Smoker Box Closure

[s_noe_ikon@hotmail.com]

I searched the forum but didn't find what I was looking for so here goes.

Has anyone noticed that if the smoker box lid is not completely closed and almost sealed the smoking effect on the meat gets overpowering?  I have a wood stack with oak and I've smoked different meats with the exact same wood with wildly differing results as far as smoke flavor.  Some brisket comes out great, some comes out bitter.  The only thing I can find to be different is that when I place wood in the smoke box sometimes the roof of the smoke box would not seat all the way down because the wood might be slightly too tall for the roof to sit all the way down.  Is this a known "commandment"?  Thou shalt put smoke box lid all the way down or risk bitter meat?

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[old sarge]

I have had the lid held up/open just a tad on a few occasions but never noticed a serious difference in the smokiness of the meat. With the lid up/open more smoke can come out, more air in, maybe even combustion or possibly some of your wood may have been drier than others?

[s_noe_ikon@hotmail.com]

The only difference was whether the lid was up (maybe 1/4 inch) or not.  Otherwise the same wood cut from the same stock used within 2 or 3 weeks of each other.  Interesting but something I noticed when trying to put the wood in.  I even measure the woods weight to 5 oz.  It is Oak.  I use an Auber so I know the temp is being held at 225 for each smoke.  The only real variable is whether the lid is popped in my observation.

Anyone else experience this?

[Walt]

I am with David on this. My lid frequently is slightly open due to the size of the chunks. I can't say I ever notice a difference. Good luck

[SconnieQ]

If my chunk is just a little too big, I split a piece off using a hammer and a dull chisel. I usually use 2 or 3 pieces of varying sizes per smoke anyway. Smaller piece gives off more smoke in the beginning, larger piece for sustained smoke. I don't like it if my lid doesn't close, but I also doubt if that is the cause of your different smoke tastes. I'm not sure of the source of your oak, but even if it comes from the same tree, different parts of the tree can be more or less dense than others, and will dry and burn differently.

[tomd8]

Not sure if you still have this problem or if would even recall but per chance did you find ashes not charcoal in the smoker box when the food was bitter?  If yes then as Old Sarge indicated combustion which I have experienced first hand to cause bitter meat.

[Lipster]

I wonder if the OP is using too much wood?
It doesn't take much.
Two walnut sized, or two or 3 index finger sized chunks do it for me.  More than that it seems to smokey (bitter).

[LarryD]

How does the wood look post-smoke?  Do you end up with lumps of charcoal or do you end up with ashes?  Any correlation to good/bad flavor?

Having the box open a little would allow more airflow and thus a higher chance of combustion.