Smokey flavor

[TheSneakyZebra]

So before I purchase I gotta know. Does this produce the same smokey flavor as a charcoal run smoker? I know you do not get a smoke ring but does it still pack that smokey bbq taste?

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[old sarge]

Conventional wisdom has it that smoke only penetrates the meat up to a temp or 140 degrees.  After that it just sort of layers on.

As for the smoke flavor.  I would say yes.  I have a stick burner (retired), the electric, and I have smoked on a weber kettle using charcoal and wood chips. The flavor from each was good, very good, yet there were some subtle differences.  The differences were not or are not significant or off putting.  Just different.

A purist will say only a stick burner produces a proper Q. They are of course entitled to their opinion. I enjoyed mine for 15 or so years, but got tired of tending it and all night smokes were just out of the question (advancing years).

I smoke meats naked except for a simple rub of brown sugar, black pepper, garlic powder and Kosher salt. I like to taste the meat rather than a large amount rub. And the smoke flavor comes through just fine with a 2 or 3 ounce piece of wood.  Some folks like more smoke and use more wood. Or a different type of wood that is milder. Some like to completely coat the meat with a liberal amount of rub, maybe even mop on sauce throughout the smoke. It is a personal thing.

And it is very easy to over smoke, using too much wood, and layering on a thick nasty coating of bitter creosote.

Rest easy.  You will get a terrific smokey product.

[TheSneakyZebra]

Thanks for the reply. I just love the smokey flavor I get from my wsm but I am looking for some ease when smoking without losing the smoke flavor. Smokin-it may just be my answer

[DivotMaker]

Hey Zebra,

Dave hit the nail on the head, as usual!  I might just add one thing - I believe the smoke flavor you get is more "true" to the taste of the different woods we use.  The flavor is not changed by the fuel used to produce the heat, so it's just pure wood smoke.  I personally prefer it over BBQ smoked over charcoal.

[rickne]

To answer your question directly...  Yes.

I cooked on an off-set, then WSM, now the SI#3.  Here are a couple of things I experienced when going to the SI#3:

1. As for Smoke, you can easily OVER smoke things in the SI cooker.  You can put as much smoke into your meat as you like.  I over-smoked things my first couple of cooks.  I've gone to very little wood and I actually weigh it before I cook.  I probably use less wood than most folks do here.

2. I think you do miss the "fire" taste with an electric.  That's the best way I can explain it.  It's almost like a pure wood smoke flavor and it's missing the "wood fired" flavor.  It's just a bit different on an electric and I did miss that flavor.  I've started to put a single lump of Kingsford in my smoke box with my wood.  When I do this, it truly tastes like it came from my WSM.

[TheSneakyZebra]

Thanks for the help guys! I knew there would be some differences in flavor, I was trying to assess exactly what.

I have heard others use a lump of coal, does that really make make a difference?

[DivotMaker]

I tried lump charcoal in the box a few times, trying to get a smoke ring (when I cared about that!), but couldn't really tell any difference in the taste.  It's great, either way!  You won't be disappointed.  When I've taken pulled pork to work, people have told me it was the best Q they'd ever had - "better than Rib Crib!"  Hehe.  I thought they were just being polite, until I saw how much they ate, and how many questions they asked!

[Three Sons BBQ]

In my case, I actually had MORE smoke flavor; but that was for me.

I prevoiusly had a stick burner that smoked up the whole neighborhood, absolutely leaking smoke everywhere, almost to the point where there was next to smoke hitting the food (okay, so this is an exageration but you get the point).

In the case of the SI3 I have, its smoking for a good 4-5 hours and the first few times I had something I've never had before... TOO MUCH smoke flavor to the point where it inedible.

That trial run error I never made again....