New FEC, lack of smoke problem and cure

What was the pellet brand???

Tell us more on how you smoked the pork butts and brisket. Temps and such please.

Had you seasoned the smoker before cooking the 1st PB?

Have you read any of the posts on 2 stage smoking temps for the FEC?

Welcome to the forum.

We need details so we can help.

What brand of pellets (the CS Hickory are 100% hickory)?

what flavor of pellets (apple is one of the lightest flavors there is)

What do you mean by lack of Smoke? What are you comparing it to (what did you use before)?

Bark isn't smoke specifically so bark or no bark is a different issue.

Smoke is a taste, if you're saying lack of smoke taste, then

What temps?
How long?

Need specifics and we'll help.

Here's a search in the Fe forum:

Serach on "lack of smoke"

Sorry for lack of info.

I bought the pellets from barbecuewood.com

I seasoned for 8 hours

I cooked at 170 degrees for 7 hours and then to 230 degree til I hit 195 degrees internal temp then I let them set for an hour.

I did that way on all 3 smokes so far.

The meat with the pellets sent with the FEC100 had lack of smoke or flavor. The bark was good because it was my seasonings with cayenne, brown sugar etc. The meat alone was bland with the CS Pellets.

I like apples mellow taste but I do love the hickory and mesquite. I gave taste tests of the two meats. They were reheated so the quality wasn't as good as fresh but the feedback I got with both smokes on the butts using CS Mesquite was bland and lack of flavor. The meat was tender and the texture was good but no smokey flavor. Everyone could taste smoke with the other pellets.

I should have bought mesquite but I didn't. I have some on their way. I am buying a ton of applewood delivered around $1000.00 (is that a good price?) and I am getting a mix of hickory and mesquite with that to try so hopefully that fixes it.

I have a bullet smoker. It made great product but too much work. Then I bought a Bradley. People love it but sometimes you get a bitter flavor from the bisquettes.

I am excited about the quality with the apple pellets so who knows. I hope I can figure out a good hickory/mesquite flavor.

I considered cutting a hole in the side and mounting my Bradley smoke generator but I think that would be a shame. I will keep experimenting with other pellets for now and I will look at the link that SmokinOkie included.

Thanks guys.

I think something else is wrong if your at the point of hacking your FEC100 with a piece off of a Bradley!
I don't have much to offer to help as I am new but I know that is the wrong way to "fix" your lack of smoke issue regardless of smoker!

CS Pellets (the hickory) are 100% wood. Many/most pellets are blends, such as 66% Oak and other flavor (like apple) the reason is you need the BTU's and oak works well.

Whereever you're buying them, just ask if they're 100% of whatever flavor or a blend.

If you did 7 hours at 170 with CS, that would get oversmoked around my house.

But smoke is SO subjective. If you think it needs more smoke, then it needs it.

I find a lot of people coming to FE's are actually used to what I would call a HEAVY smoke. Not bad, it's just always a challenge any time you switch from one cooker to the next.

The bradley's "smolder" that's how they generate all that white/gray smoke. I prefer my smoke clear, without all the particulates that white/gray carry.

They'll be some posters around this week, I'm sure you'll get lots of help.

That's what we like to do, help when we can.

Smokin'

Thanks to all that post on the forum. I haven't read this much since college. I can't believe the amount information I have "borrowed" from you all.

Thanks.

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Brown Bear, I find it important to apply the rub the night before and air dry the meat in the refer all night or 1 hour before cooking. I think the meat absorbs the smoke better this way and you may want to practice a little more with the fec before judging it. It took me a few times to get my Brisket right. Now my neighbors line up at the door when the smell the fec fire up.

Like Smokin said, everyone has a different flavor in mind when it comes to thier Q. One poster on here said he missed the flavor of creasote.

There are many out there who are winning on a regular basis with the same equipment you have.

I had a stick burner, and I feel the flavor from my FEC is the same as what I got from my stick burner. Like stated above, I like a clean clear smoke to cook with.

Even with my stick burner, I would use a mix of oak and apple or cherry. I would do the same with you FEC.

RandyE

I just called the barbecuewood.com guy and he told me that he supplies for CS, mixes Hickory (or other woods) and Oak for their blend. He said a lot of FEC owners are going crazy over his 100-percent hickory. Anyone try them? I'm ordering a ton if they are any good. Oh, incidently, they have oak, hickory and mesquite in their Tenn plant and all the other flavors in the northwest plant.

I think the fruitwoods would produce a lot of ash and may not be good for that reason. Don't quite know where I'll keep 100 bags of pellets, guess I'll have to annex-off one of the kid's bedrooms and make it a pellet storage room.

I hear Fast Eddy's 100% hickory pellets are real good, when I get low that's what I'm gonna try.

Where would one order 'fast eddy's pellets? Are they the same as the cookshack pellets? I didn't really care for the CS ones that came with my smoker. Lots of fines in the bottom of the bag, and they seemed to break easy. Maybe they just had a rough trip in delivery.

Maybe Smokin' will know if CS is now handling them, I believe they were suppose to start carrying them, but FE lives in KC and I'm only 30 minutes from there, so I'll try to buy them from him to save shipping. You can PM him and he may have a dealer close to where you live or know of someone that will split an order with you.

quote:

Originally posted by Chaplain Bill:
Where would one order 'fast eddy's pellets?

Go to his member page to get his contact details.

I have been very happy with Fast Eddy's 100% hickory pellets. He was giving two bags to every team at the Royal so I was able to pick some up. I like these much better than the blended ones.

CS Hickory are 100% I'm pretty sure, just call CS and ask, they'll confirm it or not. You can ask them what flaors they sell and what the blends are. I haven't asked lately so I'm sure someone can check for the "official" answer.

Russ

Currently cookshack has

Oak
Hickory
Mesquite
Fruit

All supposed to be 100% (fruit I assume is blended...)

Cookshack/FE Pellets

Fruit is the newest and isn't on their website. Have a few bags of fruit in the garage but haven't cooked with it yet. I have been very pleased with all the others.

Nordy