Newbie Question on Clean Smoke

Bert2015

Still fairly new at this. I continue to read where experts say to wait on fire until it burns clean. When I have been doing long smokes, I am layering in wood a few spots/levels within the coal. So when I use the looftlighter and get it going, and see all that awesome smoke pouring out, I get antsy thinking I am missing out on some great smoke flavor. But then I read where people are waiting upwards of an hour to stabilize the temp before putting something on. To me, I feel I am losing a lot of the smoke flavor that the egg generates. Coming from a gas grill and electric smoker, I must be missing something.

Can someone enlighten me on why not to get the butt or other long smokes on while the smoke from the wood chunks is going full bore??

Foghorn

The smell of charcoal/wood is good.  However, when fresh out of the bag, lump charcoal contains some additional chemicals - volatile organic compounds or VOCs.  Let the fire burn until the "chemical-y" smell is gone.  A given piece of coal doesn't have to catch fire for this to happen.  The firebox will heat up and the VOCs will evaporate.  The hotter the firebox, the faster this happens.  Then put the food on.  Old lump that is leftover from a previous cook doesn't need to go through this process a second time. 

SmokingPiney

The rule of thumb is if it smells good, it will taste good.

The acrid grey smoke of freshly lit lump does not smell good. Your nose will know the difference.

lousubcap

As above with waiting on the VOC's to burn/evaporate off.  The key to success if you have smoke wood burning as the VOC's are driven off is to smell the smoke-if it smells good, then it is good and your fire is "burning clean".  FWIW-

johnnyp

A common misconception is that the thick white
smoke gives "great smoke flavor".  It's smoke flavor alright, but doesn't taste good.

When end your smoke is thin and whispy, it is flavoring your food just as much as the thick white stuff.  The difference is as the wood burns, you're getting a more complete combustion and less "leftovers" are suspended in the air.  Incomplete combustion=white smoke.

xiphoid007

+1 on what @johnnyp said. The good smoke is the thin blue smoke. You are just off on what you are thinking as "good smoke" or a clean fire. You just have to realign your definitions in your mind. When you can barely see the smoke, you'll find it has the best aroma.

sctdg

Most will say this is wrong ,but I have switched from chunks to soaked chips that I mix in with lump and I have been getting excellent results .

bgebrent

johnnyp said:

A common misconception is that the thick white
smoke gives "great smoke flavor".  It's smoke flavor alright, but doesn't taste good.

When end your smoke is thin and whispy, it is flavoring your food just as much as the thick white stuff.  The difference is as the wood burns, you're getting a more complete combustion and less "leftovers" are suspended in the air.  Incomplete combustion=white smoke.

This is good advice.  Nothing wrong with chips either as long as you stage them in the lump.  And you never need to soak them.  So many ways to skin the Tarheel 

northGAcock

bgebrent said:

  So many ways to skin the Tarheel 

I caught that.....good one there Brent. 

1move

I think he is asking about wood smoke for flavour rather than charcoal smoke. @johnnyp is on point. I would not soak my wood, just too many inconsistencies and it takes days to get any water to really penetrate the wood, you are just adding water to a fire that you are trying to stabilize.