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10 replies

Charcoal Making in Smokette?

S smokenqueQ'n n Brew'n
Saw the discussons about charcoal making in the new Amerique and had a similar question for the Smokette. I've had mine for a couple of years now and I've only made white ash in a few of the early burns. Now I get only charcoal.. even if I leave that same wood in for 2-3 burns.

While some of them are shorter burns 3 hrs. the last one for pork spares was closer to 5.5hrs. The cover of the wood box has foil wrapping on it that prevens the box from closing tightly.. which, I assume, would be 'good' from the standpoint that the wood is not starving for oxygen and should burn even better..??? Also, it doesn't seem to matter if I have the smoker set to 180(ish) or full bore.

Any comments? Seems as if I'm now tossing the 'best part of the wood'. Impurities burned out and just good stuff to work with. Come to think of it, I believe the first few burns I mentioned above had a briquette in them.
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FM Former Member
I have the same situation, using aged cured pecan. Nice charcoal leftover. I put it in my offset.

I don't remember what/if I did something different, but once or twice I got white ash.

I get smoke both ways, but maybe the bitter soemtimes is from the charcoal making. Hmmm, don't know.
FM Former Member
Different smoker, different issue, it's not the woodbox in the smokette, as it's been out a real long time and it's not been much of a problem.

I agree that it's the wood itself as the most "likely" cause.

Ii'd also suggest that wood burning slow like that will give you more smoke flavor than something that burns too quick and turns to ash fast.

Try some different wood, make sure it's dry.
FM Former Member
What I had left in my 50, depending on the wood , was either ashes or black chunks that had no smoking stuff left in them. Call it charcoal if you like.

It's my feeling that even if the remains are sort of solid and black, the smoke and flavor elements have been rendered out.I don't think the formation of ashes vs black lumps is as important as "did it smoke?"

FYI, Cookshack folks: I had 2 oz of Hickory reduced to grey dust with two hours at 250* and three at 180* in the new wood box in my AmeriQue. Like smokenmullet, a perfect smoke.
S smokenqueQ'n n Brew'n
quote:
Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
Different smoker, different issue, it's not the woodbox in the smokette, as it's been out a real long time and it's not been much of a problem.

I agree that it's the wood itself as the most "likely" cause.

Ii'd also suggest that wood burning slow like that will give you more smoke flavor than something that burns too quick and turns to ash fast.

Try some different wood, make sure it's dry.


Realize it's not the Amerique.

Maybe it is the wood.. but, this stuff, as mentioned, is over a yr old.. and, lately, sitting in the hot Calif. sun.

As mentioned.. doesn't make any difference if it is CS supplied hickory or my own oak or alder or apple.

Taste of the product is good.. but, the charcoal is difficult to understand.

I'm going to try to remember to put a watt meter on the unit for next use for grins.
W williesqMember
Hi Guys,
I smoked some meat in my smokette the otherday and used the hickory that Cookshack sent me with my 150. When it was done there was probably 50 percent of the wood left. Then I cooked in it again and used some hickory I have stored in my barn and when I took the wood box out it was ash. The difference was the one in the barn was well seasoned. Hope that helps Smiler
FM Former Member
smokenque,

I owned a CS55 for years and now have an AmeriQue, but to be spicific I have used local pecan, Red Bay wood, oak, CS hickory, New York apple, and Alaskan alder in the CS55. Each of these woods were at different stages of cure (dryness) over time.

I never in all my cooking with the CS55 got the same results of ash to charcoal, but I found it didn't make any difference in that smoker. The right amount of smoke was always present in the food. The only difference I found was based on the AMOUNT of wood used. Most of my smoking/cookings were light to medium in smoke flavor.

Hope this helps,

smokemullet

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