need advice

[c.j]

when i smoke meat in my barrel type smoker(wal-mart) the bark has a burnt taste. i keep the temp. @ 225 & spray with apple juice. i use apple wood in the smoke box.

[SoEzzy]

What are you using for fuel?

Wood only or Charcoal and wood?

If you're only using wood, the chances are that your fire is smoldering and large instead of small and hot.

If I was in your shoes, I'd start with a chimney of charcoal, lump or briquettes, get that well lit, then pop on 1 or 2 apple wood logs for the flavor and additional heat.

You are better with a thin blue haze than a thick white smoke, also give your cooking chamber a chance to get up to temperature before you put your meat in. This can be as long as 30 - 40 minutes, but it will stop some of the smoke settling ou onto the meat or condensing inside the chamber and dripping onto the meat.

By building a small hot fire, you make sure the combustion process is as efficient as possible, every second, (or third), set of logs, start another 1/2 chimney of charcoal to maintain the bed of coals under the fire. don't just load the firebox with unlit charcoal and wood, as this will drag your pit temperature down and the fire won't burn as efficiently as it could.

Don't spray more often than once an hour, because "if your looking then you ain't cooking" the open door drops the temperature in the cooking chamber and it takes extra time to bring the temperature back up to the 225 - 250 F that you want it to be at.
_________________
Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[c.j]

i use wood & charcoal. i will try a smaller fire. thanks