Adjusting air flow

[bugster2]

I have a verticle gas smoker with a chimney on top. My smoke is not good quality so from what I have read I need to reduce the amount of air in the unit. How does one do it if there is nothing but the chimney? I see no way of adjusting the air coming out of the chimney and I don't think anything can be done around the fire ring. Any advice would be appreciated to get that thin, blue smoke.


Idiot me! I just went out and looked at the smoker and realized that I had forgottent to put the lid on the smoker box. Do you think this has a dampening effect? Well. I don't think these ribs are going to be edible but maybe next time I can do better. Shame cause it is a lot of wasted meat. oh well. we have corn on the cob and beans to eat.

[Texas-Hunter]

What smoker are you using?? I thought you just bought a Kenmore Vertical smoker?? Are you using another??

[bugster2]

It is the Kenmore. It has a small chimney on top. It has a small box with a lid that holds the wood. The box sits directly over the flame. I was getting billowing smoke without the lid on. Don't know this time if the lid has anything to do with smoke quality. I would think it would cause it has some vents. maybe it slows down the burn. I dunno.

[RowdyRay]

Bugs, here's what you do. Find yourself an old 8 X 8 or 9 X 9 brownie pan. An older one without the nonstick coating. Preferably one from a thrift store. Cheaper too. Cover it with tin foil. You can do this to your existing pan too. Poke a few holes in it. I do about 4. This will limit how much air gets to the chips. It'll smoke real good at first, but that will stop after 15 or 20 minutes.

On longer smokes, I shake it up and add a few more holes. You may not see smoke, but you'l smell it. If you open the door you'll see it coming out of the holes. That's all you need. Here's the pan I just took out of mine.

[Texas-Hunter]

I think Ray has you pointed in the right direction... Don't get discouraged.. There is a learning curve with a new smoker..

[bugster2]

The ribs were inedible and went in the trash. They(baby backs) cooked on low for 4 hours and still were tough. I started playing around with the smoke box and took off the lid and replaced it with foil. I then poked 4 holes in it. This is before I read the brownie pan post. At least I am thinking in the right direction. Is it possible that the fire under the box is too hot and that is what is making bad smoke. I burned some wet chips in the foil covered box and it started out with blue smoke wisps, increased in volume and then got very smokey and it may have turned white. Then it tuned blue again briefly and then burnt out. I guess I am not sure what to look for. Can someone describe how the smoke starts out though it stopping? Also is it necessary to wet the chips? I have been soaking them.

[DDave]

bugs,

First off, don't be discouraged if your first ribs didn't turn out as well as you'd hoped. My first rack of spares would have been considered inedible by most people, but I did not have sense enough to throw then in the trash. In retrospect, I probably should have.

Baby backs won't cook enough in 4 hours on your smoker to get tender. I don't know how hot "low" is but even at 240° it would take closer to 5 hours.

I think the verticals are a little tricky to get the smoke just right because you have to have the heat high enough to get the smoker up to temp but have to figure out a way to keep the wood from smoking too much or catching on fire. On my SnP (which I converted to propane), I can move the wood away from the flame but I don't know if you have that kind of room in your smoker. The other option is restricting the airflow.

Soaking chips is quite a debate that comes up every so often, but most folks (me included) feel that it just postpones the inevitable -- which is the chips steam, smolder, then burn. You need to find a way to make them smoke with out them catching on fire.

The "thin blue wisps" that you describe are what you are looking for in visible smoke. but remember, if you smell smoke, you're smoking. You don't necessarily have to see it.

Unfortunately I don't know you're particular smoker so I can't help you with specific instructions, but there are folks here who have GOSMs and other smokers very similar to yours. I'm sure they will be along with some help.

In the meantme, think positive and don't give up.

Dave

[Texas-Hunter]

The ribs were inedible and went in the trash. They(baby backs) cooked on low for 4 hours and still were tough. I started playing around with the smoke box and took off the lid and replaced it with foil. I then poked 4 holes in it. This is before I read the brownie pan post. At least I am thinking in the right direction. Is it possible that the fire under the box is too hot and that is what is making bad smoke. I burned some wet chips in the foil covered box and it started out with blue smoke wisps, increased in volume and then got very smokey and it may have turned white. Then it tuned blue again briefly and then burnt out. I guess I am not sure what to look for. Can someone describe how the smoke starts out though it stopping? Also is it necessary to wet the chips? I have been soaking them.

Sorry to see that your ribs did not come out they way you would like them... I feel you should smoke your ribs the 3-2-1 (for Spare Ribs) or 2-2-1 (for Baby Backs) method..

2-2-1 method is that you smoke as normal for 2 hours, followed by 2 hours cooking wrapped in foil, and finally 1 more hour unwrapped... This gives the meat time to soak in smoke during the first three hours, when most smoke is absorbed.. During the wrapped period the ribs are steamed, making them tenderer and loosening the meat from the bone.. During the last hour the ribs are exposed to the dry, smoky heat again to form a surface crust....


Prep the ribs by removing the membranes and applying your rib rub..Place ribs, bone side down in smoker and cook for two hours... Then pull and wrap ribs tightly in aluminum foil to form an airtight seal, return to smoker bone side up and smoke for 2 hours... Unwrap ribs and return to smoker bone side down for 1 hour... Smoking them this way will give you fall off the bone good ribs... And they will be tender and moist..

[Okie joe]

Sorry that yor first batch of ribs went in the trash,,,,,but it is something that you have to learn on....This is the best Man Up Meat cooking College you will find... The ego is kept perty much in check here cause there are MANY who do it great and dont mind helping.... The I have a inside track and you must grovel to get my crumbs group is at a different site.....thank you...

I dont soak (but will fight to the bloody end for your right to soak).
I use more chunks and splits than chips.....if all you have is chips use chips...
If you smell smoke you are smokeing....thin and blue ....not thick white billowing is not what I want on my meat....and what both have said Ray and Texas hunter sound advice...my 2 coppers best of luck next time...sorry D Dave I missed ya the first time on the re read

[Richtee]

Dang it Bugs... I am sorry to hear that.

Seriously..consider just firing that thing up with a thermo in it and practice getting the thin blue and temps. All different models have all different characteristics. Kinda wish you'd have went with the Brinkmann or a WSM... as those are WELL known here. The Kenmore is kinda an unknown quantity. Similar to the GOSM no doubt...but like I said earlier...they ALL got their quirks.

Also get some CHUNKS... I have no faith in chips. But...maybe that's just me.

Don't give up...that's how we all get our deals on new smokers... "Used 3 times, for sale cheap..."

[SMOKE FREAK]

The good part of this story is that you knew it wasnt right. Then came to here ask how to do it better. You will do it better with practice. Heck none of us started out where we are now. Rich has a good idea in a few trial runs with no meat to lose. Smoke on...

[Bbq Bubba]

1....No pics, never happened.

B...You didn't cook the ribs long enough, sorry to hear you tossed em.

Lastly, you've been given some good advise, use it and smoke on!

[SMOKE FREAK]

Hey maybe the prize in next months comp could be a camera. Then I would enter. Oh wait I cant enter without a camera...Geeze...

[Fat_Head_Carl]

If the smoker you bought is anything like my GSOM - first thing that you should do is replace the thermometer with an aftermarket thermo (mine was junk)

Since thermo replacement, I've been able to reliably regulate the temp in the smoker by getting the flame "close" and fine tuning it with the top vent (by opening or closing it in small increments)

My first run with ribs turned out sub par, edible, but no where what I came to expect from my smoked eats.

Also - someone (I think it was Mr T) mentioned 3-2-1 and 2-2-1 (baby back) method for ribs. I recently had awesome success with it. One addition to the "foil" time, is to splash some apple juice inside the foil, before you wrap it.

Good luck with you're next smoke.

Fat Head Carl

[DDave]

Seriously..consider just firing that thing up with a thermo in it and practice getting the thin blue and temps.

Yep, what Rich said. I'm a big fan of "trial runs". I've done quite a few on the SnP and on the drum. It's a great way to get used to the smoker.

Dave