Tried cherry wood chunks on a brisket for the first time, ended with a bitter smoke ring

Honestly, I thought I was doing it right by tossing in a few big cherry chunks on my offset smoker last weekend. But the smoke got all thick and white, and the brisket came out with this dark, acrid ring instead of that nice pink one. I learned real quick that fruit woods burn faster and need smaller pieces, not those giant chunks I grabbed from the hardware store. Has anyone else messed up a whole packer by using wood that's too big for the firebox?

2 comments

2 Comments

kais671mo ago

Oh man, I've been there. That white smoke is the worst, it soaks into everything. You gotta let the wood burn down to embers first before you put the meat on, especially with cherry since it's so mild and burns fast. I use fist-sized pieces now and it made a huge difference, keeps the smoke clean and blue.

the_finley29d ago

Toss a handful of chips on right when you put the meat on, that works too.