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OT Trying To Learn The KBQ

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Money_Hillbilly
Money_Hillbilly Posts: 440
in EggHead Forum
Still trying to dial in the smoke profile on the KBQ. Tried a test cook with 100% hickory with mixed results.  Ran with only the top poppet open but still wound up with a very light smoke profile.  It cooks like a dream but I am still searching for more smoke.  Suggestions?


Southeast Louisiana
3 Larges, Rockin W Smokers Gravity Fed Unit, KBQ, Shirley Fabrication 24 x 36, Teppanyaki Stainless Griddle 
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,944
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    Paging @The Cen-Tex Smoker
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,025
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    How dry is the wood you're using? It might be too dry
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,834
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    With just the top poppet open you are getting just the "dirty" smoke.  If you open both of the poppets you'll double your smoke draw - although adding the "clean" smoke to the "dirty" smoke may not make much of the change in the taste profile.

    It may be the you just like a lot of smoke taste.

    You might try using mesquite...

    I must confess that I have a pretty unsophisticated palate where smoke profiles are concerned.  I only own a KBQ because someone on here pointed out that there was one on Craigslist near me for $500 and I waited 3 days to see who would snatch it up.  Then I broke and bought it.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    Hahaha....I was going to say, try mesquite.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Money_Hillbilly
    Money_Hillbilly Posts: 440
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    @WeberWho I drove 80 miles into MS to pickup a fresh load of hickory for this cook.  It is about 3 months old and really heavy so I feel confident it has good moisture level.  I always shied away from hickory in the egg since it’s very easy to over smoke with hickory making the protein bitter.  This didn’t happen in the KBQ since it still came out light smoke.  I don’t know how to explain it but food on the KBQ taste completely different than cooked in the egg.  It is a pleasant taste that I don’t know how to describe.
    Southeast Louisiana
    3 Larges, Rockin W Smokers Gravity Fed Unit, KBQ, Shirley Fabrication 24 x 36, Teppanyaki Stainless Griddle 
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  • SciAggie
    SciAggie Posts: 6,481
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    @Money_Hillbilly What you are experiencing (in my opinion) is the difference between “clean” and “dirty” smoke. The whole point of an offset or KBQ is the have a high airflow and complete combustion. It is often hard to tell that my offset is even running because the only smoke is blue and hard to see. That’s the pleasant taste. 
    Coleman, Texas
    Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
    "Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
                                                                                                                          YukonRon
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,025
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    Money_Hillbilly said:
    @WeberWho I drove 80 miles into MS to pickup a fresh load of hickory for this cook.  It is about 3 months old and really heavy so I feel confident it has good moisture level.  I always shied away from hickory in the egg since it’s very easy to over smoke with hickory making the protein bitter.  This didn’t happen in the KBQ since it still came out light smoke.  I don’t know how to explain it but food on the KBQ taste completely different than cooked in the egg.  It is a pleasant taste that I don’t know how to describe.
    The smoke profile is different with the KBQ. With the BGE egg the wood sits and smolders. Creating a heavier pronounced smoke flavor. Like SciAggie mentions above that the KBQ wood combusts at high heat giving it a more clean/light smoke profile. 

    I was looking for a heavier smoke profile as well with the KBQ when first starting out. I think it partially has to do with the moisture of my oak. You won't find a real heavy smoke profile with a stick burner. My KBQ isn't too much different in flavor then my bigger reverse flow smoker.
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,677
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    nolaegghead said:
    Hahaha....I was going to say, try mesquite.
    Or old car tires
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  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,729
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    Take a shower before you eat. It will help clean the smell from your airways and reset your palet in a way. I find it helps me get the flavor impact.
    XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,337
    edited June 2021
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    Air dried wood will eventually end up at about the local atmospheric moisture content-generally in the 10-18% range.  I tried to extract the only applicable page from the below link but it was too jammed up to appreciate.
    Anyhow short story long- the below link page 19 will let you know where air dried wood ends up on average for various locale wrt moisture content:
    https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr117.pdf  TMI right there and I get it!
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Money_Hillbilly
    Money_Hillbilly Posts: 440
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    @lousubcap Thanks for the link.  It shows air drying time for a nominal thickness 1” board taking 60-200 days to get to 20% moisture.  My splits are rather large and our moist climate both indicate that the wood has good moisture.  I have done lots of research on smoking wood moisture content and I am beginning to think I have become accustomed to the dirty smoldering smoke from my eggs.  The food coming off the KBQ has a remarkably different taste and look.  My beef ribs Monday came off with a nice mahogany color instead of a black meteorite.  It is just different.  
    Southeast Louisiana
    3 Larges, Rockin W Smokers Gravity Fed Unit, KBQ, Shirley Fabrication 24 x 36, Teppanyaki Stainless Griddle 
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,834
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    The comment above about showering is potentially important as well.  I've noticed that food tastes WAY more smoky as leftovers than it does on the day I've been standing in smoke for many hours.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • Money_Hillbilly
    Money_Hillbilly Posts: 440
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    @Foghorn @Thatgrimguy You are both so right, I always notice that the smoke profile is much more noticeable on leftovers.  Cooking with smoke all day certainly desensitizes your ability to taste it.  Smoke is totally dependent on wood moisture content. We frequently cook biscuits on a pellet grill and you can’t tell the difference from ones cooked inside in the oven.  Pellets have a typical moisture level in the 8-10% range. 
    Southeast Louisiana
    3 Larges, Rockin W Smokers Gravity Fed Unit, KBQ, Shirley Fabrication 24 x 36, Teppanyaki Stainless Griddle 
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