pre-light charcoal to avoid acrid smoke (?)

[brandhr]

Aloha,

I used the Smokenator for the first time last weekend and I was very happy with temperature control and moisture level. However, the chicken tasted like the acrid smoke from charcoal that is being lit in the chimney. I saw some related posts about ensuring the vents are open wide enough, high enough temp, and not using too many wood chips. In addition to trying those suggestions, I was wondering if it would help to pre-light all the charcoal until it ashes over, and then snuff it out by closing all the vents prior to loading it in the Smokenator (maybe pre-light and snuff it out the day prior to cooking (?)). Will that prevent the acrid smoke? Or is the acrid smoke a result of charcoal starting to burn regardless of whether it has already ashed over? When I ran a barrel smoker with a firebox, I never added charcoal to the fire without first starting it until it ashed over in a chimney (maybe I'm just to sensitive to the taste?). For the record, I was using Royal Oak and Jack Daniels oak wood chips. I've over-done the smoke using hickory or kiawe/mesquite in the past, but I've never had a problem over doing it with oak smoke.

Would appreciate if anyone can tell me if pre-ashing the coals makes a difference before I try again.

Thanks in advance.

[jerry grehl]

Hi! Mind you, I'm a newbie myself, but am really getting into the subject. I hear Kingsford briquettes give off less odor. As for wood, try less amount and do not add after the first hour. Try using maple, apple, cherry, etc. --less pungent wood. Mesquite is dynamite pungent!

[jerkylips]

Jan 31, 2010 16:45:04 GMT -5 brandhr said:

Aloha,

I used the Smokenator for the first time last weekend and I was very happy with temperature control and moisture level. However, the chicken tasted like the acrid smoke from charcoal that is being lit in the chimney. I saw some related posts about ensuring the vents are open wide enough, high enough temp, and not using too many wood chips. In addition to trying those suggestions, I was wondering if it would help to pre-light all the charcoal until it ashes over, and then snuff it out by closing all the vents prior to loading it in the Smokenator (maybe pre-light and snuff it out the day prior to cooking (?)). Will that prevent the acrid smoke? Or is the acrid smoke a result of charcoal starting to burn regardless of whether it has already ashed over? When I ran a barrel smoker with a firebox, I never added charcoal to the fire without first starting it until it ashed over in a chimney (maybe I'm just to sensitive to the taste?). For the record, I was using Royal Oak and Jack Daniels oak wood chips. I've over-done the smoke using hickory or kiawe/mesquite in the past, but I've never had a problem over doing it with oak smoke.

Would appreciate if anyone can tell me if pre-ashing the coals makes a difference before I try again.

Thanks in advance.

I really don't think it would help. When the coals ash over, it's only that outer layer that's affected. If you were to light coals in a chimney & leave til they ash over, then chop one in half, it's going to look like an unlit coal.

I think that your issue with the acrid taste is what you mentioned - either keeping the top vents closed down too much or too many wood chips. It takes a little bit of experimenting, but you should be able to control your temp pretty well with only the bottom vent. Keeping the top closed off holds the smoke in too long & turns your stuff bitter.

When I first started using the smokenator, my temp control issues had to do with it getting too hot, not the other way around. One simple solution to that is to use a bigger water pan. It really helps to buffer the temp. If you go back into the threads, I wrote something about about that topic last summer..

[seesquared]

Many non-Kingsford coals have an oil-based binder. I discovered this when I had to buy some. When I lit them in the chimney and dumped them, the binder oozed out and they stuck together. Yuk. Kingsford is just charcoal.