Top 12 Smoking Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Barbecue
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Smoking meat should be fun, but if you’re just getting started it can feel like there is way too much you have to learn.
This can get stressful when your guests start to arrive just when everything is going wrong.
Next thing you know your friends are all “out of town” every time you host a BBQ.
It’s a lot more fun if can get some practice in and watch out for these common mistakes that almost everyone makes.
When you’ve smoked some pork butts, chicken, and tried your hands at brisket and everything’s coming together then invite the whole gang over and wow ‘em with your smoking skills.
In the meantime learn from the smoking mistakes of others and share any mistakes you’ve made in the comments below.
1) Not giving yourself enough time
Not allowing yourself enough time is a big mistake that can cause you to start making lots of other mistakes.
When the clock is ticking away and the guests are on the way you might think it’s a good idea to close the vent to hold more smoke in or start adding more coals to the fire.
The fix:
Barbecue takes preparation time and patience.
You can’t rush, and because every piece of meat is different it’s difficult to accurately estimate the length of cooking time.
We have put together a chart of cooking times and temps for all the most common types of meat.
Free Chart: Download a free copy of our smoking times and temperatures chart so you can refer back to it whenever you need it.
While some people argue that if you start cooking in the smoker you should finish in the smoker if it’s getting dark and you’re running out of fuel you can always resort to the “Texas cheat”.
This method of cooking involves you smoking the meat for a few hours before wrapping it in foil, sometimes with juice, and then finishing it in the oven at 325°F (160°C) for a few hours.
2) Too much smoke
Probably the most literal smoking mistake and the one I get the most emails about.
If a little smoke makes meat taste delicious then a lot of smoke must make it taste freaking amazing, right?
Unfortunately, this logic can result in some pretty atrocious barbecue.
Using too much wood and not understanding fire management is one of the biggest rookie BBQ mistakes.
You can make matters worse by closing the vents to hold more smoke in. This is a sure-fire way for your meat to end up straight in the trash.
The fix:
Smoking is definitely a case of less is more.
You want to see thin whips of smoke coming out of the grill.
The right amount of wood depends a lot on the type of grill you are using. On a
A good rule of thumb is to use about two ounces of wood and adjust from there.
Always keep the inlets and exhaust dampers at least slightly open and be careful how you close the inlet damper or the fire could smolder and give off some bad tasting smoke.
If the smoke smells bad the meat will taste bad too.
3) Over adjusting your grill setup
Picture this scenario.
You are on your first smoke and everything is going well. You used a charcoal chimney to get your coals nice and ashed over and you’ve got your cooking zone and drip pan setup.
You start imagining how that succulent pork butt is going to taste and then your notice the temperature start to shoot up.
In a panic, you lift the lid, open the vents and keep making wild adjustments until the temperature drops.
You had the right idea but keep completely overshooting the mark.
The fix:
When you see the temperature start to flare up it can be stressful but you shouldn’t panic.
Avoid trying to adjust too many things at once or you can easily over-correct.
Change one thing, see what happens, then change another.
If you are smoking on a
You should also avoid opening the lid too often. The key is to holding a steady temperature is to only make small adjustments.
4) Using the wrong cut of meat.
It can be tempting to just grab the cheapest cut from the meat section in your nearest chain supermarket and start smoking.
But if you want to produce delicious pulled pork, ribs or brisket , you MUST start with the best quality you can afford.
The fix:
Your local butcher is your best friend. Tell your butcher exactly what you are looking for. This will vary depending on what you plan on smoking.
This is a huge topic on its own but some important things to look out for are:
- Ribs – You want to look for good meat coverage over the bone and avoid too much surface fat. If you can avoid buying frozen.
- Brisket – Try and get a whole packer brisket with nice marbling and white, hard fat about 1/4″ to 1/3″ (0.6cm – 0.8cm) thick over the entire flat portion.
- Pork Butt – While a bit more forgiving than brisket, for best results look for the large “money muscle” at the opposite end of the bone.
“Look at the opposite end of the bone. It’s tube shaped (with striations and stripes). You’ll see the bands of fat evenly spaced along the muscle. When fully cooked that fat should easily melt away and render.”
Bill West – Barbecuetricks.com
If you’re having trouble finding good cuts of meat to barbecue locally, we recommend Snake River Farms for brisket and pork, and all the meat from Porter Road is excellent.
5) Using lighter fluid to start your charcoal briquettes.
This is one of the most common barbecue mistakes amateurs make. I get it! You’re impatient and want to start cooking RIGHT NOW.
Before you douse your charcoal in lighter fluid understand that this can give off some really awful odors and create a funky taste in your smoked meat.
Not to mention this going against the whole point of low and slow cooking!
The fix:
A quality chimney starter is one of the best investments you can make. You can pick up a Weber Chimney Starter from Amazon.
Lighter cubes work well, but all you need is a few bunched up paper towels.
Place them on the bottom grate of your grill, fill the chimney with coals then set it down on the grill and light the paper towels.
You should see smoke curling up and be able to feel heat.
Make sure you keep a close eye on it and within 20 minutes you should be good to go. If you’re not sold on a chimney starter then check out our guide to the best tools for light charcoal.
6) Not controlling the temperature inside the grill
Good barbecue requires a steady, low heat over a long period of time.
A common mistake is exposing the meat to too high a heat, resulting in dry tough meat. This can be especially challenging when trying to smoke on a propane grill.
The fix:
Getting this right can take a few attempts but you want to try and keep the temperature between 225-250°F (107 – 121°C).
Controlling your smoker’s temperature depends on the type of smoker you are using.
You control temperature on a charcoal smoker by opening the vents or intake dampers to increase the temperature and closing the vents to decrease oxygen flow and lower the internal temperature.
It’s important to get the smoker stabilized before adding your meat.
Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes with a thermometer away from direct heat until the temperature stabilizes and only then add your meat.
To keep everything under control you’ll need to get a good thermometer setup with a probe to measure air temperature, and another to measure the temperature of the meat.
We recommend the ThermoWorks Smoke more than any other thermometer. It is easy to use, has all the features you need to make good bbq, and is rugged enough to withstand any punishment.
The outstanding build quality, user-friendly design, and the best in class probes make the Smoke our top pick for any serious smoking enthusiast.
Finally it’s important to keep a full water pan in the barbecue chamber to absorb heat and help moderate the temperature. Over a long cook the water can evaporate so keep checking and refilling every 3-4 hours.
7) Having a few too many drinks while you barbecue
Spending time outside while downing a few cold ones is one of the best things about smoking.
But don’t be surprised if by the 6th beer your constant supervision starts to relax.
It doesn’t take long before the heat gets way too high and 12 hours and 9 pounds worth of brisket turn into an inedible hunk of jerky.
If you’re really unlucky the combination of meat fat, hot fuel and airflow could combine to cause an epic grease fire.
If you’re really smart you could even find yourself the star of a viral video.
The fix:
Maintaining an internal temperature of 225-250°F (107 – 121°C) can require close supervision over a long time.
Go ahead and enjoy a few beers but especially if this is your first time remember to stay focused and maybe leave the bourbon until after you’ve carved up.
8) Panicking during the stall
If you’re on the impatient side then waiting around for the meat to hit the perfect temperature for tender barbecue can be frustrating.
If you’ve ever smoked a brisket or pork shoulder chances are you’ve experienced the dreaded “stall”.
When the temperature on the thermometer decides it doesn’t want to change for hours at a time.
Don’t make the newbie mistake of getting impatient and increasing the heat. Remember that we are aiming for succulent meat, not a pot roast.
The fix:
There are many theories around the stall, ranging from the moisture leaving the meat, slow rendering fat or the protein breaking down.
If you want to geek out we have a full article explaining the science of the stall but the best advice is not to panic, keep the temperature stable and eventually the temperature of the meat will start to slowly climb.
Something this delicious wouldn’t be possible without some challenges!
9) Opening the grill lid to peek too often.
After selecting the right piece of meat, preparing it and then getting your barbecue and coals ready your excitement levels are at an all-time high.
But by continuing to open the lid you are letting out the heat and the smoker will be below temperature.
The fix:
The meat’s not going anywhere! Your thermometer should tell you all you need to know to make any adjustments.
Open the lid only when necessary to apply a mop or spritz, or to move the meat or tend to the coals. You don’t need to keep checking up on it.
The size of this mistake does depend on what you are smoking with, and some peaking should be OK.
Be extra careful about over peeking if you’re smoking on a
“The effect of opening the lid on a charcoal grill like the
Meathead Goldwyn, Amazingribs.comWeber Kettle is greater than on gas or pellets because the heating potential of charcoal is limited. It eventually diminishes and burns out. So you are not only losing cooking time, you are losing cooking time at a higher temp.”
10) Trusting the thermometer on a dome smoker
The hood thermometer will lie to you.
Most BBQ grills and smokers come up a “handy” dial installed on the dome.
They are almost always cheap and because they are positioned near the top of the lid it records the temperature of the air space above the food you are cooking.
The fix:
Ignore the inaccurate built in smoker.
The best way to monitor the internal temperature is to invest in a digital dual probe thermometer.
This allows you to measure the temperature of your grill and your food at the same time.
11) Choosing the wrong type of wood.
Obsessing over what type of wood to use for smoking can result in family and friends rolling their eyes.
Matching wood “flavor profile” for different foods is definitely not required. Some even consider the whole concept “wishful thinking“.
That said it’s important to get the basics right by using the right types of wood.
The fix:
Learning what type of wood goes best on your smoker, and what types of wood should be avoided is a good first step.
In terms of wood type, fruit woods like apple and cherry are always a safe choice. You can also experiment with oak, hickory and mesquite.
You should avoid any painted or treated wood, as well as pine, fir, cedar or cyprus.
12) Not treating your finished meat with the respect it deserves
After all those hours of work and waiting I understand the desire to start hacking away.
But not allowing enough time to rest or slicing with the grain can ruin what would otherwise be a delicious piece of meat.
The fix:
From around the 7:10 mark Aaron Franklin explains how long to let your brisket rest, and some good tips for slicing your brisket.
The key is to slice against the grain of the meat, aiming for an optimal thickness for a slice of brisket of a No. 2 pencil.
Everyone makes mistakes when learning to barbecue.
Even the most experienced cooks can probably tick off more than one of these mistakes. Hopefully, you can learn a few things to avoid but don’t get discouraged if your barbecue isn’t perfect the first time.
The best way to avoid mistakes is to follow tried and tested recipes. Check out our list of the best smoked meat recipes for lots of ideas.
Do you agree with this list? I’d love it if you could share the biggest smoking mistake you’ve ever made in a comment below.
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Having way to many drinks….! Ah!!! I learned that the hard way.
Thank you!!! I really needed a quick, well advised article. I’m trying my smoker for the first time tomorrow and needed a bit of advice on vents.
Using macthlite charcoal for my first smoke. Then added more raw macthlite later for more fuel. Then wondered why it tasted like ..well you can imagine. Rookie mistake
have had good luck with chimney using a single layer of matchlight in bottom of chimney under regular charcoal, eliminated ever having to restart and have never noticed any aftertaste from matchlight
I have also used this method .work fine
I think I just ruined a nice tri tip with too much smoke. Oh well, now I know.
3″ dia. Propane Rosebud on a 30lb tank and a homemade charcoal chimney that’s 1/8th thick and you can have your wood and charcoal PERFECTLY at any coal or heat stage you want in under 9 minutes with absolutely ZERO flavor contamination..
And the rosebud is AWESOME for heating the cast iron grates up to sear temperature and also cleaning the grates afterwards..
I WOULD NEVER cook over propane alone.. That’s just disgusting..
Unless you love bland tough dry meat.. but using propane to get your wood or charcoal to exactly where you want it super fast with no unwanted tastes and no waiting is the only way to go..
Propane alone is the best way to cook. Taste the meat not the heat
I have used nothing but a chimney for 40+ years. So long as you have newspaper to light at the bottom, you’ll rarely fail (unless you dump the coals too soon – before they are blazing out the top). No need for matchlite – use lump charcoal, in my opinion.
When your mother stops by just as you put the meat on and you get to talking too much. Good for relationship with your. Bad for BBQ.
I’ve done the too many drinks and too much smoke,both were on my first smoke. I acted as if it tasted amazing, I couldn’t accept defeat. Six years later and I’ve learned some things.
Ahhh, the lighter fluid ribs were my first mistake! Followed by a brisket that tasted like a hickory tree cuz of the INTENSE smoke! Hahaha, live, learn, and smoke on!
Good Tips, thanks for the one about the over smoking
Been there, done that. All of them at one time or another. I BBQ often and trying to get it right I have successfully committed every error listed, some two and three times. I consider myself an accomplished Q’er at this point but every cook is a new adventure and I love it. I am continually trying to perfect my Q’ing and am pretty good these days but I still try different things all the time. Loving every minute of it and my family loves it most of the time lol. Just got my big green egg and right now I’m waiting for Gable to blow the horn because I must be in heaven. I love it.
I’m pretty sure Myron Mixon uses lighter fluid to start his fires
I never use lighter fluid to light my fire. In fact I’ve got a quart of lighter fluid I bought 5 years ago and never used since I started using lighter cubes. They cost under $4.00 for a box of 24 at the big box stores and I use 2 cubes to start my fire. No chimney is required. If you use a chimney you won’t need the cubes since it works very well with paper. I start my fire right in the grill wait about 15 minutes and it’s ready to go. I haven’t used lighter fluid since.
Smoking a brisket for the first time. I have the temperature right and one hour in I don’t see any more smoke coming out. Only used 3 chunks of wood. The meat is steadily rising in temp. Should I be alarmed that there’s no more smoke or is this normal.
You should be fine. You don’t want to see thick billowy smoke. The perfect smoke is almost invisible, but should have a thin blue appearance.
You can always add another chunk or two but it’s much easier to over smoke than under smoke. Check out this post for more info on getting the right type of smoke.
Should I add hot coals to replenish the charcoal? I’ve heard that adding unlit coals can add an off flavor to the meat.
Hey Tim,
I used to worry about that, but so long as you don’t use those instant light briquets you should be fine adding unlit charcoal. Most ways of setting up for smoking involve a combination of lit and unlit charcoal. That’s how you can smoke for up to 12 hours by following the minion method without replenishing the charcoal.
That said, if I just need to top up my Weber Smokey Mountain, sometimes I’ll fire up 3/4 of a chimney starter and dump it.
Mistake #13 would be expecting BBQ Pitmaster quality BBQ from a cheap off set smoker or a Weber smoker. The pros spend a lot of money on their rigs, train on them, know how to adjust them and can therefore produce top quality barbecue. Also, don’t over smoke your meat by leaving it unprotected and surrounded by smoke and heat for the entire time. Most meats stop absorbing smoke after 140 degrees so anything after can add some unpleasant flavors. Leaving meat on a smoker after the internal temp reached 140 degrees is like going out to get a suntan after you are sunburnt.
After you play with fire and smoke, catch the bug then and only then go out and do your research for a better smoker. Your decision will be based on how you intend to use it, your personal style, if you believe in offset smokers, vertical smokers, pot smokers or whatever else you find out there. Look for some used equipment out there as there are those who taste good Q, rush out and but the best equipment but then become frustrated.
Hey Jeffrey, Thanks for your thoughtful comment. Agree with you on most points, a cheap off set is never a good idea for a beginner.
But I disagree that you need to spend a lot of money on your setup to produce top quality barbecue. If you walk around at compeitions you can see lots of folks cooking on Weber smokers. For example the slapyodaddybbq competition team have won grand champions with a Weber Smokey Mountain.
Good advice about over smoking, but so long as you’re smoker is setup right and you don’t keep adding wood past a certain point there’s no problem keeping your meat unwrapped. It’s more a personal preference thing. I’ve cooked brisket and ribs both wrapped and unwrapped and both can taste amazing.
Check out this video for a brisket wrap test.
If you can’t smoke a fabulous shoulder, brisket, or chuckle on a smoky mountain no equipment you buy is gonna help ya… I’ve seen too many guys at competitions lugging their half ton egg only to be “smoked” by the Webers come trophy time!
You don’t need an expensive offset smoker to turn out great ‘que. In 1996 my wife bought me a $200 New Braunfels Hondo and I admit I had problems initially, Eventually, I figured out how to easily make slight modifications to this smoker and then managed to get as much as 12 hours steady 225 degrees in the smoker. A lot has to do with the brand of charcoal (there are huge differences). Anyone interested in the modifications please email me a request and I’ll email the booklet to you.
Dan, I have a cheap offset smoker and have a hard time keeping the temp constant. Please send me your modifications. Thanks!
Great article………. …….. Or at least my wife will say so!!!!
My biggest mistake (continually) is too much smoke. I am using a cheap arse gas smoker, but the article really has emphasized the fact that too much smoke and wood chunks create too much white smoke and thus icky flavours….my wifes words.
Cheers, I’ll keep following….and chase the blue smoke!
Hey Nice, thanks for your comment. It’s hard to say what your exact problem is caused by, but definitely sounds like it could be over smoking. Try cutting way back on the amount of wood you use, and then you can always gradually increase each time until you find the sweet spot.
You can also try using the Texas Crutch where you wrap your meat in foil after a few hours. This should stop it taking on any more smoke.
Keep experimenting, gotta keep the wife happy!
Interesting article. I have been BBQing since as far back as I can remember, but always on a traditional open grill. Last year I got a smoker and have been loving it (and so have my co-workers, relatives, friends and the family dogs, haha).
While I agree with some of your points, such as charcoal and wood choice, drinking and cooking, over-correcting, etc. There are definitely some points that you say are mistakes, that I do regularly with fantastic results. This does not say I think you are wrong and I am right, or vice-versa. I think the really important thing for people to remember is cooking is an art form. You should always take the advice of others with a grain of salt, pun intended. As you pointed out, don’t be afraid to make adjustments, try tweaking your technique, but most of all don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the journey. And yes it sounds corny but the most important tool in your cooking belt is love.
Something I would like to add that has worked well for me. If you are having trouble with meat drying out, try putting a baking pan with water directly under the meat. The pan doesn’t have to be very deep but it should cover the entire area directly below the meat. The coals, of course, should be placed off to the sides for indirect heating. That works great for me. it ensures I have super tender meat, even when I let the heat get away from me more than I intended.
Happy eating!
I use a Weber kettle with a slow and sear which can be purchased online. I prefer lump hardwood for fuel over briquettes but that personal choice, I don’t care for taste of briquettes anymore. Smoking I prefer chunks over chips. I don’t soak the wood anymore but don’t use more than a chunk or 2 at most, it can over smoke if not used carefully, plus chunks can spike your grill temp so be observant. Experiment,read up on whatever for ideas and suggestions. Have fun with it and enjoy the fruits of your love of barbecue!!
And remember low and slow!!
This is a nice read. After years of smoking meats it is a long but fun learning experience. Different woods, coals and processing bring a lot of different tastes and textures to what is cooking under those lids. It’s a lot of work that is well worth the wait.
I remove the membrane, season, let set overnight, set pellet grill to 225, cook two hours, wrap and cook four hours, remove wrap and cook for one hour with sauce. The baby back ribs are tough with a very hard surface. I spray water on them frequently but still come out very tough. What I’m I doing wrong?
Hey William, sounds like you might be cooking them for too long. Have you tried using the 3-2-1 method? I’ve found that’s the most fool proof way of getting the ribs real tender. I’ve got a post about this coming out soon, in the meantime this video is great!
On my first cook I smoked a few racks of ribs on my new offset. Throughout the cook my temp would rise and I would be forced to choke out the fire. Well I didn’t know white smoke was a bad thing so I wasnt too worried about it. The ribs came out OK but they did have a bit of that bitter smoke taste. Since then I put a rack in the firebox to get the fire up off the bottom of the box in Hope’s of easier management. We will see what happens tomorrow. Thanks.
Thanks for this write up. I took a few notes to save for future use.
After having smoked some great ribs a while ago with a cheap offset smoker I borrowed, I purchased a cheap bullet smoker (making the obligatory mods) and did a pork butt yesterday. 14 hours of intensive labor and babysitting yielded a lighterfluid tasting pile of tender-but-inedible meat (at least the slaw was good). I believe the taste was imparted by a smoldering fire (I did not use fluid or matchlight, I used a chimney along with lump coal and briquettes).
I think this issue is pronounced in a bullet smoker because the meat sits above the fire…so keeping a real hot fire in a bullet (to avoid smoldering if you add unlit charcoal) is impossible, whereas in an offset smoker you control the heat transfer so can stoke the firebox with unlit charcoal and open the gates after it’s fully lit.
Is it possible to avoid this in a bullet smoker if wanting to use something like the Minion Method (piling unlit charcoal around a lit pile so as to get a longer burn time) or if wanting to extend the burn by adding unlit charcoal throughout the day…or should all coals be pre-lit and ash-white to add to the bullet smoker as the day progresses (meaning more babysitting time)?
I gotta be doing something wrong.
Thanks, Joseph.
ps: You have been bookmarked 😉
Hey Bill,
First off welcome to the website, glad to have you with us! I don’t think the issue you are having is directly related to using a bullet smoker. Lots of smokers have the meat placed above the fire (Weber Smokey Mountain and Pit Barrel Cooker to name a few).
You don’t want to have a real hot fire either. For most recipes between 225 – 250°F is the temp you want to aim for.
For the majority of recipes you should’t ever need to add extra charcoal. I’ve done cooks on the Smokey Mountain for over 12 hours without adding charcoal.
I always use the Minion Method, as described here
Does your smoker have a water bowel? That might help you. The other thing to watch out for is how much wood you’re using. You might have been using too much if the meat was inedible.
Thanks, Joe.
I guess I’ll have to play with it. I have a 4# butt on there now. It’s been on for a little over an hour now, and the coals have already burned down. I put in a handful of chips and it shot up from 218˚ to 250˚ in no time flat.
I purchased a Masterbuilt, and installed a pinwheel vent on the bottom of the coal pan and built a grate to lift the coals off of the bottom. I also sealed the lid and the front door with gasket material and installed a probe feed-thru (Thermopro TP-08). Lastly, I put the charcoal pan on legs and arranged things so I could lift the smoker up off of the pan (to empty ashes/add coal).
It has a water pan. I added hot water to it so that I don’t waste time getting temps to equalize.
I’ve read a lot, but it seems that not getting a hot fire means using just a few coals. Mine dies out in less than 2 hours. The Masterbuilt manual says to load up with 8# of charcoal all at once, but that would give me a 450˚ oven!!!
So let me ask:
You (and others) recommend the Minion method, while some say that the lighter fluid taste I get might be from putting unlit coals in the smoker; in other words, some folks say to get the coals white-ash hot before putting them in the smoker so as to avoid that off-taste (they keep a supply of hot coals in a grill, ready to add). I take it that you disagree that having a string of coals that ignite (and smoulder) in the smoker while the meat is in there causes flavor issues? It would sure help me to not have to constantly re-stoke the thing.
Man, I didn’t have this issue using a cheap offset smoker I had borrowed. The ribs & wings were awesome. There were struggles keeping the temp up, but not this roller coaster. Lots of folks successfully use the MasterBuilt…
I love this list and im here too confess my sins. Im guilty of too much smoke, and #13 that was added(a cheap pos smoker). Ok, so I have a cheap offset barrel smoker that was marked down to $26 from $119. I’d like to point out 2 things. First, it’s a horrible smoker. Second, it’s better than no smoker at all. I’ve learned the fine art of temp control with a small hot bed of coals and adding small chips of wood. To be clear by fine art I mean ‘what a pain in the ass!’. Temp control with vents is impossible with this smoker. Gonna smoke a packer next weekend and it will turn out great as usual. I just wanted to say that if anyone else out there has a wife that won’t let you get a real smoker until the house is paid off next year, make a small hot bed and add chips and a couple coals every hour. Happy smoking ?
If the temperature is dropping and added charcoal is needed. What is the best way to add charcoal? Is there an accessory that allow you to “funnel” additional hot coals into the charcoal pan?
It would depend on your smoker. It’s a bit awkward to load additional charcoal into my Weber Smokey Mountain. I just use some bbq tongs to place extra charcoal. I would avoid using a funnel because that would stir up a lot of ash, potentially coating your food in it!
Great site. I noticed a flurry of comments then no more after 2019? Is anyone still monitoring this? I’d love to ask some questions as I just got started. Thanks!!
I’m here but don’t ask me. I need help as well 😛
Great info. I just tried to smoke my first shoulder on my Weber kettle. Tastes ok but not tender enough to pull apart so more like a brisket for dipping 🙁
I think I failed at 6) Too much smoke and 8) Panicking during the stall. Saw very little smoke so added more wood and then when temp seemed to plumate, amped up the fuel.
I monitored temp of grill and meat the entire time and those values stayed in check so no Family member got sick or anything, but I really hope I do better next time. A tender juicy pull-apart shoulder was not the result.
Thank you again for the post! I will refer to it again next time.
Hey I’ve made a few mistakes along the way. We all have. ONE thing for sure is that I keep a record of the cook’s I’ve done. For instance most u ssd’s ed ,time of cook ,wood used,problems, feed back etcetera trust me on this .try it it works.
Kevin, when I’ve had this experience with pork shoulders I think it has been because of rushing to pull the pork. Now I always wrap mine well with foil and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour. That has been the fix for me. And once the rest begins, the bourbon can come out!
I’m here to scold you about your choice of measurements… ” Thickness of No. 2 pencil” :-/
opening the lid to much.the temperature and to much smoke , after hearing what you had to say I took your advice and now what a difference.
Good stuff Joe. Keep it comin’
I recently bought a Masterbuilt 560 gravity fed grill/smoker. All the articles I have been reading are super helpful and I’m learning a lot along my journey.
Any chance you can do a small series of articles using this type of smoker? I don’t think it would be much different than everything I’m reading, but it sure would be nice to see this type of smoker.
Hey Chris,
We do have a review for the 560 that goes through some details on our experience cooking on it. Not necessarily what you are after but might be worth checking out. Could definitely do a series on it if there is enough interest.
Told the wife , it looks as though Fido got himself a good bird or animal last night , She proceeds to tell me that was our companies and our dinner from last night ! I looked at her puzzled and stated funny I don’t remember that !
Started smoking my 10 lb pork butt in my Pit Boss VERY low at about 160F (IT was 34F) and left it therefor 4 hours to get more Smokey flavor. I’ve pierced it all over with garlic cloves. Turned it up to 200F for a couple hours, then moved it to 225F. Am I in danger of parasites if I smoke it to an internal temp of 205F?
Your advice on smoking brisket was extremely helpful. The wrap and resting recommendations were the biggest tips. Those two factors made the difference, before my briskets were too dry. I know you serious “smokers” will laugh, however, my electric “Cookshack” smoker greatly simplifies the process.
The mistake I’ve made was underestimating how much charcoal I needed for a longer smoke. I started with ribs, which for me is typically a 5-6 hour smoke, but making the move to brisket required easily double that, based on the poundage of course. I saw my charcoal burn out 10 hours into what should’ve been a 12-hour smoke…..lesson learned.
I haven’t made the move yet to a pellet smoker (although I’ve narrowed it down to two brands, once that time comes), and while I thoroughly enjoy my charcoal smoker, my learning curve early on had to do with things like volume of charcoal, use and/or positioning of deflector plates, indirect vs direct placement of meat on the racks, etc.
Joe
I am just starting out. I have a masterbuilt Electric digital smoker. I was reading this post, which was Awesome. I have made the mistake of to much smoke. How long should I use wood chips to get the right amount of smoke flavor with it dominating the flavor?
I would really appreciate any help!
Thank You Sir
Please help me out I went to season my grill and I use peanut oil on the seasoning of my smoker did I use the right thing
Peanut oil will work fine.
Running out of fuel is a mistake although not fatal but sure slows you down. I always check my pellet hopper before starting and on a long smoke, keep an eye on it. I know how long on a low smoke (225) and a high grill temp(350-450), the pellets go fast so be prepared and keep your grill out of the weather. All of the 12 mistakes are there. I have been smoking for 8 years and I have learned a lot of these the hard way.
Stay with tried and tested recipes, less chance of a bad chunk of meat. I use a traeger Timberline 1800 and learn your smoker’s funny little quirks.