I regularly use lump in my WSM. I typically get great shoulders and
chicken halves. Life is good.

This time I think I got overly aggressive on the lower vents and
closed them too much while trying to achieve a controlled temperature
rise. This time the smoke smelled like burning newspaper and the
chicken I just pulled off was nasty. A total loss. It tastes like
it was cooked over a fire made with newspaper.

Is this a result of incomplete burning caused by me starving the fire
of oxygen too long? Has anyone else experienced this? Will my pork
shoulder survive or will it be a loss too? ;-(

I'd hate to eat pizza tonight. -sigh-

--
Better living through smoking.

"Heavy_Smoker" wrote in message

Is this a result of incomplete burning caused by me starving the fire
of oxygen too long? Has anyone else experienced this? Will my pork
shoulder survive or will it be a loss too? ;-(

Yes, you have to keep the fire burning hotter. Better to have a small hot
fire than a large amount of fuel smoldering. Hard to say what the effects
will be on the shoulder, but at least you found the problem and can correct
it.

Edwin Pawlowski said

"Heavy_Smoker" wrote in message

Is this a result of incomplete burning caused by me starving the
fire of oxygen too long? Has anyone else experienced this?
Will my pork shoulder survive or will it be a loss too? ;-(

Yes, you have to keep the fire burning hotter. Better to have a
small hot fire than a large amount of fuel smoldering. Hard to
say what the effects will be on the shoulder, but at least you
found the problem and can correct it.

Thanks. The shoulder turned out ok. The chicken - bleh. ;-)

--
Better living through smoking.