How long to wait

O

olflathead

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This may be a rookie question but how long should I wait before putting meat on the cooker. I've noticed when cooking on my WSM, waiting 45min after firing up still is not enough. Seems I'm still getting that creosote taste if I start to soon. when I have time to wait till I get a clean smoke it seems I have a better tasting product.
 
Wait until you have clean smoke. Period. Just like BBQ isn't done after a certain amount of time, it's done when it is done. Same with your smoke. Your fire is ready when it's ready.
 
If you are only lighting a small amount of coal you just have to wait. Light at least 1/2 a bucket and put it on top so as to not overflow the ring, what I do is fill the ring then take a half bucket out, light it then back on the pile
 
Your patience will be rewarded, relax have another beer, and wait for the thin blue smoke.
 
I use either lump or all natural briquettes in my WSMs and there is almost no waiting before I can put my meat on.
I never run into issues with bitter creosote tasting meat.
YMMV.
 
I don't have to wait that long. You might be using too much smoking wood which can give it that sort of over smoked flavor. Also I think lump makes for better flavor than briquettes, not sure what you're using. I usually use minion method with about half a chimney of hot coals spread over unlit charcoal, with a couple chunks of smoking wood on top and a few mixed into the unlit coals. But go easy on the smoking wood, a little goes a long way.
 
Harbormaster said:
I use either lump or all natural briquettes in my WSMs and there is almost no waiting before I can put my meat on.
I never run into issues with bitter creosote tasting meat.
YMMV.
Click to expand...
Think about changing the fuel. Dollar General don't get it.
 
This is not a rookie question, and as you found out... if you wait until the coals are right to meat the meet, your food will taste better. All the suggestions are good ones and using lump 99% of the time I would experiment with a couple of brands to see how it performs for you.

What sometimes is a rookie mistake is taking slightly deceiving advertising as gospel. Brands like Royal Oak (which I use) claim the coals are ready in 15 minutes. Cookers like Big Green Egg (which I use) also claim you are "ready to cook" in something like 15 or 20 minutes... both of these statements are slightly misleading and I allow more time. Even some cook books, cooking hosts or products (like a 15 minute marinade) are just as bad when it comes to timing...Obviously marketing plays a role here, and maybe many folks are in a hurry to light a fire, prep the food, cook and get it to the table – I guess I'm not in that demographic. :mrgreen:
 
Harbormaster said:
I use either lump or all natural briquettes in my WSMs and there is almost no waiting before I can put my meat on.
I never run into issues with bitter creosote tasting meat.
YMMV.
Click to expand...

^ ^ ^ +1

Stay away from junk fuel like KBB.
 
thirdeye said:
This is not a rookie question, and as you found out... if you wait until the coals are right to meat the meet, your food will taste better. All the suggestions are good ones and using lump 99% of the time I would experiment with a couple of brands to see how it performs for you.

What sometimes is a rookie mistake is taking slightly deceiving advertising as gospel. Brands like Royal Oak (which I use) claim the coals are ready in 15 minutes. Cookers like Big Green Egg (which I use) also claim you are "ready to cook" in something like 15 or 20 minutes... both of these statements are slightly misleading and I allow more time. Even some cook books, cooking hosts or products (like a 15 minute marinade) are just as bad when it comes to timing...Obviously marketing plays a role here, and maybe many folks are in a hurry to light a fire, prep the food, cook and get it to the table – I guess I'm not in that demographic. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...
Well ready to "cook" and ready to "smoke" are two different animals. I can get a chimney ready to cook in 15 no problem..

OP- Is your wood chunks ontop of, or buried in the coals? I've found less overall "bad smoke" when burying the chunks before I put the hot coals over them.
 
SmittyJonz said:
Keep your exhaust full open.
Click to expand...

Harbormaster said:
I use either lump or all natural briquettes in my WSMs and there is almost no waiting before I can put my meat on.
I never run into issues with bitter creosote tasting meat.
YMMV.
Click to expand...
Yes and Yes!!! The number one culprit behind dirty smoke in any cooker is poor airflow and it kinda' sounds like that could be your problem if after an hour your charcoal cooker isn't up to temp, with clean smoke. With that said however, your choice of charcoals will have an effect on it as well.
As far as I'm concerned lump IS the way to go and the only briquettes I'll use are the all natural varieties that are MADE of lump such as the K-Competition or something comparable. To me regular briquettes are too full of chemicals that produce an off smell and taste, doesn't burn nearly as hot as lump and produces too much thick ash. Find a good quality lump or all natural briquette made from lump and I'll bet you'll notice a big difference.:wink:
 
I agree with all of the above. Exhaust wide open and just plain old wait until it is ready. I use Royal Oak briquettes (so sue me, I like them and have success with them). I also bury the wood chunks in the charcoal... fill the basket a third of the way, add 2-3 SMALL chunks, more charcoal, 2-3 more SMALL chunks, then a final layer of charcoal. Then remove from the center whatever I need to put in the chimney, plus add a few more from the bag. Sometimes I am ready to go in half an hour, others its an hour. I just open a cold one, piddle around in the garage or play with my kids until the smoker is streaming thin blue. YMMV, of course.
 
oldbill said:
Yes and Yes!!! The number one culprit behind dirty smoke in any cooker is poor airflow and it kinda' sounds like that could be your problem if after an hour your charcoal cooker isn't up to temp, with clean smoke. With that said however, your choice of charcoals will have an effect on it as well.
As far as I'm concerned lump IS the way to go and the only briquettes I'll use are the all natural varieties that are MADE of lump such as the K-Competition or something comparable. To me regular briquettes are too full of chemicals that produce an off smell and taste, doesn't burn nearly as hot as lump and produces too much thick ash. Find a good quality lump or all natural briquette made from lump and I'll bet you'll notice a big difference.:wink:
Click to expand...


^ ^ ^ ^ This..

The buck stops here...:grin:
 
Smokeoholic said:
I'm sure this is correct, i'v tasted more "Comp Q" than i care to confess.:icon_blush:
Click to expand...
Yeah, competition Q doesn't necessarily equate to "good" Q. There's a hand full of serious teams that are in it to win it but then there is the majority that are there to party and don't really care about producing a good product. Some of the comp BBQ that I've had was borderline or downright inedible!!!:icon_sick If someone is a multiple champion using regular briquettes, it speaks volumes about the level of competition that he's been winning against and with the exception of Harry Soo, Myron Mixon and a few others a lot of the cook off champions using charcoal briquettes are just better than average backyard cooks.
There have been many champions of the competition circuits that have opened Q joints and failed miserably because there's a HUGE difference between competition Q and the quality product that we as consumers expect and pay our hard earned money for.:wink:
 
Last edited:
What temps are you running or trying to run ? Sometimes guys got 225*' drilled into their heads so bad they smother (exhaust closed too much) or starve ( intakes closed too much) a fire to keep temps down = Dirty Fire = Bad Taste. Let it breathe And have a good draft thru smoker and run where it wants to ( within reason) anywhere between. 225* and 325*.

More Airflow = Clean Fire = Higher Temps but a Good Tasting Q.
 
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