Help needed fast

queensgrt

Was going to try to do butt, but when large egg was lighted (new lump and ash cleaned from bottom) it now smells like the strongest camp fire ever; I can't put my meat in this kind of smoke; it's making me gag; can anyone help for something fast enough to hopefully get rid of this so I can go forward with my cook; it's very humid here today so that may be part of it, but the new lump is kept inside so it was dry; we're afraid of we get it very hot to get rid of this smoke we'll never be able to get the temp back down for the butt's long cook temp. I'll check back a lot to see your recommendations. Thanks

egret

You have some charcoal that wasn't fully carbonized! Open the egg and you should be able to locate the piece(s) that are smoking.......remove them.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

Sounds odd to me!!!
I've had trouble with temp. in regard to humidity...But not a smoky fire.
Are you using a different lump?
My only thought is to get her hot to see if it clears...But then as you mention, it may be a struggle to get the temp. back down...Or at the very best, it will take some time to do so.

Grumps

Usually if you let the coals burn for 30-45 min at the desired temp before putting on your meat then the "stronger" smelling lump will burn off. First, do what egret says, he is "THE MAN".

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

Good call egret!
I hadn't thought of that!

thirdeye

Welcome to the neighborhood.

You are paying more attention than a lot of younger cooks do. You are smelling the smoke. This is one of the easiest and one of the most important things you can be aware of. Later on your eyes and even your ears will help you when barbecuing.



Back to your question, a fire, especially one with all new lump needs time to settle down. I plan on an hour, but sometimes it is ready to meet the meat earlier. This is what you are after.

stike

not sure which of a few things is the problem.

wax fire starters? if they aren't burning with an open flame, they will smoke white and acrid. they need good air to get going or they will smolder for a long time. best bet with carbdboard or wood pressed firestarters is dome-open til they burn off.

if it's the "new charcoal" smell, that will also burn off. don't take it to some crazy temp in order to drive it off, just give it a while. in the hour most of us give the egg and platesetter to stablize in temp, that smell (volatile organic compounds, similar go gasoline, methane, etc and other carbon-fuels) will be gone

if you had a clean fire, and added a bunch of wood, then it's possible that it's two other things 1.) the smoke is puffy and white and profuse. many folks let this die down til it's less white. white is water and bigger bits of soot and smoke. the blue smoke is a little less agressive, some say "purer" smoke. ..or it's 2.) you just may not like much smoke.

the only rule that applies in every case, across the board, is that if the smoke doesn't smell good, the food won't taste good. taste is 99% smell. if it smells good, it'll be good. and vice versa

stike

except that the advice is then to add oak chips back onto the fire to provide smokefor flavor? hahaha

if it isn't fully carbonized, then it's just wood, and we all know, hardwood in barbece isn't a bad thing.