Burnt Plastic Smell!!!!! - Need Your Thoughts Please

weekendsmoker · January 16, 2010, 10:27:55 AM

Hi all, I need your thoughts on this one please. I put a pork but on last night at midnight and this morning there was an unusual smell of plastic, not huge but underlying. Unfortunately I can taste it in the meat and our dinner guests arrive in 5 hrs. I'm thinking I'm off to the store to buy steak. Has anyone ever had this before?

I injected both pieces with a mixture of apple juice, water, sugar, pepper and salt, then rubbed it with my usual rub and let it sit wrapped in plastic wrap for 24hrs like I always do. I know the plastic sheets came off all together because I laid each one out on the counter to un wrap them as I use the plastic wrap as a drop cloth to catch the additional rub I put on (this stuff is 24" wide). I smoked using hickory for 4 hrs last night. It's funny but when I smelled the burnt pucks just now I can smell the hint of plastic. This was a huge piece of meat and many hours down the drain. Any thoughts would be much appreciated, I'm wondering if there could have been any foreign debris in the pucks. Oh, I have had the smoker for 2.5 years, never a problem and this was my 78th smoke without incident.

Jason.

FLBentRider · January 16, 2010, 10:42:47 AM

That's a strange one.

I'm thinking maybe a part of the wrapper from the pucks go caught up between them and then stuck to the puck burner ?

Is there anything left on the puck burner that would suggest that ?

I'm sorry you ruined a big piece of meat like that, I really don't have any other ideas.

weekendsmoker · January 16, 2010, 11:07:01 AM

I wish that was it because then I would know. I have a habit of slapping the pucks together a number of times to get rid of the little bits of wood so it does not jam up the advancer so I don't think that could have been it. Just went and checked the burner just in case and it's clean. I also pulled the plastic wrap out of the garbage and laid it out to ensure all was accounted for and it was. I can only think there may have been some plastic in the pucks or the meat itself. Oh well. Thanks for the reply though.

Hoss · January 16, 2010, 11:21:16 AM

Ever smelled a burnt wire?

I took my generator apart once (for no reason other than being curious) and there is potential for wires grounding inside the generators. Might be worth checking out IF you can't find anything else wrong.

harper072554 · January 17, 2010, 09:17:57 AM

What kind of plastic wrap did you use??? If you used Saran Wrap it gave you the plastic taste... I use a Food Grade Plastic Wrap from Sam's and it works perfect... I do not get any plastic taste in my meat at all...

classicrockgriller · January 17, 2010, 09:55:02 AM

wes, what kinda wood were you using when this happened?

weekendsmoker · January 17, 2010, 11:46:09 AM

Hickory....

classicrockgriller · January 17, 2010, 11:49:49 AM

ok, I was using mesquite yesterday and came across one that had a big brown glob in it.

weekendsmoker · January 17, 2010, 05:43:58 PM

So I cleaned the DBS inside and out removing anything that looked like it would come off. I turned the burner on and set the generator temp to 220 for three hrs. Just went out and it smells like rubber. I looked at everything and it's the rubber door gasket!!! I don't understand but when I rubbed my finger on the upper part of the gasket and smelled it, that was it 100%.

I have 8 guys coming over tomorrow night for our pre-ice fishing party and I have just mopped and rubbed two massive racks of beef ribs. So I guess it's plan B, anyone know how to BBQ that kind of ribs? I will have to give Bradley a call in the morning.

FLBentRider · January 17, 2010, 05:49:01 PM

On the ribs... maybe some cold smoke and then boat and braise in the oven ?

classicrockgriller · January 17, 2010, 06:05:42 PM

Quote from: weekendsmoker on January 17, 2010, 05:43:58 PM
So I cleaned the DBS inside and out removing anything that looked like it would come off. I turned the burner on and set the generator temp to 220 for three hrs. Just went out and it smells like rubber. I looked at everything and it's the rubber door gasket!!! I don't understand but when I rubbed my finger on the upper part of the gasket and smelled it, that was it 100%.

I have 8 guys coming over tomorrow night for our pre-ice fishing party and I have just mopped and rubbed two massive racks of beef ribs. So I guess it's plan B, anyone know how to BBQ that kind of ribs? I will have to give Bradley a call in the morning.

Did you possibility clean the gasket with some strong cleaner or acetone?

MPTubbs · January 17, 2010, 06:35:18 PM

I think CRG is on to something!

I was thinking the same thing.

weekendsmoker · January 17, 2010, 06:46:40 PM

Just a putty knife, no liquids. Just went out again and the gasket smells terrible, it's actually all the bottom gasket.

classicrockgriller · January 17, 2010, 06:49:37 PM

Is the gasket deteriated?

MPTubbs · January 17, 2010, 06:52:10 PM

Will black rain do that to the bottom seal?

That's where it's going to accumulate.

Would be more like acid rain.