Food turned out slightly bitter

[Vic.]

Got my first smoke going yesterday using a mixture of weber hickery and pecan chunks( 7 chunks at 2-3"). Rubbed the pork and chicken with a dry rub, but a strong slightly bitter smoeky taste still came through. What would you advise I do for my next cook? use different wood, add more brown sugar?....I like the smokey flavor if it were sweeter

[Vic.]

wood was placed on a frying pan which sat on the burner. There was quite a bit of smoke in the chamber when I opened the door to check, I needed glasses to get the meat out ...seasoned the smoker with lard and olive oil

by dirty smoke do you mean the blue stuff at the start?

[Vic.]

Not sure what material the frying pan is but it has been burnt on fires before, so anything that would have been on it is well off by now. Good and solid

I added 4 chunks of hickery at the start, then 3 chunks of pecan an hour later.......definately think I've added too much wood just by talking to you.......better results next time

[Chris__M]

I'm smoking black pudding at the moment

OMG! I've died and gone to heaven.

What a wonderful idea.

[LM600]

Looking good Vic!

Just my thoughts, but I don't like sugar in a rub - I can find it is either too sweet or if cooked for a while can become bitter.

Do as the Dr advises, maybe tone the smoke down a bit - I too use a frying pan as a "smoke box" and it has been great, easy to use but it takes about half the amount of wood chips than I would use directly chuckeerracottad onto the charcoal.

Oh, is that orangey/terracotta tub a Tupperware rice drainer-steamer-y thing? It looks just like the one my Mum has, takes me back to my childhood when I see it!

[LM600]

I'm smoking black pudding at the moment just for something to do then I'll get after a bit of pork in the early hours but tonight it's chops for dinner.

Ewwww!!!! Black Pudding is minging, the Mrs likes it, but bleuuurgggh!!!

A couple of years ago an intern. was working in my Dept. (She came from the Pfalz region of Germany) and I said I made my own sausage and liked the German wurst, so as a trade I brought her in some homemade snags and when she went home for a couple of weeks she brought back some "Pfalzer Specialalities"....tinned 'Blutwurst' and 'Saumargen'....hmmm, black pudding and soured cow stomach tinned sausage - it was this day I realised why she drank a Coke and Lager concoction called 'Diesel'!!!!!

[joker smoker]

I'm smoking black pudding at the moment just for something to do then I'll get after a bit of pork in the early hours but tonight it's chops for dinner.

Ewwww!!!! Black Pudding is minging, the Mrs likes it, but bleuuurgggh!!!

A couple of years ago an intern. was working in my Dept. (She came from the Pfalz region of Germany) and I said I made my own sausage and liked the German wurst, so as a trade I brought her in some homemade snags and when she went home for a couple of weeks she brought back some "Pfalzer Specialalities"....tinned 'Blutwurst' and 'Saumargen'....hmmm, black pudding and soured cow stomach tinned sausage - it was this day I realised why she drank a Coke and Lager concoction called 'Diesel'!!!!!

black pudding can be minging when made badly...when its good as it is in Lancashire it is the food of the gods. However I don't find it takes to smoke too well.....unlike haggis which I love smoked with oak...

[Vic.]

Oh, is that orangey/terracotta tub a Tupperware rice drainer-steamer-y thing? It looks just like the one my Mum has, takes me back to my childhood when I see it!

yip, its tupperware and as old as the hills, must be 30 years old

also want to add that I didn't need to turn the chicken to get an even smoke on both sides, was surprised at that. 2 hrs at 275f and they were done.

[Vic.]

black pudding done in the chip pan is nice, makes it crispy