blue smoke

[mstng86]

What is the best way to get and keep blue smoke while smoking?

[Aceman85turbo]

cook with 50% diesel 50% valvoline?

[bcoop]

White smoke is a byproduct of too much creosote. Too much creosote in the smoke is from improper air/fuel mixture. Could be not enough air, could be too much air, could be too much or not enough wood.


You are starting the fire and letting it burn and stabilize before putting food on, right? Are you smoking with straight charcoal? Charcoal/wood mix? Chips, chunks, or logs? Kingsford or raw lump? Are you using lighter fluid to start the fire? Give me some more info. I don't know how much I can help though, as I don't use a vertical smoker.

[bcoop]

I bet you can find some vids on YouTube using a vertical. Search for thin blue smoke or smokingmeats.com videos.

[mstng86]

White smoke is a byproduct of too much creosote. Too much creosote in the smoke is from improper air/fuel mixture. Could be not enough air, could be too much air, could be too much or not enough wood.


You are starting the fire and letting it burn and stabilize before putting food on, right? Are you smoking with straight charcoal? Charcoal/wood mix? Chips, chunks, or logs? Kingsford or raw lump? Are you using lighter fluid to start the fire? Give me some more info. I don't know how much I can help though, as I don't use a vertical smoker.

I start the fire with about 10 lumps of regular kingsford, lighter fluid and let those burn for a while, past the point of just gray, but where they are starting to breakdown a bit. Then I throw in the chunks and let the wood heat up and smoke. The first two or three hours seem to be good. I think where I am having problems is putting the right amount of chunks in to keep the heat warm enough AND keep a good blue smoke.

At what point do you consider throwing on the next set of wood? Do you do it as the fire is cooling down, or throw more on to keep it from going out? Where do you put the chunks? Directly on the heat at that time, or around it?

I am actually working with a Brinkman professional smoker now. I gave away my vertical smoker.

[Trick Pony]

Preheating the wood on your firebox before you put them in can help too.