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How do you get that sweet blue smoke on a UDS?

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gambler

Knows what a fatty is.
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I've mimicked how to burn coals and wood chunks in my UDS from threads on this website. I use the minion method to burn, and I mix wood chunks into the charcoal. I've tried several ways of mixing the wood chunks. Started off with 5 or 6 chunks - too smokey, went down to 3 chunks, initially too smokey, then no smoke. And the smoke I get once they ignite is the heavy white smoke. How do I properly mix the wood chunks so that I get a pretty constant smoke throughout the most of the cook, and how do I get that sweet light blue smoke? It seems every time a wood chunk ignites, it burns white and heavy, then no smoke at all.
 
Go easy on the smoke wood,make sure it's dry.
No smoke is a good sign after white/blue smoke....sounds like you're on the right path.
...right now blue smoke over here!:becky:
 
I can easily get a clean wisp of blue on my ECB and my kettle but rarely see that happening with the UDS. It's virtually smokeless once it starts cruising but I know I'm getting smoke.
 
I've never got sweet blue smoke out my UDS or wsm like I got with my stickburner, just my experience. I don't worry about it too much and have no real issues. I wouldn't use green wood, especially green nutwoods, or too much wood though. The smoke is gonna get white from the fat dripping, anyway.
 
Because I reuse my charcoal, I rarely have a truly clean burn. For me, the trick is understanding when it is no longer nasty smoke of the coals lighting and rather previous drippings burning off. Even then, after opening the lid for a time to check meat I often get some smoke too. It usually takes quite a while to settle down to almost nothing but as others have said, no smoke at all is fine.
 
I agree with the dripping fat produces white smoke theory. If have a drip pan or diffuser which keeps the drippings from burning, then that is a different matter.
 
I like the fat dripping burning in the fire, fat is flavor.
 
As far as the white smoke goes, even with no meat on grill, once the wood chunks start to ignite, all I get is heavy white smoke. Is this normal for everyone? And I do use seasoned dry wood chunks. Apple wood to be exact. And like Carbon and Dave Russel said, I also get that sweet blue smoke from my stickburner, but can't seem to get it on my UDS. It's either too much, or none at all.
 
Whenever I take a quick peek to check the meat I see blue smoke within the drum. That's really the only time I see blue.
 
Carbon said:
Whenever I take a quick peek to check the meat I see blue smoke within the drum. That's really the only time I see blue.
Click to expand...

Hey Carbon, when your wood chunks initially begin to smoke, is it a heavy white smoke? And if it is do you put your meat on once it goes away, or during?
 
gambler said:
Hey Carbo n, when your wood chunks initially begin to smoke, is it a heavy white smoke? And if it is do you put your meat on once it goes away, or during?
Click to expand...
Once the wood is completely burning it will put off minimal smokeaka blue smoke. But only if it has plenty of air flow. Partiallyburning wood and or chokeddown air intake causes too much smoke. And yes, put meat on once white/black smoke stops.
 
gambler said:
Hey Carbon, when your wood chunks initially begin to smoke, is it a heavy white smoke? And if it is do you put your meat on once it goes away, or during?
Click to expand...
I initially get that white smoke with or without wood chunks. I wait a bit for the white smoke to subside and temperature to stabilize before putting meat on.
 
Reusing the briq's, which I do, makes it tough with the fat drippings, but I can get blue most of the time..

turkey0029761784.jpg
 
Blackened said:
Reusing the briq's, which I do, makes it tough with the fat drippings, but I can get blue most of the time..

turkey0029761784.jpg
Click to expand...

Do you use wood chunks, if so, how many/what type of wood? Also do you get that blue smoke throughout the whole cook?
 
I use chunks, oak, apple, and cherry, all very well seasoned.. I use about 3 half fist sized chunks.. I get thick smoke at first, but I'll wait a half hour - 45 minutes for it to start burning clean.. all bets are off though if you have fat drippings from the previous cook..
 
I have a good sized exhaust and get a really good draw from the 2 1/2" intake, so maybe that helps..
 
I find that it helps to bring the UDS up higher than your target temp and then throttle it back. On the way back down the smoke settles down from white to a sweet, thin, blue, ALMOST imperceivable smoke.
 
I let my UDS cruise at a higher temp, never have a problem getting TBS @ 275. If you don't see any smoke, it doesn't mean you're not smokin' either. Place your palm over the exhaust for a moment and smell it. If it smells like sweet bbq, it's cruising, if it smells like nasty old telephone poles, it aint burning right.

As long as the smoke isn't white and poofy, you're good. Not sure why you are getting white smoke. My UDS will be up to TBS and stable 15 minutes after adding 12-15 lit coals. After that, it never billows, typically thin blue to invisible till food's done. I have to say that I've added a 12" clay saucer as a diffuser, it keeps the fat from dripping too much on the fire.
 
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