewood


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## cansmoke (Dec 26, 2019)

Lakewood said:


> Hi all
> 
> I am a new comer to smoking meat, so please be gentle.  :)
> 
> ...


I try and generate smoke for first half of cook time. I get a nice level of smoke. Anything more turns the meat acrid.


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## sawhorseray (Dec 26, 2019)

I believe your cooks will improve tremendously Lakewood. Maybe try starting off with the lit coals from the chimney in the bottom of the firebox, then adding more if you want to, heat travels up. Are you using hardwood lump coals, like Royal Oak, or stuff like Kingsford, that states 100% natural ingredients with hardwood added. Myself, I start my firebox with about a chimney full of RO lump, I use a weed torch to light them up as a chimney doesn't fit my SQ36 conveniently, vents, cooking and firebox doors open, stack open all the way also. Once the coals are caught I begin adding wood, once the wood catches I close the doors and regulate the vents until I get the temp I'm looking for, then add the meat to the cooking chamber. Smaller splits will enable you to control the heat better when you have to add. I cut the 10" mini logs in half and then split them again with a ax and a single jack, 2-3 10" splits and I'd be up around 350º. If things take off on you can just open the cooking chamber and firebox doors to cool things down. Take some pics of what you smoke and post them up here, we all love to see pictures of smoked meat. Good luck and get smokin'! RAY


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## Lakewood (Dec 26, 2019)

Hi sawhorseray - I use Royal Oak.  I have some Kingsford briquettes I keep for getting started quickly if I am running behind on time.  :)

I am so looking forward to Sunday (supposed to snow here in Colorado Saturday).  My wife and I are going to smoke something just for the two of us.  I will post some pictures of my success.  :)

--Lakewood.


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## pineywoods (Dec 27, 2019)

I didn't ask and you didn't say how big around the splits your using are. Since your cooking with charcoal the wood is just for smoke flavor therefore you don't need a lot. Personally I would avoid the mesquite for awhile as it produces a very heavy smoke flavor. I would suggest splits maybe 9-12" long and 2-3" thick and try just one and see if you get that TBS (thin blue smoke) or smell the wood if not then add a second split. Not sure what your wood supply is like or how hard/ expensive it is to get but you could use chunks if that would be cheaper/easier to obtain. 

Look up to the top right side of this page and click on the magnifying glass icon and type in "minion method" and check it out sounds like you may be using this or something close. If using chunks you can place some in with the charcoal as I think it explains this way as the charcoal ignites it ignites the flavoring wood hopefully as the last chunk is about done.


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## sawhorseray (Dec 27, 2019)

Hi Lakewood! I just remembered when I got my offset smoker YouTube really helped ease the learning curve, seeing someone on the screen is sometimes more comprehensive than reading instructions. This guy gives a fair representation of what you want to be doing in regard to getting a decent bed of coals and adding wood. Offsets are going to be different from each other and weather will always be a factor, I'd imagine a lot of your cooks will be in the 225º-280º range. Check out the video if you like, take what you want from it that you think might work for you. RAY


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## Lakewood (Dec 27, 2019)

pineywoods said:


> I didn't ask and you didn't say how big around the splits your using are. Since your cooking with charcoal the wood is just for smoke flavor therefore you don't need a lot. Personally I would avoid the mesquite for awhile as it produces a very heavy smoke flavor. I would suggest splits maybe 9-12" long and 2-3" thick and try just one and see if you get that TBS (thin blue smoke) or smell the wood if not then add a second split. Not sure what your wood supply is like or how hard/ expensive it is to get but you could use chunks if that would be cheaper/easier to obtain.
> 
> Look up to the top right side of this page and click on the magnifying glass icon and type in "minion method" and check it out sounds like you may be using this or something close. If using chunks you can place some in with the charcoal as I think it explains this way as the charcoal ignites it ignites the flavoring wood hopefully as the last chunk is about done.


Hi pineywods - I'll look closer at the minion method.  From the quick look I had this morning, I think it will be another improvement.  

--Lakewood.


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## Lakewood (Dec 27, 2019)

sawhorseray said:


> Hi Lakewood! I just remembered when I got my offset smoker YouTube really helped ease the learning curve, seeing someone on the screen is sometimes more comprehensive than reading instructions. This guy gives a fair representation of what you want to be doing in regard to getting a decent bed of coals and adding wood. Offsets are going to be different from each other and weather will always be a factor, I'd imagine a lot of your cooks will be in the 225º-280º range. Check out the video if you like, take what you want from it that you think might work for you. RAY



I love the video - thank you.  For me, visual such as a video is very helpful.  I'll be watching it again a couple of times to get as much as possible.

--Lakewood.


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## Heart of Dixie (Dec 30, 2019)

There is a great chapter on "Good smoke and bad smoke" in Aaron Franklin's book. Pineywoods nailed it, white smoke bad, TBS or none at all good. The book has great information on everything else BBQ when using an offset smoker, especially if you plan on getting into just burning  wood.


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## Lakewood (Dec 30, 2019)

Hi Heart of Dixie

Is the book titled:
*Franklin BBQ: A Meat Smoking Manifesto*
?


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## sawhorseray (Dec 30, 2019)

Been reading Aaron's book myself the last few days, it's a manifesto that anyone with a offset can benefit from. It's pictured on the right side of the screen if you might be interested. RAY


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## Lakewood (Dec 30, 2019)

Thank you - I'll be ordering a copy asap.  :)


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## raymo76 (Jan 4, 2020)

I always say we want a small hot free burning fire rather than a large smoldering fire. Hot free burning fires  will give you the clean taste you desire.

Personally I enjoy using pure wood in my cooks and not lump charcoal or briquettes but the premise is still the same. Hot free burning fires of the proper size to manage your heat/smoke.


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## Lakewood (Jan 4, 2020)

Hi all

I forgot to take pictures - New Years day, we smoked a pork loin, using the ideas you all gave me, and it was awesome.  Very tender and juicy and just the right amount of smoke flavor.  
I think our meals in future will be a whole lot better.  :)
Thank you all.
--Lakewood.


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## sawhorseray (Jan 4, 2020)

raymo76 said:


> I always say we want a small hot free burning fire rather than a large smoldering fire. Hot free burning fires  will give you the clean taste you desire. Personally I enjoy using pure wood in my cooks and not lump charcoal or briquettes but the premise is still the same. Hot free burning fires of the proper size to manage your heat/smoke.



Just a perfect post regarding offsets, all-time! RAY


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