I've got a whole bunch of dead post oaks. So far, when smoking chicken, pork loin, or country style pork "ribs", I've used post oak and a little mesquite. The flavor just isn't right, with an off-putting taste that I suspect is from the post oak. Any of you have similar experience? Any ways to deal with this? Maybe letting the fire burn longer, or putting in coals instead of fresh wood to keep the heat up? Or, am I stuck with all this wood that just won't work right? Mesquite by itself seems to give too strong a smoke flavor.
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That's about all I cook with. Burns hot and lasts a long time. -
I'm pretty sure that's what all the Central Texas meccas use.Comment
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Has a horrible smell when smoldering. I suggest soaking it in Gold Scent Eliminator before lighting.Comment
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Sir, Post Oak is the finest wood there is too smoke with. Not sure what is going on in your situation but it is nothing to do with find delicious post oak.
Is the wood cured? Was it rotten prior to being dried out? Are you running thin blue hot fire smoke or is it smoldering with white smoke?Comment
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Use Mesquite sparingly. Maybe wood isn't dried enough?Comment
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Pine or gum works better.Comment
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Great, thanks. I was wondering if it was the wood or the technique... sounds like it's not the wood. It's good, cured, dead oak. Maybe I need to let it burn off more before I put the meat on, to get the white smoke further gone. Are there any precautions to take when adding more wood to an already going fire?Comment
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What kind of set up are you using?Comment
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Home built side box smoker like the Academy Hondo. I traded a knife for it a while back.Comment
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Try using different seasonings on your meats
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If you are getting white smoke and the wood is cured and dried the fire isn't hot enough. Good post oak should get to burning real quick. So I assume its not a very large fire box. You are probably adding pieces that are too big to a small coal bed. The wood should be engulfed in flames and putting out a thin blue smoke within a couple of minutes of being added to the coal bed. How big are the wood pieces you are putting in and how big is the fire box?Comment
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I typically use 2-3" diameter branches cut into 4-6" long chunks. Maybe I need to go smaller, as they don't start burning too fast. They're plenty cured, cut from dead trees and then stacked for 6-9 months.
Fire box may be a little smallish as well.
You're saying smaller chunks or chips would burn faster, therefore hotter, therefore less funky white smoke taste?Comment
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Correct. You want a clean flame going, not smoldering wood. Just hot white ash and any wood present should be in flames. If the fire you have to build to do this is too large for the box it will be too hot to smoke with so you need a smaller fire. So yes, cut them pieces smaller. I like to start with a chimney full of coals for the coal bed and then add two pieces of oak parallel to eachother and let them cook down a bit. You can leave the box open for a minute or so after adding new wood, it shouldn't drop the temp too much in the chamber and will aid in a clean fire. Once the two pieces have cooked down I just add piece by piece as needed.
Experiment a little bit and find that right size cut/piece of wood that gets you a good clean fire and at the desired temp. I can look at a piece of wood and from knowing my pit I know what temp I will get if I left the dampers wide open and can adjust from there. Another good investment if you go online you can find a fire basket to help contain your fire. Also lots of good youtube videos on starting and maintaining a wood fire in an offset.Comment
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