Brisket question

[unclefish]

my last few smokes I have mixing them up still comes out great.

[Bigun]

Thanks to all. I agree with the importance of smoke filling the air adding to the experience, especially with this smoker as it has taken away so much of the work.

[DTAggie]

Caney - smoking dirty?

[Caneyscud]

It's what I call stickburner smoking with live combustion rather than just hot coals.  You stick lump or chunks on top of your coal bed.  You get periods of intense white smoke as the lump and the chunks smolder before igniting.  You won't find many if any in a contest purposefully doing it.  More smokiness than the judges generally like.  But I do.  Currently rereading Smokestack Lightning, and Lolis makes mention several times of how he doesn't particularly like salty bbq, nor does it seem that he likes smoky bbq.  But it is what I grew up with.   I've tried several different techniques.  From shaving the bark off the wood - supposedly in search of a purer cleaner smoke, to preheating the wood on top of the smoker - supposedly in search of quicker igniting and less smoldering, to having a separate fire pit to burn wood to coals - I do this in comps because you are cooking to the judge's palate not yours but rarely at home just too much trouble, to never burning limb wood - never did figure out the reason for that... to etc......   I generally don't do dirty smoking with ribs or chicken, usually with big hunks of meat - brisket, butt, shoulder, clod, etc....     

[DTAggie]

I have heard about that as well, no bark, burn to coals etc.  when I used an offset very unsuccessfully for a while.  Guess this Aggie needs the simplicity of the OBS.  Oh wait, did I just offend myself?