![]() ![]() ![]() Did you keep it wide open for the entire cook? My experience with my own smoker is that keeping that fully open will help with excessive smoke. My first suggestion is about the smokestack. I am wondering if you set it up with all of the reverse flow low parts? I have heard that this model also includes a charcoal basket. So I have an OKJ Highland but not the reverse flow model. It took me to about my 3rd brisket to come out decent, after researching my first debacle. ![]() Needless to say it was same as you described, tough and off-putting chemical taste.ĭon’t give up, it’s an expensive lesson but I would guess everyone has done something similar. I also didn’t know about checking tenderness and only went by time. I thought you needed billowing white smoke and stoked the fire to produce it. When I did my first brisket years ago, I didn’t know about “dirty” and “clean” smoke. Third, yes adding wood/charcoal every 45 min or so is what I find is needed with the highland. Ive also had 10-12 lb packers done in 10 hours and as long as 18 cooking between 225-250. Sometimes it’s 190, other times I’ve had it at 215. Second, temperature/time is a gauge only, did you probe it throughout? Probe should slide in with little to no resistance when done. Internal temp of meat though decreasing was likely still warm enough to keep cooking. ![]() I’m not an expert, and only have made 1 brisket so far in my OKJ Highand, however made several on other smokers, but here’s my thoughts.įirst, never had a fire go out, but I would think with no fire for the short time you described didn’t help but shouldn’t create a disaster. I have about 40 people coming in two weeks and a lot to smoke for them. Should I have put a layer coal under the meat and then only put wood in the sidebox for a couple hours? Any theories would be welcome. But I don't know why? Others use this smoker all the time with success. Lump or not, it infuses a chemical taste. So where did it go south? The veg oil left in the bottom that wasn't properly burned? Maybe the whole thing wasn't seasoned properly? Letting the fire die and meat tightened up? I know there was too much coal being added too often. Fourteen hours wasted, not to mention the expensive meat. Rested about an hour wrapped in foil & towels in a cooler. Wrapped and continued for another three hours. Went through almost a bag of apple chunks as well before we got to 165 internal temp. Going through the cook I was having to add coal practically every 45 minutes. Fluctuated between about 240 and 265 the entire cook. (I'd like to blame this on my husband too, but I should have made sure I was prepared.) About 20 minutes later I was back and added more Royal Oak lump and apple chunks, some hickory chips to help it get going. I had to run to the store 5 minutes away. So I woke up to a burnt out fire with a barbecue temp at 180 degrees and, horror of horrors, no lump charcoal left in the bag. Unfortunately, I fell asleep and didn't hear the ThermPro alarm. Then he left for golf so I had to seethe in silence. My husband, bless his heart, started the fire for me in the fire box and I swear I couldn't have grilled a shrimp with it. No matter.I used my ThermPro for a more accurate reading. First thing I noticed was the door thermometer was off about 50 degrees. Noticed a bit of smoke escaping the door. Just before putting the meat on I added some apple chunks. Let it go for quite awhile since I knew I still had oil in there. Started a regular briquette fire in the firebox. I've only done a couple, but I know the basic steps. It sat for about 5 days before we used it for a cook. It left some veg oil in the bottom of the smoker, not the fire box, which I wiped out. I think we had the fire going about 4 hours total. It didn't keep 300 very long, but we caught a whiff of that chemical smell of the oil burning so we thought it was okay and let it die. We spent a Saturday afternoon curing it by rubbing it with veg oil, keeping about a 200 degree fire on it for about an hour, then increasing to 250, then 300. Great end of season clearance buy for $137. We purchased an Oklahoma Joe Highland offset smoker in preparation for a little gathering we're having in a few weeks. I'm hoping someone can help me figure out where I went wrong. Smoke ring was the thickest and pinkest I've ever seen with a horrible, pungent smoke/chemical taste. Tried to smoke a brisket last Saturday and it ended up shoe leather. ![]()
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