white smoke vs. clear smoke

Unknown

Okay-dumb question for the experts, but I am hoping for an answer to the following: In the archieves most people say to wait for the white smoke to clear after adding chips before putting on the meat. I have done it both ways and really taste more smoke flavor while putting the meat on with clear smoke. I do taste a little of the "bitterness" people post about. What is the right way and why please. Soak or dry chips? Thanks for any response.

AnnaG

Bryaninatlanta,[p]I am by no means an expert, still a newbie... [p]But, I have had good results by waiting for the smoke to become blue or clear and then putting on the meat... I have been burying hickory chunks way down in the lump, so I get smoke flavor after the smoke has turned to blue... For chips, I put them on after waiting for the smoke to turn blue also...[p]Maybe, I have just been getting lucky... Don't know...[p]HTH...
...AnnaG...

Carbonizer

Bryaninatlanta,
Not quite an eggspert either, but I have had better results getting the lump lit 100%, 500 deg. or so then backing the temp with the dampers down to cook temp, once your cook temp is stable add wood. Doing long cooks chunks of wood work better than chips and soaking is not req'd. I put a couple chunks on than wait till the big smokescreen clears than put meat on, the wood chunks will burn slow if you are at 250 deg or so. I probably use more lump this way but the temp seems to stay more stable this way.