first time harsh taste

[bevsmoker]

I am still pretty new to smoking, but haven't produced any real harsh/bitter tasting meat until today. I smoked tenderloins at a little over 300 degrees, a little over an hour, until they reached 150. I used pecan, which I have never used. My question is, do the higher smoking temps increase the chance for a bitter smoke? ie. not the thin blue smoke? Or is pecan a little more bitter and i could have possibly used too much? Combination of both? I don't have much more info or pictures, but enjoy reading feedback and comments! Oh yeah, vertical water smoker and I used chips. I usually use chips as they are easier to buy, but will probably make a better effort to get chunks after this experience.

[Jarhead]

Welcome aboard bevsmoker.
The temp has nothing to do with your problem.
3 or 4 chunks mixed in with the charcoal will give you better results than chips.
I'm betting you added too much wood at one time and smothered your lit coals and/or you soaked them.
Use the minion method for your charcoal.
BTW, Pecan is considered a milder wood.
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[k.a.m.]

Welcome to the ring bevsmoker, looking forward to seeing some pics of your cooks.
I agree with John I think you may have smothered your coals with the chips and they smoldered on you. I would look for chunks instead of the chips for long cooks. You could try foil pouching the chips and poking holes in the foil but I would use them dry and not soaked in water.
I hope this helps.
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[Tony]

[El Ropo]

If you fill out your profile with location info, we could give better advice on what may be available close to you.

Pecan is a very nice wood for smoking. I use it as a base along with apple and cherry for the majority of my cooks. It's really mild, and oversmoking with pecan is almost impossible given a clean burning fire.

Sounds like the dreaded white poofy smoke got ya. When you purchase chunks (I don't know exactly what smoker you have, signature could be filled out so we all know what you are using) If possible, bury the dry chunks within your unlit charcoal. This allows a slow steady and clean burn as the chunks pre-heat before ignition.

On cooking pork tenderloin or loin roasts, try pulling them off the cooker @ 140, then rest in foil (tented or wrapped) for 30 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, and the temp will continue to rise to ~145, which is the new 160 for pork. I hate to see a good lean cut of meat overcooked.
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[Canadian Bacon]

Small hot fire.....thin blue smoke....I find that a lot of people that get into low and slow cooking for the first time just love to see clouds of smoke pouring out of their cookers....this is not good and will produce that bitter taste in your meat.
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