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Too much Smoke....

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my BGE!! I have now done alot of different cooking on it but my wife is a little turned off at the "too much smokey flavor". I have used BGE Hardwood and Cowboy Hardwood. I do think maybe the Cowboy Hardwood has more of a smokey flavor but is there a way I can keep her happy too and tune down alittle of the smokey flavor??

Comments

  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    Do you use smoking chips? Should only add a minimum amount of smoke I think. What are you cooking?
  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    That happened to me often when I started. Try using less charcoal (not too much more than you need to complete the cook), and give it more time after you light it. Smell the smoke before you put the meat on as well. It should smell clean and peppery.

    Good luck!
    Chris
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
  • MJQ8
    MJQ8 Posts: 43
    The reccommended amount of chips is only about 1 fistfull.
    Any cook you can walk away from is a good one.
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Try different charcoal. 

    Different types of charcoal are different types of wood, and as a result the smoke is different.  Did you wait until the smoke was clear?  If you put the food on when smoke is white (before adding wood chips/chunks) the food can sometimes get an acrid smoke flavor.

    I used to use mesquite wood and that definitely imparted a smoke flavor without the use of wood chips/chunks.

    I haven't used the BGE hardwood, but I have used the cowboy charcoal - I don't remember the smoke flavor simply because it was over a year ago and my first charcoal.  I did read the other day that a poster here disliked the cowboy charcoal smoke too though. 

    Check Naked Whiz' charcoal database, which might be down right now, for the ultimate charcoal database.  
  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    If she gives you the ultimatum of either it goes or she goes do yourself a favor and keep the egg.
  • Not a fan of Cowboy but I use BGE or WGWW and I don't have that issue unless I add some smoking chips or chunks.
    LBGE
    Go Dawgs! - Marietta, GA
  • IrishDevl
    IrishDevl Posts: 1,390
    But let her down easy of course.
  • tulocay
    tulocay Posts: 1,737

    My wife has the same issue. I use Royal Oak and have learned to let it burn for 45 minutes to ensure no smoky flavor. She is OK with pulled pork and ribs being smoky, just not salmon, etc.

    Of course I made a mistake this past weekend when I did my wings raised, direct. Of course they had drippings and this caused lots of "wood" smoke to come off the lump. Not her favorite. Next time, indirect!

    LBGE, Marietta, GA
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    My $0.02 for keeping smoke flavor at bay: Don't use any wood, light the top of the lump pile, let the fire burn until the smoke is invisible and smells good (not like a tar or chemical smell), keep fat dripping at bay, don't extinguish the egg with food in it.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Plano_JJ
    Plano_JJ Posts: 448

    I found the Cowboy charcoal foul. I have settled on Ozark Oak, if you can get it in your area I highly recommend it.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag15.htm

     

     

  • My $0.02 for keeping smoke flavor at bay: Don't use any wood, light the top of the lump pile, let the fire burn until the smoke is invisible and smells good (not like a tar or chemical smell), keep fat dripping at bay, don't extinguish the egg with food in it.
    Agreed, SWMBO has better taster than mine, I can eat spicy food, she can tell if a single pepper corn is in the soup pot. Perhaps your better half has a more sensitive palate. Let her, the egg, warm and stabilize, try an indirect cook and see if she, SWMBO, gets a smile on her face. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583

    "Oh, no roast mastadon for me dear.  I'll just stick with some leaves and berries tonight."

  • thanks for all the tips!!!  I think I might be using too much lump. I have waited until it gets to temp but I still have been seeing some of the white smoke. I will reduce the ampunt of lump I am using.

     i have only used the wood chips for ribs.

      She's a good girl I think I will keep her!! (and my wife too!)

  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583
    @weredaone One of the greatest things about the egg is being able to leave it full, snuff it out, and come back to cook tomorrow with minimal hassle.  Make sure you are getting good airflow (make sure your grate is clear. If it is, try opening your vent a little more and running the daisy wheel tighter.  Definitely try some other lump. 
  • makis
    makis Posts: 81
    I was having the same problem with Mrs. and after running my XL at 650 F for an hour all the residual smoke burned of from inside the EGG( that was the reason in my case) also letting it burn for an hour at the temperature you will be cooking before putting the meat on will help you with the problem.
  • My $0.02 for keeping smoke flavor at bay: Don't use any wood, light the top of the lump pile, let the fire burn until the smoke is invisible and smells good (not like a tar or chemical smell), keep fat dripping at bay, don't extinguish the egg with food in it.
    I'm not a fan of smoked bbq.  I do eggsactly as Nola says.  Just wait for all the smoke to clear (10-20mins) and then begin.

    Piero from South Etobicoke in Toronto and sometimes Pinellas Park, St.Petersburg, XL-BGE