Hi,

I mostly use mesquite lump in my bullet smoker (Brinkmann). To get "medium
smoked" like most people would find acceptable how often should wood chips
be added? I find it hard to hit bullseye with the chips. I use less for
poultry and more for pork, but I'm still not able to get consistent
results for either.

Advice appreciated!

--
//ceed ©¿©¬

ceed wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I mostly use mesquite lump in my bullet smoker (Brinkmann). To get
> "medium smoked" like most people would find acceptable how often
> should wood chips be added? I find it hard to hit bullseye with the
> chips. I use less for poultry and more for pork, but I'm still not
> able to get consistent results for either.
>
> Advice appreciated!

You just wanna keep a light wisp of blue smoke coming from the vent at all
times (If its billowing its prolly too much) until the meat reaches, I
think, 140F. At that point, I believe it stops absorbing the smoke so its a
waste of wood.

(Seems like someone told me that once or twice in the past. I'll say it was
BOB that told me that just in case its wrong y'all can blame him.)

And try to find wood chunks instead of chips. Usually just one or maybe two
fist sized pieces of wood is enough for an entire cook. Walmart carries
'em.<g>

--
The Honorable Reverend
Fosco Gamgee Whitfurrows
and his 6" boner

--Weddings performed for a nominal fee.
--Beer accepted in lieu of cash payment.

ceed wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I mostly use mesquite lump in my bullet smoker (Brinkmann). To get
> "medium smoked" like most people would find acceptable how often should
> wood chips be added? I find it hard to hit bullseye with the chips. I
> use less for poultry and more for pork, but I'm still not able to get
> consistent results for either.
>
> Advice appreciated!
>

Use dry wood chunks, if you have them. One good sized piece (small fist
sized) will usually do in a brinkman. What you are looking for is a
barely visible wisp of smoke coming from the cooker. If you must use
chips, put them in a pouch made from two layers of heavy duty aluminum
foil. Punch a few small holes in the pouch and place it on the hot part
of the fire.

--
Matthew

I'm a contractor. If you want an opinion, I'll sell you one.
Which one do you want?

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 06:11:59 -0500, Matthew L. Martin
> wrote:

> Use dry wood chunks, if you have them. One good sized piece (small fist
> sized) will usually do in a brinkman. What you are looking for is a
> barely visible wisp of smoke coming from the cooker. If you must use
> chips, put them in a pouch made from two layers of heavy duty aluminum
> foil. Punch a few small holes in the pouch and place it on the hot part
> of the fire.
>
So what you're saying is that this one wood chunck (or pouch with chips)
is going to last through, let's say, the whole 10 hours of doing a
brisket? My experience is that when you add chips, even in a pouch, a
massive initial smoke production which dies down after a little while
(15-30 mins). I assume the wood goes in when the meat goes in and not
later?


--
//ceed ©¿©¬

ceed wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 06:11:59 -0500, Matthew L. Martin
> > wrote:
>
>> Use dry wood chunks, if you have them. One good sized piece (small
>> fist sized) will usually do in a brinkman. What you are looking for
>> is a barely visible wisp of smoke coming from the cooker. If you must
>> use chips, put them in a pouch made from two layers of heavy duty
>> aluminum foil. Punch a few small holes in the pouch and place it on
>> the hot part of the fire.
>>
> So what you're saying is that this one wood chunck (or pouch with
> chips) is going to last through, let's say, the whole 10 hours of doing
> a brisket?

No, but I would say that there is not much reason to have more than a
few hours worth of smoke. Some say that smoke absorbtion stops when the
meat hits 140. I'm not so sure about that as I do think that meat can be
over smoked by using too much wood.

> My experience is that when you add chips, even in a pouch,
> a massive initial smoke production which dies down after a little
> while (15-30 mins).

While it is hard to control the air flow in a brinkman, you shouldn't be
getting massive smoke production from a good sized chunk of wood or a
packet of wood chips. You really don't want a lot of smoke billowing
from the cooker. A very light smoke is all that is required.

I recently did a six hour run in my WSM with one chunk of hickory. It
was still smoking at the end and the hickory was about 2/3 consumed.

> I assume the wood goes in when the meat goes in and
> not later?

In the WSM, I put the wood in just before the meat gets introduced to
the grill. In my Kamado, I put the wood on top of the charcoal before I
start lighting it. In the ECBX2, I place the wood on a stainless steel
plate after I light the gas burner and before I start assembling the ECBX2.

The sequence of events is more a reflection of how the smokers get
assembled than anything else.

I do add more wood to the ECBX2 from time to time. The massive air flow
through it consumes the wood pretty quickly. The other cookers have very
well controlled air flow so I find that I almost never have to add extra
wood to them.

--
Matthew

I'm a contractor. If you want an opinion, I'll sell you one.
Which one do you want?

I have a Kamado... I do not like opening it once I put the meat in (I
don't mop). I set up the coals to burn for 12HRs+ (not that hard with
a K), get it to temperature, add wood chunks that have been soaked
overnight. throw the meat in, insert the temperature probes and walk
away. The meat doesn't "soak up" the smoke after the first couple of
hours anyway. I always get a nice smoke ring and enough smoked flavor.

ceed wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I mostly use mesquite lump in my bullet smoker (Brinkmann). To get "medium
> smoked" like most people would find acceptable how often should wood chips
> be added? I find it hard to hit bullseye with the chips. I use less for
> poultry and more for pork, but I'm still not able to get consistent
> results for either.
>
> Advice appreciated!
>
> --
> //ceed =A9=BF=A9=AC

Ceed,
FWIW I'm not concerned with trying to obtain consistant results. Thats
one of the fun things about this hobby; each time it's different, and
thats ok and interesting in its own right. Sometimes a lighter smoke
content, sometimes heavy. Sometimes a sauce would taste sweeter, chalk
it up to variety. If you run out of wood, well, you'll probably end up
with a lighter smoke flavor, use what you have, add wood when it feels
and looks like it needs it, and create a work of art. Unless you do
things that would really mess it up, bbq is generally very forgiving.

Pierre

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 08:40:58 -0500, eelhc > wrote:

> I have a Kamado... I do not like opening it once I put the meat in (I
> don't mop). I set up the coals to burn for 12HRs+ (not that hard with
> a K), get it to temperature, add wood chunks that have been soaked
> overnight. throw the meat in, insert the temperature probes and walk
> away. The meat doesn't "soak up" the smoke after the first couple of
> hours anyway. I always get a nice smoke ring and enough smoked flavor.
>
So you soak the wood. I will try both soaked and dry since it seems to be
different opinions on wether to soak it or not.


--
//ceed ©¿©¬

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 11:01:40 -0500, Pierre > wrote:


>
> Ceed,
> FWIW I'm not concerned with trying to obtain consistant results. Thats
> one of the fun things about this hobby; each time it's different, and
> thats ok and interesting in its own right. Sometimes a lighter smoke
> content, sometimes heavy. Sometimes a sauce would taste sweeter, chalk
> it up to variety. If you run out of wood, well, you'll probably end up
> with a lighter smoke flavor, use what you have, add wood when it feels
> and looks like it needs it, and create a work of art. Unless you do
> things that would really mess it up, bbq is generally very forgiving.
>
> Pierre
>
Great advice and very true. However, sometimes I would like to be able to
accomodate guests that ask: "Can you please server that pork roast you
served last time?" I would then want to be able to have some ground rules
to follow knowing the result will be somewhat consistent with what I am
looking for.


--
//ceed ©¿©¬

Yes I soak since I put the chunks directly on the coals... more smoke
and prevents the smaller chunks would catch fire.

ceed wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 11:01:40 -0500, Pierre > wrote:
>
>
> >
> > Ceed,
> > FWIW I'm not concerned with trying to obtain consistant results. Thats
> > one of the fun things about this hobby; each time it's different, and
> > thats ok and interesting in its own right. Sometimes a lighter smoke
> > content, sometimes heavy. Sometimes a sauce would taste sweeter, chalk
> > it up to variety. If you run out of wood, well, you'll probably end up
> > with a lighter smoke flavor, use what you have, add wood when it feels
> > and looks like it needs it, and create a work of art. Unless you do
> > things that would really mess it up, bbq is generally very forgiving.
> >
> > Pierre
> >
> Great advice and very true. However, sometimes I would like to be able to
> accomodate guests that ask: "Can you please server that pork roast you
> served last time?" I would then want to be able to have some ground rules
> to follow knowing the result will be somewhat consistent with what I am
> looking for.

I'd say to start making notes on everything - wind/weather conditions,
humidity, meat starting temp, condition of meat (fat cap ...), exactly
which rubs/sauces, grill temp log, meat temp log, how you added
chips/chunks, depth of smoke ring, type and amount of lump, etc.

Perhaps, after you've logged enough cooks to accumulate a useful amount
of info, you'll decide to chuck it all because you'll know how to use
your grill and produce great stuff with it. But, you may discover
those hidden tricks that separate the consistently great cooks from the
relatively good ones.

- bc

ceed wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 11:01:40 -0500, Pierre > wrote:
>
>
> >
> > Ceed,
> > FWIW I'm not concerned with trying to obtain consistant results. Thats
> > one of the fun things about this hobby; each time it's different, and
> > thats ok and interesting in its own right. Sometimes a lighter smoke
> > content, sometimes heavy. Sometimes a sauce would taste sweeter, chalk
> > it up to variety. If you run out of wood, well, you'll probably end up
> > with a lighter smoke flavor, use what you have, add wood when it feels
> > and looks like it needs it, and create a work of art. Unless you do
> > things that would really mess it up, bbq is generally very forgiving.
> >
> > Pierre
> >
> Great advice and very true. However, sometimes I would like to be able to
> accomodate guests that ask: "Can you please server that pork roast you
> served last time?" I would then want to be able to have some ground rules
> to follow knowing the result will be somewhat consistent with what I am
> looking for.
>
>
> --
> //ceed =A9=BF=A9=AC

Good reply. Thanks for the background.=20

Pierre

F.G. Whitfurrows wrote:
> ceed wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I mostly use mesquite lump in my bullet smoker (Brinkmann). To get
>> "medium smoked" like most people would find acceptable how often
>> should wood chips be added? I find it hard to hit bullseye with the
>> chips. I use less for poultry and more for pork, but I'm still not
>> able to get consistent results for either.
>>
>> Advice appreciated!
>
> You just wanna keep a light wisp of blue smoke coming from the vent
> at all
> times (If its billowing its prolly too much) until the meat reaches,
> I
> think, 140F. At that point, I believe it stops absorbing the smoke
> so its a
> waste of wood.

Sort of. What I've read recently is that the *smoke ring* stops being
formed at 140°F, and you can continue to add smoke flavor to the
outside of the meat as long as there is smoke. That's also another
reason that you want that "light wisp of blue smoke" instead of more,
'cuz it's easy to over smoke (we've all done it at least once).

>
> (Seems like someone told me that once or twice in the past. I'll say
> it was
> BOB that told me that just in case its wrong y'all can blame him.)\

Maybe, but maybe it was Jack Curry or the Hound. If it was me, I
probably heard it from one or both of them.

>
> And try to find wood chunks instead of chips. Usually just one or
> maybe two
> fist sized pieces of wood is enough for an entire cook. Walmart
> carries
> 'em.<g>

Right. Also, soaking the wood only makes it take longer for the
"light wisp of blue smoke" to be produced, usually soaking causes
steam and dark smoke (think creosote).
>
> --
> The Honorable Reverend
> Fosco Gamgee Whitfurrows
> and his 6" boner

BOB

--
Raw Meat Should NOT Have An Ingredients List

>> You just wanna keep a light wisp of blue smoke coming from the vent
>> at all
>> times (If its billowing its prolly too much) until the meat reaches,
>> I
>> think, 140F. At that point, I believe it stops absorbing the smoke
>> so its a
>> waste of wood.
>
>Sort of. What I've read recently is that the *smoke ring* stops being
>formed at 140°F, and you can continue to add smoke flavor to the
>outside of the meat as long as there is smoke. That's also another
>reason that you want that "light wisp of blue smoke" instead of more,
>'cuz it's easy to over smoke (we've all done it at least once).
>

Yes, that is true. Smoke ring forms until the outer layer of meat
reaches about 140 degrees, smoke flavor accumulates as long as there
is smoke in the cooker. You can read about it in Harold McGee's book,
"On Food and Cooking" or you can save $26.40 and read about it in my
ceramic FAQ: www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm#absorbsmoke :-)

TNW