Tube smoker placement and smoke quality

[Dennis F]

Where does everyone place their tube smoker?
Last cook my amaze n tube was putting out some harsh white smoke, took it off after 2 hours and my ribs were a little bitter. What kind of smoke do you guys get from yours? White or thin blue. Looking to get clean smoke only.

 

[Cowboy1955]

Hopefully you find out. I’ve been thinking about getting one and I’m thinking I’ll place it under the grates.

 

[Edchad]

I’ll chime in. I’m probably wrong but I place my tubes on my lowest rack. I also tilt one end up, The open end, by placing a pc of steel tubing under it. For me I’ve found they burn/ smoke better that way than laying completely flat. May be superstition on my part. Lol. But that’s what I do. Also And I’m sure a lot will disagree with this. I usually place two tubes in there. I pack my tubes with wood chips. Then a few pellets. Then. Some more chips and so on and so on. Again May be ‘hoo-doo’ on my part but I’ve had better luck keeping the chips burning all the way down if they run into some pellets every once in awhile. Also I pack them in with a tamping tool i welded up. Just a 5/8” rod with a handle. Don’t pack carelessly or you’ll smash the pellets. But I do pack them in pretty good. So my tubes consist of maybe 2” of wood chips. Then maybe an inch of pellets. Back to the chips and so on.
I messed with these things For long time. I don’t care for the flavor of a pellet. I like Kingsford 100% Hickory. They have a decent taste. But nowhere close to real wood. NOW THIS IS JUST ME. It gives us a pretty good woody smoke flavor and burns pretty consistent.
now the last part. I understand the white smoke and light blue smoke and all that. And on my offset stick burner I can watch it and pretty much control the smoke to keep it ‘mild’.
But in my pellet smoker and even my little PB Hammertone electric, chip burner. I don’t stress over it too much. And
honestly if I get that heavy white smoke which I do, it tastes just fine to me and my bunch.
the only time I can recall a bad smoke flavor was many many years ago. I was using a little cheap smoker with charcoal and hickory chunks. I messed around and totally put WAY too much smoke on those baby backs. Tasted bitter as heck.
but that was back when I had hair down to my shoulders and was listening to Jimi H while I cooked. Lol.

 

[Rhurley]

I’ll chime in. I’m probably wrong but I place my tubes on my lowest rack. I also tilt one end up, The open end, by placing a pc of steel tubing under it. For me I’ve found they burn/ smoke better that way than laying completely flat. May be superstition on my part. Lol. But that’s what I do. Also And I’m sure a lot will disagree with this. I usually place two tubes in there. I pack my tubes with wood chips. Then a few pellets. Then. Some more chips and so on and so on. Again May be ‘hoo-doo’ on my part but I’ve had better luck keeping the chips burning all the way down if they run into some pellets every once in awhile. Also I pack them in with a tamping tool i welded up. Just a 5/8” rod with a handle. Don’t pack carelessly or you’ll smash the pellets. But I do pack them in pretty good. So my tubes consist of maybe 2” of wood chips. Then maybe an inch of pellets. Back to the chips and so on.
I messed with these things For long time. I don’t care for the flavor of a pellet. I like Kingsford 100% Hickory. They have a decent taste. But nowhere close to real wood. NOW THIS IS JUST ME. It gives us a pretty good woody smoke flavor and burns pretty consistent.
now the last part. I understand the white smoke and light blue smoke and all that. And on my offset stick burner I can watch it and pretty much control the smoke to keep it ‘mild’.
But in my pellet smoker and even my little PB Hammertone electric, chip burner. I don’t stress over it too much. And
honestly if I get that heavy white smoke which I do, it tastes just fine to me and my bunch.
the only time I can recall a bad smoke flavor was many many years ago. I was using a little cheap smoker with charcoal and hickory chunks. I messed around and totally put WAY too much smoke on those baby backs. Tasted bitter as heck.
but that was back when I had hair down to my shoulders and was listening to Jimi H while I cooked. Lol.

Ain't nutten wrong with a little Jimi long hair and afew brews

 

[MKinHB]

I watched a you tube video about heavy smoke and they showed that a lot of restaurants smoke with the heavy white smoke because they don't have time to wait for the food to get done.
So they smoke in heavy smoke for an hour and then finish in the oven.
gets the smoky taste and also gets the food done faster.
???

 

[Edchad]

Makes total sense to me. I did my first smoke probably 1971-72. (Uh …… cookin’ smokin’). lol. Anyway the smoke I got was the smoke that I got. Period. For over a couple of decades later, still. The smoke I got was the smoke I got. Just dang happy to actually have smoke and be cooking. Lol. I won’t argue there’s probably a huge difference between white heavy and the bluish white. I think a lot of it has to do with kinda what MK just pointed out. The length of time the smoke is actually rolling.
For example. My offset has wood logs burning through the whole cook pretty much. If you have that many hours of heavy smoke I imagine it would taste pretty funky. I mentioned already I have been guilty of way over smoking. Those ribs were awful.
Now on the other hand, and just to keep the pellet factor out right now. Look at the electric chip burners. My PB Hammertone has a decent size pan compared to most for the chips. On average they usually burn/smoke out in maybe 90 minutes. Just depending, I may load up another half or whole tray of chips. But that’s it. Now I’m not gonna freak out and pull the chips out because the smoke is white and heavy. Which most of the time it is.
The difference being a couple of hours smoke. Vs almost the whole cook smoke. (Of course if you’re wrapped it don’t matter anyway). You can think of a pellet smoker similar I guess. And with tubes even.
Crap. I hope I’m making sense! Lol.
Im by no means discounting a fine blue smoke. Just explaining why the white stuff don’t bother me in certain cases.
disclaimer: the white stuff I’m referring to is Smoke. Nothing else.
Peace. Rock on!

 

[MKinHB]

Here is the video I was talking about

 

[Edchad]

Here is the video I was talking about

Very good video. Thanks !

 

[Edchad]

Very good video. Thanks !

I actually came back and watched this again. And something dawned on me. I live in the North Georgia mountains and we have no shortage of bbq places scattered around. And me being me, if I spot one especially if it’s a new joint we haven’t seen before I always take a second look to see what kind of cooker they’re running. I see a lot of big home made looking jobs outside some of them. And some on wheels. And sometimes see em fired up and smoking to beat the band.
That nasty white thick stuff. Lol.

And I know for a fact one very popular and very good place to eat has inside electric cookers. How do I know? Well a close friend is a close friend of the owners. It’s owned by a small group of Church buddies. It’s not like right next door but when I’m in that neck of the woods my buddy and I usually drop in for some ribs and pulled pork. Small place. Actually won a couple of awards. ‘Best of’ kinda stuff.

Anyway one time we wound up in the kitchen talking to one of the guys. And I was kind of surprised to see I believe 3 or 4 very commercial looking cookers going. They were not identical machines. A couple had glass doors and you could see some racks holding some baby backs (hmmm. A baby back rack rack. Say THAT fast 3 times in a row. ) in an upright slightly angled position. Anyway the food especially ribs are unbelievable. Great flavor and usually ‘bite off the bone’ tender.

But now I’m kinda curious.
Where the heck did the Smokey flavor come from????? He told us that those things were rolling on a pretty steady schedule, depending on the day of the week, to maintain fresh product. But there was no smoke back there. Didn’t smell Smokey. I don’t recall any vents or anything over those gizmos.

After watching MKs video for the second time I wonder exactly what kinda secrets some of these places may have?? I do remember distinctly, him telling us it took around four hours to cook a load of ribs. But WHERES THE SMOKE??
That’s one of those things that make ya go
Hmmmmm?!?!?!

 

[Gijoe007]

Where does everyone place their tube smoker?
Last cook my amaze n tube was putting out some harsh white smoke, took it off after 2 hours and my ribs were a little bitter. What kind of smoke do you guys get from yours? White or thin blue. Looking to get clean smoke only.

I also place the tube on the bottom rack. I figure smoke rises to my meat. And I also tilt the tubes open end with foil. You also want to pack the pellets slightly do there are no air pockets. For a nice variation you can do pellets/wood chips/pellets/wood chips