Very little smoke flavor on 8 lb Pork Butt

Yep,enoough coating,or oils, can slow smoke penetration-some say.

Overdry/old wood can be real weak.

Being around the smoker all night can desensitize us to smoke.

You won't necessarily get deep smoke penetration,or flavor in large hunks of meat.

The Cookshack smokes very cleanly/efficiently and you should not see,or smell,too much smoke.

Just a couple of thoughts.

Also, it has been my experience that the bigger the chunks the longer I get a good flavorful smoke going. Meaning that 2 3 oz pieces would be better than 6 1oz pieces.

This may have a connection with what Tom said about old wood. The smaller pieces would have more area exposed so they would dry out(and burn up) faster.

One more thing. How long have you had your smokette? If its not good and seasoned it will continue to give a smokier taste with each smoke.

If it is I would stay with the notion that it was the combo of the thick rub and weak wood.

After a long smoke like that I would expect to see only white ashes left in the wood box on my 55. In one of the post I saw on this forum someone stated that you can put the woodbox in backwards on a 08/09. I checked on my 55 at that is not possible.

Key is to look at the wood. If it's not "fully" burned (could be powder or charcoal too) then there was a combustion problem.

1. Usually it's the wood. It's hard to tell, could be moisture, could be old.

2. Look at the placement of the wood in the box. 8oz is a lot and if it's all piled together, might not get enough oxygen.

I think your problem is one of the two above...

Alternative method:
There are some that want a REAL LARGE amount of smoke. What i consider oversmoked, but when you want to add more. Think method. DO what a log burner does. Burner wood, add wood.

DO NOT try this at home (obligatory warning)!!! I don't recommend this lightly, but I've been know to use my 500 degree oven mitts (fryer gloves). I put a few ounces in and then half way through the cook, I pull out the firebox and add more. The firebox is hot, handle with care.

Thanks for all the replies.

I am going to try another butt tonight. I will have to check the smoke box position. I do not think mine can go in backwards but if it can then I have been putting it backwards from the start. My first three butts were ok but seemed light on smoke but I was cautious and was light on wood so I didn't think too much of it.

All I had was smaller pieces of wood before this last smoke so that may not have helped. I will try larger pieces toward the front of the box as in my earlier smokes.

If I do not see what I remember as normal smoke coming out the top I will try Smokin Okie's Idea. Thank's again, I will post my results. Gotta get to the meat market.

OK, here are the results as promised

I put in a 7.5 lb. Pork Butt along with three 2 oz or so chunks of hickory. The wood pieces were triangular and the size that would just allow the wood box cover to close. By the way the wood box on my Smokette cannot be installed backwards.

I had real good smoke coming out the top this time. At the six hour mark the smoke had diminished and I opened the door and added another piece of similar size. I pulled the wood box forward about 1/2 inch with steel tongs then flipped the lid and added the wood in about 30 seconds.

After 20 hours total to 195 degree internal I pulled the Butt. It had a very good smoke smell and it had the most smoke and taste of spices of any pork butt I have done so far. Excellent bark, even more than the past. The wood I used this time(I had to buy more 'cuz I was out) was more peach in color unlike the wood I had from Cookshack the only other differences was the size of the wood chunks and the addition of 2 oz more at the 6 hr mark and I put the butt on as high a rack as it would fit inside the smoker. Those suttle differnces made a huge differnce in the rusults though.

Thanks Smokin Okie for the suggestion about adding the wood. This was by for the best results I have had with a Pork Butt.

Doug

Did you have wood left over?

What temp was the meat at the 6 hour point when you added another chunk?

Usually, way before 6 hours, the smoke coming out the top of the Smokette is almost clear and hard to see. Are you sure it had quit smoking? Were the other wood chunks in the box burned up completely when you added another?

Let's talk about "smoke"

Most offset smokers want to see clear/blue smoke. Keep in mind, just because you don't see it, that it's not there. Smoke goes through a couple of stages, so keep that in mind as you "watch" the smoke.

Best indicator is the wood. How did the wood chunks look?

I knew that question was going to come up.

I almost took pictures but a description will have to do. The first two chunks toward the front of the wood box were all ash. the chunk farthest to the back was about 1/8 left and the piece I added was about 1/4 left. All of the wood chunks were about 1 3/4 long and triangular in shape that basically just fit under the wood box lid.

The butt was 155 internal (6 hr mark) when I added the wood piece. the meat looked redish grey on the outside at that time. And when finished at 195 (20 hrs)it looked like a meteroite. At the six hour mark, all three original wood chunks looked like lump charcoal and had a glowing ash area above each hole in the wood box. The new piece was added third from the front.

I should have took pics

Doug

I think the meat had probably taken on all the smoke it was gonna take on by the '6 hour mark', and that you had added plenty to begin with.

Good job.

Smoke will stop penetrating during the cook, but it will continue to adhere to the outside as long as you cook it. That's why some stick burners get that creosote coating, too long in the hard smoke

Just a reply to the creosote comment by SmokinOkie & I have done that when using the Texas style side burner smoker. Man, there is nothing quite like the taste of a good creosote coat on your pork. That smoker went adios a long time ago.