Bitter over smoked taste from my UDS.

[Joe Dirt]

Has it been happening since you built the uds? What was in it ?
If it's constant, try washing it out and re-seasoning it. Can't hurt anything.

The barrel was a polished stainless from bubbas barrels. I have produced some great grub out of it. This has happened once before but nothing like this.

 

[jacob]

I had that problem once with the wood I use to buy at different stores. It was either to old, or it was a true species of BBQ. I now buy Western Wood a Academy if I don't but fresh cut to dry myself. I've never had that problem since. Good luck figuring it all out and don't give up on it. That's a big part of the learning process, I've been there and done that many times. Always rub your own meat.

 

[stickburner plus]

One option is to re burn your drum to start with and see what happens.Ive had to reburn mine a time or 2.It's not normally like this with a ugly drum.But it's worth a try .

 

[smokeacholic]

What is the size of the exhaust opening? Do you get a lot of moisture on the underneath side of the lid? If so drippings might be happening coming off of the lid. I have never had a bitter taste from the drums. I have never used Stubbs charcoal so can't comment on that.

 

[TXLX]

x2 on the drippings & grease. I've seen chicken drippings get pretty black & nasty and start to smoke on my diffuser. I solved it by cooking in pans or adding a big drip pan with water to catch the drippings.

The only time I've really experienced bitter/bad taste is getting in too big of a hurry to get the meat on before the fire is ready. I use b&b oak lump and make sure the big chunk of smoking wood I start with is well lit before I put the meat on.

Also, if I need to tend the fire during the cook for some reason, I just take the meat to the oven while I get the fire fixed and let it settle.

 

[pitbossJB]

What is the size of the exhaust opening? Do you get a lot of moisture on the underneath side of the lid? If so drippings might be happening coming off of the lid. I have never had a bitter taste from the drums. I have never used Stubbs charcoal so can't comment on that.

Also, do you have a flat lid or Weber lid? I can see having a drip problem with a flat lid.

 

[SmittyJonz]

I run water pans in all my smokers because I get more even temps thru out the smoker and so they catch the drippings. One time I forgot to put it in My UDS because I was in a hurry and the Turkey (whole) had an off taste -- it was still edible but not right- - so it must have been the drippings into fire/coals. I generally prefer grilling Chicken - Hot fast cook unless Whole. I'd think it was the drippings.

I'd wash out the drum with soap and water, spray heavily with cooking oil spray and use a drip pan with chicken/turkey. I'd toss any used charcoal too and start with fresh charcoal.

 

[retired trucker]

Was your charcoal fresh and dry? I have had problems with some charcoal I bought from a store that had a large display out in the front of their store. It was damp I think, and it caused all kinds of trouble in my uds. If it has been open for a while, it will soak up moisture from the air like a sponge, and will produce some white smoke.

I keep all my extra bags of briqs in my basement that is temp controlled and dry, and don't have any problems since doing this.

I have a flat lid on mine, and it has dripped black creosote?? or whatever it is that builds up on it in the past. I now clean it off after a few cooks on it, to eliminate that problem.

Blessings,

Omar

 

[Joe Dirt]

Thanks all for the help. I guess Im leaning toward the charcoal being the problem. The smoker reeks now and has a shiny black coating on the inside that I swear wasnt there before. So, since I have the day off today. I will scrub the smoker out, throw away that bag of charcoal and start over.

 

[AlwaysSmokey]

• 
  
  I did put the lid on shortly after I dumped the hot coals. A few mins later it was puffing white smoke so I took the lid off again and let the smoke clear and allowed fire to build up to about 275. I didnt put the meat on until the heat settled and the white smoke was gone. So did I cause the problem by putting lid on too soon before fire was hot enough?

• 
  
  No. The smoker should come up to temp. and run clean smoke after an hour or so with the lid slapped on right after dumping the hot coals on. Bitter taste is too much smoke. Either the fire got dirty again during the cook due to air flow problems. Or, you were adding too many wood chunks at a time. Or, you had some bad charcoal altogether. Gross smoke = Gross taste. When I do chickens on my uds I run 275-300 sometimes even 350. I only add 1 or 2 chunks at a time for a light smoke. Grease dripping and smoking has never bothered me,.. but it does bother some people, and, diffusers are a solution to that. I don't use one. It's just hard to nail down exactly what went wrong without actually being there. Lots of good comments from the guys so far, good luck with the next run !

 

[garysam]

Also, do you have a flat lid or Weber lid? I can see having a drip problem with a flat lid.

I had a problem with the flat lid dripping creosote. The Weber lid solved the problem. Creosote is very bitter.:sad:

 

[Bludawg]

I run a flat lid and have never had an issue with stuff drippin on my meat.,nor do I run a diffuser or a water pan. I don't cook below 275 either and I run lump. Come to think of it I have never had food that was "OVER SMOKED" however I have eaten some that was cooked with a dirty oxygen starved fire that tasted like the dirty ash tray in my pickup on several occasions that I had to force a smile and say Mmm boy this is good barbeque. It is impossible to "OVER SMOKE" and here is the proof there is plenty of BBQ cooked on Stick burners with all wood at 225 for 14-20 hrs that have put a few million bucs in a few pockets. Where there is a Fire there will be Smoke it is impossible to have one with out the other. Clean up your fire try some lump!

 

[RolandJT]

I cook at those temps all the time from the time I dump my coals until I load the meat is less than 30 min.
When you dump your hot stuff leave the lid off and watch the thermo when the temp gets to 250 or more put the lid on. To cook at 300-325 I let the temp go to 275 and I close down the ball valve to 3/4 open and it settles right in at +300ish. YMMV bitter is usually creosote from a starved fire.

I agree with Bludawg. I sometimes run my WSM as a direct pit using 100% apple wood (from my tree trimming last spring). I do this to cook chickens quickly. Use about 1/3 of a split at a time and I make sure it is flaming for 2-3 min before I close the door again.

As long as I cook around 275-350 and watch the fire closely, I've never gotten a complaint from bitter/toungue numbing smoke. My best guess is that your fire is not getting the oxygen it needs.

 

[MartinM]

I've been cooking on a UDS all summer.. OK almost all summer.

I learned I do not like grease soaked coals for chicken!
I use a drip pan and I get a MUCH better tasting result.
I do not like smoked stuffing... tastes like KBB.

I do LOVE the taste of brisket dripping smoke, on beef. All the used coals get pulled and used for other stuff after I'm finished. I like to use them in my little webber as a hotter fire. I NEVER re- light coals that have drippings for my smoker.

I have to agree with the you cannot over smoke statement... just bad smoke. It doesn't take much bad smoke to leave that taste either.

 

[AlwaysSmokey]

....yep.. no over smoking. just bad fires.

 

[DjPorkchop]

I have been a victim of this a couple times in the past. I feel for you and hope you get it figured out real soon. I strongly urge you to clean your drum real good.

I found my issue was a starved fire as well. As far as the dripping from the lid, I have had that before on a rib cook that had nothing but TBS (smelled so darn good) the whole cook and it did not taste off at all.

My vote is with the oxygen not being sufficient or the chicken fat on coals.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Alright, so I spent the day at the machine shop working on the drum. Powerwashed, steam cleaned, and hand washed with soap and water. Back down to good clean stainless...well mostly. Taking the comments about oxygen or lack thereof into consideration. I made larger intakes. I always had (2) 1.5" intake tubes but the holes going thru the drum were 1". Not anymore. And I still am not sure if maybe the charcoal could have been a problem so I pitched it. So clean drum, more air, new charcoal...and a thirty pack of keystone light...I plan to light her back up and see what happens. Again thanks to all for the help.

 

[MartinM]

What your exhaust look like?

If the drum can't draft the bigger holes wont help.

I have as much exhaust as I have intake. This wasn't always the case and
it made a big effect on the quality of my smoke.

 

[Joe Dirt]

What your exhaust look like?

If the drum can't draft the bigger holes wont help.

I have as much exhaust as I have intake. This wasn't always the case and
it made a big effect on the quality of my smoke.

Stock weber lid. I did think about either enlarging the holes on the existing exhaust plate or just welding a stack in its place but would any more exhaust be needed?

 

[MartinM]

A lot of guys do fine with the webber lid so you should be good.