Some Concerns

[Burchillb]

Santa recently brought me a SI2. I'm new to smoking so  I need some questions answered.
My first smoke was a 7.5 lb boneless pork bb. I did not marinate it, I did rub it down with mustard and then put my rub on. I used 2 of the smoke logs that came with the smoker.
Smoked it for about 15 hours at 225 until It reached and IT of 185 degrees.
My family thought it was outstanding, I didn't. I thought the smoke was to much, that was all you could taste.
Did I use to much wood ?
How would it do to use no wood, just the smoke created from the drippings ?
Like I said, I'm new to this and am not sure if I just didn't like the smoke flavor. Any comments and/or suggestions will be appreciated
Thanks                                                   

 

[swthorpe]

The amount of wood for a smoke should be guided by your preference for the amount of smoke.  It sounds like two dowels may have been too much, but I am not sure about the weight of the dowels.  For a BB, I usually use between 5-6oz of wood; for less timed smokes, I back down to 2-3oz.  Hickory has a strong smoke taste, so you might want to try something milder---cherry is a nice choice.  I don't think you did anything wrong, especially since your family thought it was outstanding!  Just try a little less wood next time, and perhaps a different wood.  If you have a small kitchen scale, you can easily weigh the wood to be sure that you have the right amount.    Give it a couple more smokes, and I think you will be happy happy happy!   

 

[Pork Belly]

You can run the SI with no wood or very little wood. Doing so makes it a steamy low temp oven. That wouldn't be my preference but do what makes you happy. You should be able to split the wood dowels or blocks pretty easy.

 

[SuperDave]

At 185, did you slice it?  That temp is typically very light if you were trying for a "pulled".  Being new to smoking, just experiment based on your results until you dial in your own desired specifications.  There are no absolutes in smoking. Some folks like strong smoke, some light smoke.  Some like bark and some don't 

 

[NDKoze]

For pulled pork, you are going to want to go to 195 and if you want to slice it more like 175. So at 185, you were kind of too much for slicing and not enough for pulled.

Some preference is a really personal thing. If you don't have a digital scale, I would recommend getting one. This will help you dial in the amount of smoke that you prefer.

As Brian said, you aren't going to get a lot of smoke if you don't include any wood.

I think I would just try less wood in your next smoke. I would also encourage you to brine your butt as it adds a lot of moisture and flavor to the butt.

Tony (AKA Divotmaker) has a good write-up on this in the following thread:
http://smokinitforums.com/index.php?topic=1012.0

There are a lot of other really good threads in the Pork section on Pork Butts too that may help.

I agree that Cherry would be a good wood for you to try. I love Cherry on Pork Butts. I actually usually use a combination of Cherry and Hickory which pairs together really well.

Keep on trying and with some trial and error, you will find what works best for you.

 

[Burchillb]

I pulled the pork and thought it was cooked enough. Like I said I'm new to this so maybe a higher IT would have helped. The other thing that I didn't care for was that I did not have what I would call a bark, it was browned nicely but was not crispy, maybe that would improve with a higher IT.
Thanks for the responses.

 

[DivotMaker]

BurchillB - First, you may have used too much wood.  Some of those dowels can be fairly long and dense, so without weighing you just don't know.  Most of us use 5-6 oz for a Boston butt that size, but you may need to use less.

I can't help but ask the question, because you mentioned that "everyone else thought it was outstanding:"  Do you like BBQ, and I mean smoked BBQ?  I'm not trying to be rude, but maybe it's just a taste you don't enjoy.  I'm pretty sure you're the first person I've seen ask about using it for an oven instead of a smoker, so that also made me want to ask this.  If the answer is yes, then maybe you need to cut the wood recommendations in half, and work up from there through experimentation.

As for the bark, that may have been more effected by what was in your rub than the smoker temp.  Does your rub contain brown or white sugar?  Sugar is a key ingredient to creating good bark.  Seasonings alone will impart great flavor, but rub needs sugar to make good bark.

Welcome, and we're glad you're here!  We'll help you get satisfied with your new smoker, and are here to help!

 

[Burchillb]

I know you're trying to help so please don't think anything you ask is rude. I love smoked bbq but mine was so strong it took away most of the bbq flavor. I'm going to continue with the smoke logs and hopefully I'll get it like I think it should be. You've got to remember that all my outdoor experience has been on an open grill which  all but eliminates the smoke flavor. I'm going to try smaller pieces of pork simply because it'll get done quicker and allow me more time to adjust and play till I get what I think I want.

And yes my rub did have brown sugar. Is there a certain amount of brown sugar required in order to get the crisp bark ?

The reason I ask about using it as an oven is I'm thinking the smoke from the dripping would provide a smoke taste. Must not be the case.

Temperature got down in the teens this morning. When it gets that cold in SC the whole state almost shuts down.

Thanks again and I'm not giving up.

 

[bigfoot21075]

I would pick up a fruit wood. The wood that comes with it is like Hickory or Mesquite I believe. Those are VERY strong flavors. Fruit wood is far more subtle. Yes, the drippings will give you an element of smoke.

 

[Pork Belly]

I suggest picking up a whole boneless pork loin on sale. Cut the loin into 4 to 6 inch sections. Experiment with them one section per smoke until you find the amount of wood you like.

 

[old sarge]

Just a quick thought/question but should the size of the smoker dictate the amount of wood used?

 

[NDKoze]

That is a great point. I would think you could use a little more in a #3 and a little less in a #1 because of the volume that needs to be filled before the smoke starts flowing out of the top hole.

But, I am thinking in the 0.5 to 1.0 (+/-) ounces is all the change I would think would be required.

 

[Walt]

If I recall, Martin ownes a #1 & 4.  It seems a question like this would be best answered by anyone with experience with both of those.  I know the baseline for wood quantities seem to be well established but that #4 is huge. 

I really haven't weighed wood for quite some time.  There are usually coals left after each smoke, so i shake the box & dump any ash that falls out of the bottom.  Push the coals to the side closest to the door & add a fresh chunk closest to the rear of the smoker.  I think the scale and weighing the wood is very important for the new user.  Learning the established methods (in anything) is critical before experimentation & adding previously acquired techniques.  My scale is now primarily used for making brines & cures. 

 

[old sarge]

I was thinking along the line of accumulated smoke concentration and the rate that it flows or drafts out the exhaust.

 

[Barrel99]

I have to weigh my chunks. Just the other day I picked up 2 pieces one apple and one hickory which seemed to be the same size. The apple weighed almost 2 ounces more. I don't have that kind of experience to pick a chunk and guess the size like the experts on here. So I stick to weighing.

 

[NDKoze]

Yeah, I still weigh mine too. I am not sure if it is necessary or not as I pretty much know what is what. But, I am kind of analytical, so I just weigh them. It only takes me seconds and gives me piece of mind.

 

[DivotMaker]

Just a quick thought/question but should the size of the smoker dictate the amount of wood used?

I don't use any different amounts between the #1 and #2, and the recommended amounts seem to be pretty consistent across the models (user feedback).  I believe the smoke will fill any volume quickly, and will only escape at a given rate - which should be the same for all models, given the vent hole and bottom drain holes are the same size.  The amount of wood is based on cooking time, not internal volume of the smoker, and cook times seem pretty consistent too (properly-sized elements take care of that).