Wood chunk size made a huge difference on my brisket cook

I kept getting a bitter taste on my brisket the last 3 times I smoked one. Turns out I was using wood chunks that were way too big (like fist sized), and they were smoldering instead of cleanly burning. This weekend I tried splitting them down to about 2 inch cubes, and the smoke was way cleaner and thinner. The bark came out dark but not acrid, and the meat tasted like beef instead of an ashtray. Has anyone else dealt with the bitterness thing and found a fix besides just smaller wood?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrewh9521d ago

Funny how that works with so many things in life, not just smoking meat. Same reason you chop onions into smaller pieces for a cleaner flavor or mince garlic fine instead of just crushing it.

eva_hayes20d ago

I read an article in Texas Monthly where Aaron Franklin talked about this exact issue. He said a lot of home smokers try to get a heavy smoke flavor by using big logs or chunks, but the goal is actually a thin, clean blue smoke. The article mentioned that even the wood type matters - mesquite can get bitter faster than oak or hickory if your fire is dirty. I started splitting my wood to golf ball size or a little bigger and let my fire burn completely clear before putting the meat on. It took me a few tries to get the timing right, but my briskets taste way better now without that burnt flavor.