Smoke how do you control it

[tnt]

The question is smoke and how much is too much... I had a complaint that the first (and only) batch of ribs I made had too much smoke.. My son (who I love temporarily) says that the smoke flavor over powered the rest of the rib flavor.

The smoke flavor did seem to be a bit much especially if I tried cooking fish or some other light flavored food. So I'm wondering if there is a way to control it..

Now remember I'm new to this so you need to answer using small words and talk slowly..

Someone told me to wait about 20 min after lighting the grill to put the food on is there anything to this ??

Does the brand of lump make a difference, I used Lazzari hardwood lump not the Mesquite.

I did notice smoke coming out from the bottom of the lid in the back right side is that normal or do I have something wrong ??

Anyone out there with a suggestion or opinion?? All help is greatly appreciated..

[Fetzervalve]

tnt,

Did you use any additional smoke wood? If you did NOT and the smoke was too much I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you could try some plain briquettes.

If you did, you can always reduce the amount of wood you add, I have not had any problem with too much smoke, however I understand that it is a personal preference.

Give a little more detail on what you used for cooks you had too much smoke.

[Firemonkey]

Too much smoke on ribs, with just lump sounds unheard of. Yes, lump imparts some smoky flavor as it burns, and this can be lessened (especially on higher temp cooks) by letting the fire have a few minutes to get up to temp and ignite all the fuel before adding meat.

On your ribs, they likely spend 4-6 hours on the grate, and the lump was burning slowly the whole time? Many people, myself included, add several fist sized chunks of fruit wood into the lump basket in order to HAVE some smoke flavor, otherwise they seem lacking.

A little leakage from the back is nothing to worry too much about unless you have difficulty keeping your temperatures down where you want them. Then again, if you had enough smoke flowing to see it coming from the back you had to have more than just lump in there?? Of course, if your son is used to ribs being boiled, braised or oven baked, it just may have been something he wasnt expecting?

[mguerra]

variety

Seek out as many different brands of lump as you can find. Check every home center, grocery store, hardware store, bbq grill shop etc. that you can find. Check the Naked Whiz website for more reviews than you can shake a stick at. After you try the various brands you will find one you like. If Dennis has any coconut charcoal, it has a mild taste profile. And as has been said, you can let the fire go for 20 or 30 minutes after which the smoke lessens.

[jdbower]

Another good tip is to let the cooker warm up before putting the meat on. If you get it going for a while at temperature it will not only heat soak the KK and make the temperature more stable, but also allow the volatiles to burn off the charcoal. If you put the meat on too soon it's possible that you got some of the more acrid thick, white smoke instead of the nicer flavor you get once things are burning smoothly.

Regarding the smoke from the back, with a new cooker I'd probably just do as FM says for now. After you've used it a few times you'll probably want to do a lid adjustment (I just loosen the spring tension, opened and closed the lid a few times, and then tightened it back up again). I've found I like to adjust mine in the winter and in the summer - the temperature differences here in MA make the spring noticeably stiffer in the wintertime.

[tnt]

Well like I stated I am a newbie so who knows...

I did not use any smoke wood but I want to..... (Which could move the opportunity in a whole new direction....)

Remember I did specify that I temporarily love my son... This may not be a long term adventure..

I know things like ribs and pork butt should stand up but what about things like fish ?? It has a delicate flavor so what does the smoke do to it??

What brand of lump do you use ?? and are they all the same ??

Why don't we have the same problem on a Weber with briquettes ??

[jdbower]

I've cooked a cheesecake in my KK using Dennis' extruded coconut charcoal - it just gives a delicious hint of smoke. I've been happy with the cheap Cowboy lump at Lowes, but I use it for high temperature cooking which is a different animal entirely. You can check out the Lump Charcoal Database for more thorough reviews from a cultured palate.

[Firemonkey]

Not all lump is the same. They all have minor flavor differences due to the wood used in their making, as well as the occasional piece or two that is not fully carbonized.

Fish is usually cooked at a higher temp for a short period of time. While you are correct that the smoke will more easily overpower it, the fish will not usually spend enough time over the fire for this to happen.

You are seeing different flavors than you did on your Weber because the KK is a MUCH more sealed environment. You dont have as much air flowing through the cooker, and thus whatever smoke you do use is more concentrated. Start by letting your grill and fire stabilize at your intended cooking temp before you add the meat. That should cut down on any smoke from the lump and you can go from there.

I use Royal Oak lump, $5/10lb bag at WalMart) and also have used the extruded charcoal JDBower mentions. I almost always add fruit wood to both. The extruded is much less smoky, but also not as easily available. You will want to find something you can grab locally that you like.

[T Rex]

Well, so far with my limited experience I have used several different kinds of charcoal, BGE, Wicked Good, Royal Oak and one other I can't remember. Wicked Good is probably my favorite however, it is stupid expensive where I live, like $43 a bag with tax. I mostly use Royal Oak Charcoal from Walmarty like FM does and I have no complaints.......

Like FM, I also like to use a chunk of fruit wood for additional smoke flavor although some might go so far as to call my "chunk" a "log".......

I just finished cooking a couple of Rib-eyes over Royal Oak charcoal with a "chunk" of Mesquite.......... outrageously good!

T Rex

[tnt]

Well Royal oak get high marks from the naked wiz so I should try some.

I understand that BGE is really royal oak in a different bag..

The Extruded coconut is available but costly so I should try some.

I do have a bag of wicked good that I will try next.

In case no one says thank you; let me tell you that it's nice to have someone to talk to about this. I know it seems silly on the outset but it makes a difference (as do you!!!).

Tony

[Fetzervalve]

I generally use Royal Oak also, it's available. Personally, I don't really consider the taste I get from RO as 'smoky', I don't know what word to put on it, but smoke would typically not be it. Pretty much the only thing I haven't added smoke wood to would be pizza cook.

Add some wood next time, perhaps the boy will actually like that flavor.

[Firemonkey]

I don't know what word to put on it' date=' but smoke would typically not be it.[/quote']

I call it "grilled" or "Damn Tasty"

[cruzmisl]

Another good tip is to let the cooker warm up before putting the meat on. If you get it going for a while at temperature it will not only heat soak the KK and make the temperature more stable, but also allow the volatiles to burn off the charcoal. If you put the meat on too soon it's possible that you got some of the more acrid thick, white smoke instead of the nicer flavor you get once things are burning smoothly

Thats the best advice right there!

Whats your son know anyway?

[bryan]

I know things like ribs and pork butt should stand up but what about things like fish ?? It has a delicate flavor so what does the smoke do to it??

They sell tons of smoked mullet in St. Petersburg, Fl,. What I ate there sure was good.

[Loquitur]

I'm new to charcoal cooking and my favorite charcoal so far is Royal Oak. I think it definitely has a smoky flavor by itself, much more so than the Wicked Good and Cowboy, which I've also tried. I'm hesitant to add smoke wood to my cooks because I've had that acrid taste before, which isn't pleasant. My father recently brought me a bunch of small apple wood chunks which I will be experimenting with now that grilling season has arrived in the NE.

Susan