Food Tastes Too Smokey…Sometimes

PatsFan70 · October 2015

Hello everyone. I've only had my BGE (Large) for 4 months and I am still learning the nuances of using it. This is my first non-gas grill and I love it. Wish I had purchased one earlier! Initially I was overcooking everything, but I'm getting better at it.

Here's my question...on 2-3 occasions, the food has come out tasting way too smokey. The smoke taste was very strong and tasted so bad we couldn't even eat the food (very disappointing). One time was with boneless chicken breasts and then again with a pork tenderloin. I didn't use any wood chips, just the BGE brand charcoal. This was cooking direct at 400-425 degrees.

Any idea what would cause this? I don't think I'm doing anything differently than the other times which have worked out great. One thing I can think of may be the amount of time from lighting the charcoal to putting the food on. Is the BGE and the charcoal really ready when you're at your desired temperature? Or should I let it burn for a certain amount of time regardless of already reaching temperature? I asked the place where I bought it from and they had no suggestions.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to learning a lot from this forum!

-David

WeberWho · October 2015

Welcome! You want to put the food on once you get clear smoke coming out of your egg. May not be ready once it hits the correct temp. For how long you have to wait depends on the lump you are using. Royal Oak (BGE brand) does take awhile...

NPHuskerFL · October 2015

Welcome. Although it's difficult for me to assist a Pats Fan

But, here it goes.
A> BGE lump tends to be smokey to begin with.
B> Light in one spot and be patient.
C> No specific time but, wait for good smoke. Smoke will smell good and also will be less of a plume of smoke and more a dancing of smoke.
D> Try out a different lump charcoal. Rockwood, Wicked Good Weekend Warrior, Fogo, etc. Something that burns more neutral. And add wood if you want more smoke or a specific flavor profile.

Mattman3969 · October 2015

+1^^^^ with the guys above. I would also ask was the smokey tasting cooks done after you had done a low n slow like a butt or something? It takes my egg a little longer to burn clean after I have done long smokes for butts or briskets.

NPHuskerFL · October 2015

Fat finger disagree? @Hotch

PatsFan70 · October 2015

Thanks for the quick replies…even from a Bronco fan, too! These extra-smokey cooks were not after a long low and slow. And I did try a bag of Nature's Own charcoal, but didn't like the way it burned. I will definitely pay attention to how much it is smoking before putting the food on next time (probably tomorrow). My wife was beginning to think I wasted over $1,000 on the BGE…I want to make sure I didn't

Could I also ask what temp you normally cook things like boneless chicken breasts? We eat that 2-3 times during the week and then get a little more adventurous on the weekends. Thanks again.

johnnyp · October 2015

+1 on the above.

good smoke is worth the wait. Also, good smoke can take longer after certain cooks. The more fat that drips down on the coals when grilling, the more bad smoke on the next cook.

the term you'll see used a lot is VOCs, which stand for volitile organic compounds. You want them all to clear to prevent unintended flavors on your meat. Clear smoke is the primary indicator of no VOCs

Darby_Crenshaw · October 2015

if the smoke tastes bad, it's usually due to putting it on too soon, like the others said. i'd agree it's 99% likely that's your issue.

but sometimes it is because you are shutting the dome and letting it "dwell", which is an old BGE cooking 'tip'. it consists of shutting all the vents and the dome and letting the meat sit in the thing all closed up. the smoke from that is horrible, as the fire dies, and it really effs up the meat.

it could also be dripping fat, like with chicken, but not with tenderloin or chicken breast like you experienced it.

Mattman3969 · October 2015

PatsFan70 said:

Could I also ask what temp you normally cook things like boneless chicken breasts? We eat that 2-3 times during the week and then get a little more adventurous on the weekends. Thanks again.

I run boneless chicken at about 400-425° direct. One trick that has always helped me determine if the smoke was good or not is to hold your hand above the chimney for a few seconds and the smell it. If it smells good you are ready if not then wait another 10mins and smell again.

PatsFan70 · October 2015

Mattman3969 said:
I run boneless chicken at about 400-425° direct. One trick that has always helped me determine if the smoke was good or not is to hold your hand above the chimney for a few seconds and the smell it. If it smells good you are ready if not then wait another 10mins and smell again.

Thanks, Mattman3969. That's the same temp I've been using…just wanted some reassurance. Great tip about smelling the smoke. I'll try that tomorrow.

NPHuskerFL · October 2015

@PatsFan70

FWIW When I first got the LBGE my Wife, Son, Mother, friends all told me (by the way I believe in 100% honesty...If it sucks it sucks) told me way too smoky! I was like Eff Me! And then I began to really click with the smells and began trying different things and found this forum. You'll get the hang of it.

Theophan · October 2015

I use BGE lump, have never used anything else, and I guarantee that is not the cause of your unpleasant problem. The fact that you haven't noticed this every time also indicated that it's not the lump.

BGE lump apparently does have a smokier flavor than Rockwood, but it's very mild. If I cook a spatchcock chicken, for example, with no wood chips or chunks, the chicken has a very mild smokiness that my wife and I absolutely love. Apparently with Rockwood, that smokiness won't be there. If Rockwood were available in my area I'd try it, but it isn't. And honestly, if there's no smoky flavor at all, how's it different from cooking it in an oven? With chicken I don't want a very strong smoky flavor, but I want a hint of smoke. That's what I get with BGE lump.

What I'm sure you're experiencing is the very unpleasant, heavy white smoke that often comes shortly after lighting the lump, but that disappears after a while, usually 20 minutes or so, but it varies. If you see heavy white smoke coming out of the Egg, you probably want to wait. If you smell the smoke, or hold your hand in the smoke for a few moments and smell your hand, it should be pretty obvious whether it smells good or not. When the smoke coming out is either hardly noticeable or slight and bluish, you're golden.

coooltroy · October 2015

What are you using to light? Using a torch is great, using fire starters could be an issue... and like stated above, wait for the fire to be uniform and smoke to be not super strong.

Wowens · October 2015

All the things listed will affect the flavor. My wife had heartburn after everything I cooked with BGE charcoal, and it was very smokey flavored. Maybe I wasn't waiting long enough to burn off the VOCs. I tried Frontier lump, and it seemed better, but the smokey nests was varied from bag to bag. I tried a couple of others, and have settled on Rockwood for now as my standard. It does not take long to burn clean, and has a fairly neutral flavor.

i don't want to spend an hour waiting on the fire to be ready, and Rockwood burns clean by the time the egg is hot.

SmokingPiney · October 2015

I've never had an issue with paraffin fire starters flavoring the meat. I leave the dome open until they burn off completely and I have a good light.

It reads like the OP isn't waiting for the thin blue smoke.

tarheelmatt · October 2015

I think lighting technique helps too.

How are you staring your fire?

DaveRichardson · October 2015

Use the hand test.

Hold you hand in the smoke coming out the top. Hold it there for 5 seconds, then give your hand a smell. If it smells good, then you are good to go.

if it smells bad, then let it burn off a little more.

I'm a Rockwood and a Forest Lumps guy; both will, once VOC's are burned off, will have a nice bluish smoke coming out. That's my golden ticket. If I see blue, I'm good to go!

When doing a smoke, I typically have my smoke wood UNDER the area I light so that it won't start smoking for a while; hopefully after I get rid of the VOC's.

@Theophan - where are you where you can't get Rockwood? Are you a Left Coast resident??

lousubcap · October 2015

First up-welcome aboard and enjoy the journey. You have come to the right place for answers to all things BGE and other select and random topics usually fueled by adult supervisory beverages late nights and weekends.
Nothing to add to the above.

bbqlearner · October 2015

Welcome aboard! Use lighter fluid and your problems will go away.....just kidding...don't do this

allsid · October 2015

Almost everything that has been said is spot on. However, one thing that has been missed is that food from the Egg just tastes better when you are a fan of the World Champion New England Patriots!

#GOPATS

bob.bud · October 2015

+1 on NPHuskerFL's original post.

I used to use BGE, and have now will swear to Rockwood. As others have said, it likely is not the lump, but not waiting until you have a clean burn going.

stevesails · October 2015

Dont cook anything untill the smoke is clear. Especially chicken. Wait for it. It will be there.

4Runner · October 2015

Agree with posts. Egg is no gasser...just because it is to temp doesn't mean it is ready.
Some people might see the extra time as a negative but I see it as more time to drink beer. Positive in my book.

PatsFan70 · October 2015

Thanks again for all the suggestions. Unfortunately I didn't get home from work in time to cook anything tonight.

I will definitely be using the BGE on Sunday prior to the Indianapolis BeatDown. Haven't decided what to make yet.

allsid said:

Almost everything that has been said is spot on. However, one thing that has been missed is that food from the Egg just tastes better when you are a fan of the World Champion New England Patriots!

#GOPATS

Allsid…yes, everything in life is good when the Pats are playing, and winning!

jhl192 · October 2015

PatsFan70 said:

My wife was beginning to think I wasted over $1,000 on the BGE…I want to make sure I didn't.

I've been in your shoes my friend. In the beginning I ruined a few meals and my family was not impressed with the taste of the food off my new egg. I was devastated. Patience is the answer. As others have said you need to wait for the smoke to flow clear and smell good. Then cook away. It's not your charcoal although some brands are far better than others. With the right patience you can cook good food with even Cowboy lump. Timely clean burns help as well. I my family still remembers the few bad meals, they are hard to forget, but they can't wait to eat just about anything I cook nowadays on the BGE.

jhl192 · October 2015

Sundown · October 2015

Pats winning is fine but, Kraft may be losing his arm candy! That's just terrible

pgprescott · October 2015

Two things to consider. First is making sure the fire is lit well enough to burn clean as talked about above. Second is considering what you have previously cooked in the egg and how you cooked it. For instance, any experienced egger will tell you cooking chicken can produce an acrid smoke for the next cook. The chicken fat renders down on the lump and stays there for the next cook. The second reason is really the one that gets people. It is often overlooked.

PatsFan70 · October 2015

OK, so I definitely think I may not have been waiting long enough to put the food on. Today when I lit the charcoal using Timberlite fire starters, the temp was up to 400 in about 16 minutes, but there was still a bit of white smoke billowing out. I waited another 10 minutes and the smoke looked clear and had a milder, slightly sweet smell to it. Then put on some bone-in cider-brined pork chops at 28 minutes after lighting. They tasted great with just a slight bit of smoke...no acrid extra-smokey taste. I just need to monitor the cook a little more closely. 1 of the 3 chops ended up cooked a lot more than the other 2. Thanks again, everyone.

Darby_Crenshaw · October 2015

The firestarters are the problem. If there is white smoke, that means your starters went out when you shut the lid.

One of the reasons i switched to napkin/oil was the starters frequently snuffed out and billowed smoke until they were burnt away

GATraveller · October 2015

Best thing about the Pats is the new starting center David Andrews!!

Food Tastes Too Smokey…Sometimes

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