Missing the smoke flavor?

[iancurtis]

OK, so my problem seems so odd that I am embarassed to even ask it...

It seems that I have suddenly lost the woody smoke flavor from my grilling? Last year everything went fine, but now starting the new year of grilling it's suddenly gone. I don't know what really has changed

I use Weber's one touch kettle grill and I have tried using both Weber's own briquettes and charcoal pieces made of birch. (I can't recall what fuel I used last year) Last time I made pork chops and grilled bell beppers and even my wife commented that it doesn't taste like it's grilled

It has been really windy all the times this year when I have been grilling, can it affect somehow?

Thanks,

iancurtis

[swampsauce]

Could be with the wind, you are cooking hotter. Less smolder from your fuel, less smoke flavor. That, or the different fuel would be where I start looking.

[thereeper]

Hello iancurtis
to add another thought to what swampsauce said. did you by any chance during the off season clean your weber one touch, really clean I mean washed it all inside and outside, with soap and water, and Mr. Green or some other cleaner? I have heard of people saying that after they cleaned their grill really well, They had lost alot of smoke flavor, and had to do another burn in, to coat the inside again, with smoke residue, as the residue inside your smoker, heats up it helps to add more smoke to your current grilling session. cleaning the grill racks, doesn't effect that part but to wash out all the residue, will. To clean My old brinkman I just take a long handle grill cleaner, brush and just brush off the excess soot built up but not to wash it completely down. Just a thought.

[Nick Prochilo]

I'm guessing different fuel.

[bigwheel]

Yeah think Nicks right as much as hate to admit it..lol. Birch is for fish seems like. The charcoal dont influence the flavor profile lessen it got some real raw wood incorporated therein. Kingsford Mesquite flavor springs immediately to mind but they using the dirty gym sock smelling crap we get in N. Texas. Now I heard the hickory is good..but I swore off using Charcoal several years back. Go electric young man..go electric. That give you a real unoffensive heat source and make it taste like you want it to taste. Its why they dont allow them in comp cuz they know that kick booty big time.

[Bob In Fla.]

I go with Nick's choice, and bigwheel's up to a point...how-in-the-heck-can-you-get-smoke-flavor-from-electricity? Unless of course you are burning up/shorting out your burner??

Try getting a bag of those hickory or oak chunks from wally world.

BOB

[bigwheel]

Well this deal is real simple. The electric supplies the heat and wood supplies the smoke. A good day with charcoal is to where it dont make yourself stink too bad. Real antiquated type stuff.

[Larry Wolfe]

When it's windy, shut your vents down 50-75% (top and bottom) depending on how hard the wind is blowing and the airtightness of your lid. Wind is making the fire hotter as Tim stated which is causing the fuel to burn faster which doesn't necessarily make it less smokey, but will obviously cause higher heat which equates to less time for the meat on the grill, therefore less smoke flavor.

[iancurtis]

Almost forgot I posted this, sorry for the delay

thereeper: I did in fact clean out the grill with soaped water. Never would thought that it had something to do with it!

I used some hickory chips last week for ribs and those were wonderfully smokey, but I thought just plain charcoal should bring that "cooked with open fire" taste to the meat. Maybe I just start adding small amount of hard wood chips to every grilling session.

Larry, if I remember clearly, Weber's manual says that you should never close the bottom vent when grilling? That you should adjust only with top vents. Most often I feel that I don't have enough heat btw. Meat doesn't close up that fast and doesn't get that nice color. Eventhough I'm using large amount of briquettes (fully loaded Weber's chimney starter.)

And, no, I'm never going to change to electric/gas grilling. Real live fire is my thing. I really love playing around with all the variables of briquette/charcoal grilling.. of course I have still a lot to learn.

iancurtis

[Bob In Fla.]

I'd listen to Larry. He is re-writing the "book" on using a Weber. I doubt if anyone at Weber has used a Weber grill half as much as Larry has.

Go back and read all of his posts and look at the pictures. 'Nuff said.

BOB

[iancurtis]

Will do, thanks