[tschmidlin]

Thanks Ron.

Ok, here's the problem - the bark tastes pretty ashy.  Although it's my first time using it, I'm assuming this is NOT because of the pecan wood, but probably more because I used twice as much wood as I usually do.  Thoughts?

Now the question is, do I cut the bark off and throw it away, or will it become more pleasant when it is shredded into little bits and mixed throughout the rest of the meat?  Because as it is now my mouth tastes a bit like I've been smoking.

[euge]

I got an email an hour ago with the title "Doctoral degree approved"

Way to go Tom!

Conrats...time to celebrate! 

Woohoo!

Thanks Ron.

Ok, here's the problem - the bark tastes pretty ashy.  Although it's my first time using it, I'm assuming this is NOT because of the pecan wood, but probably more because I used twice as much wood as I usually do.  Thoughts?

Now the question is, do I cut the bark off and throw it away, or will it become more pleasant when it is shredded into little bits and mixed throughout the rest of the meat?  Because as it is now my mouth tastes a bit like I've been smoking.

The bark goes in with the rest- just chop it up real good. It's the best part then.

While I use wood on occasion, it does tend to leave some of the nastier volatile parts of the burn such as creosote. Unless it smolders in small amounts.

[punatic]

While I use wood on occasion, it does tend to leave some of the nastier volatile parts of the burn such as creosote. Unless it smolders in small amounts.

Well, silly, you're not supposed to use telephone poles for cooking!   

[euge]

Yeh but they're everywhere...

[tschmidlin]

The bark goes in with the rest- just chop it up real good. It's the best part then.

While I use wood on occasion, it does tend to leave some of the nastier volatile parts of the burn such as creosote. Unless it smolders in small amounts.

Thanks euge, I'm going to go do that right now . . .

[euge]

You're welcome Tom.

Perusing Wedliny Domowe I'm thinking the offset firebox also helps strip some of the nastier components of the wood-smoke. Thoughts?

[tschmidlin]

I don't know, but I'll tell you this - the bark on the second shoulder was way smoother and better tasting than on the first shoulder.  The better tasting one was right next to the vent and took an hour longer to cook, so it was probably in a cooler part of the UDS.  On the other hand the smoke had to pass right over it to get out.  It could have been something else, maybe some ash landed on the first one when I threw in more wood.  Hard to say.

[euge]

Or increased airflow.

I got a hot spot in my egg. Every cooker I've had has had one some where. Stands to reason there's probably the equivalent in the form of a recirculating or dead spot in the airspace of the smoker. Might lay a heavier smoke on that side of the drum.

[tschmidlin]

Yeah, I'll just have to try to avoid it in the future.  I only rubbed them with S&P, trying to decide how to sauce them.  I'll probably do some kind of Carolina vinegar sauce.

[jeffy]

I just cut down a dead orange tree and have a pretty good pile of wood that I would be happy to share with my forum friends.  Pay for shipping and I will send you some.
It makes a nice smoke.  I use citrus in my traditional rauchbier and it is close enough in flavor and aroma to beech that it fooled Ray Daniels.

[corkybstewart]

I just noticed this thread.
I have a bunch of fruit trees-we don't get much fruit most years but I do prune them and I use the wood for smoking.  We're surrounded by pecan orchards, and I have a couple of trees, so pecan wood is easy to get.  My neighbor chopped down an apple tree and an apricot tree, more wood for my smoker.  And I bought a cord of mesquite firewood, if used in moderation makes a very tasty smoked pork shoulder.  I need to get a bunch of apple wood-it does make a good rauchbier, and there are orchards within 75 miles, but I don't know anybody up there.