Smoking tips

[Loonrapids]

I have had a Komodo for years now. Every time I try to smoke beef/pork it turns out bitter. Also I have a hard time controlling the heat at 200 degrees. Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

[primeats]

Re: Smoking tips

A lot of questions, how much wood do you use,what kind of wood, do you soak or use dry wood, what kind of charcoal?

[Loonrapids]

Re: Smoking tips

I use oak.. I don't soak it. How long should I burn the wood before I put the food on? How much wood should I put on. When I smoke I just use wood no charcoal.

Thanks

[johnnyboy]

Re: Smoking tips

Another thing to consider is setup; are you using direct or indirect heat? For low and slow I prefer indirect method; heat deflector and drip pan.

Can you describe "Also I have a hard time controlling the heat at 200 degrees.". Does hard time mean you're able to control 200 F. using some form or fashion? i.e. constant adjustments.... or are you not able to control 200 ? i.e. fire goes out or too much heat.

Keep asking away; we'll help you get it.

I've not smoked using just wood. I'm a lump charcoal user.

[Loonrapids]

Re: Smoking tips

Do you use charcoal and then just some wood chips in tin foil? How much charcoal do you use to be able to cook at low temps and hold. Seems like when I have to much wood or charcoal I can't get the temp down to 200 degrees.

Thanks for your help

[johnnyboy]

Re: Smoking tips

Loonrapids, I typically only use lump charcoal. If I add wood (rare occassion) I place it dry (not soaked in water) on top of the burning charcoal lump. Unfortunately someone else will have to help you with smoke. I've heard it done many ways; but again, I rarely use it.

I always start my cooks with a full basket of lump. I simply shake the charcoal basket to rid ash from previous cook, then top the basket off with fresh lump, then light. I'm also a bottom (underside) lighter, some prefer lighting from the top.

When starting fire (hat and draft open), I try not to over shoot target temp by more than 50 F. degrees before closing down vents/adjustments (throttling back airflow to maintain desired temp). The ceramic, before it becomes heat soaked will typically suck up the additional 50 F.

[mguerra]

Re: Smoking tips

First, to control your temp, only start a very small amount of charcoal. If you have a big bunch burning you won't be able to keep the temp down. If you are cooking with wood, the same applies. Get your wood fire going in a separate vessel, burn it down to coals. Burning it down to coals is going to get you cleaner, less bitter smoke. If you start wood in your KK and put the food right in, you will get too much of the "first" smoke. The problem with using wood is you will need to keep shoveling coals in every so often, because you won't be able to keep the temp down if you put in enough coals to last the whole cook. This is how they do it at a good BBQ joint, but you may not want to stay there tending the fire for 10- 20 hours! This is why you should use lump charcoal. Fill the basket with lump, start a very small amount of it, put in a little bit of smoke wood, not much. That's your answer.

You can control the fire at low temp, you don't have a shitload of wood in there smoking like crazy, a basket full of lump will last the whole cook so you don't have to add any fuel, and you will get the result you want.

[Loonrapids]

Re: Smoking tips

Thanks... I'll try that

[Firemonkey]

Re: Smoking tips

I use oak.. I don't soak it. How long should I burn the wood before I put the food on? How much wood should I put on. [highlight=#ffff00:3tv6rv5g]When I smoke I just use wood no charcoal.[/highlight:3tv6rv5g]

Thanks

There is your bitterness, as well as your temp control issue.

Try loading the basket with lump charcoal with only a little wood mixed in. KKs are way too airtight to be burning raw wood. When you see people with offset smokers loading in the raw wood, you have to remember that it is burning the wood much hotter, and then all that smoke goes right past the food and up the stack. Your KK smolders the wood in a low air environment, and then the smoke lingers around on the food for a long time before escaping.

That is also why your temp is hard to control, the raw wood requires enough airflow to sustain a burn, and so does lump charcoal. But since your wood is raw, that burn means flames, which are not conducive to low temps.

Switch to lump charcoal and you will be amazed at how much better things are.

You might also consider loading a basket of lump, and letting it burn at 475 for a couple hours. You probably have some creosote buildup in your grill, that will eventually flake off. Better to let this happen when its not full of food

[bobvoeh]

Re: Smoking tips

Cleaning out your grill does sound like a good idea. As far as doing the low and slow, empty out your charcoal basket, fill it up with new lump charcoal, no used coals. Get some wood chunks of your choice, and cut them down so they are in between chunk and chip size. Mix them evenly into the charcoal. Light just a couple of pieces of charcoal at the top center of the pile. That will help you keep the temps down. I had a long talk with Dennis one night and he told me about how used charcoal does not light very easily, so if you just add the new coals ontop of the used ones, the fire could possibly go out when the new coals burn down to the used ones.

Good luck!

[MadMedik]

Re: Smoking tips

I thought we were not suppose to use "wood" in the KK. Aren't we suppose to use "lump coal"??

[Firemonkey]

Re: Smoking tips

Use any kind of charcoal you prefer as your primary fuel. For most of us, that is lump charcoal, but briquettes are acceptable as well. You can use wood for smoke and flavoring, but it wont work as a primary fuel.

[primeats]

Re: Smoking tips

I think Dennis would say "Please do not burn wood as a fuel source!" Use charcoal for the fuel and wood as the smoke generating source, and with the KK you don't need much. Depending on how smoky you like your food to taste, you really only need a small handful or half a handful. I used to soak the wood , but with the KK I no longer need to control the burn due to the reduced airflow, I've also used a "smokebox"(search the forum for this)with great results. Even over a campfire, you generally don't want to cook over burning wood, you use the coals to prevent severe flame up as well as a more even cooking surface. I guarantee if you use lump charcoal or hardwood briquettes you will find success every time!

[DennisLinkletter]

If you're cookin' with wood you're actually cookin' with gas

Absolutely.. If you're cookin' with wood you're actually cookin' with gas.

In the note accompanying your owner's manual I wrote clearly in caps PLEASE NEVER BURN WOOD IN YOUR COOKER.

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits is the gas inside wood. And when burned with a less than optimal air to fuel ratio you end up with lots of unburned fuel vapor which plain and simply tastes acrid and nasty.. Burning wood also creates creosote which again is just nasty stuff.. That's why I always let the first thick nasty smoke off smoking wood escape before I put my meat in. Creosote will also condense inside your dome and in your chimney.. Not a good thing. That first smoke is also so acrid it burns your eyes.. once the smoke becomes a bit transparent and bluish it no longer burns them..