Poppets (top vs bottom): smoke flavor on food?

[jjdbike]

Hello fellow KBQ'ers,

I hope that all is well for you and your families.

Can we please share our experiences and preferences when it comes to opening or closing poppets at various times for various cooks?

1. What real world differences have you noticed when cooking w/ the top poppet open vs only bottom?
2. Do you use different poppet configuration when cooking different things, e.g. top open for brisket but closed for fish or chicken?
3. Do you use different poppet configurations with different types of wood?
4. Finally, do any of you open the top poppet for the start of the cook to help establish the bark and smoke flavor then shut it down to keep from getting overly barkey or smokey?
5. Are there any circumstances where you prefer to run both poppets wide open for the entire cook?

Here's the context for this question. My wife is gradually learning to enjoy and appreciate BBQ. She is still sensitive to particulary smokey foods, but is acclimating. So far all my cooks have been with bottom poppet fully open and top fully closed. This Friday I am smoking a 13lb aged prime brisket from Wild Fork for guests. This will be my 1st brisket on the KBQ. The other first is, so far I have only used small seasoned apple splits. I have some newly acquired hickory and cherry. They are in big chunks. I put the relatively inexpensive moisture meter I purchased at ACE on them and they all read between 14 & 19%, though I don't know how accurate that is. I've heard (mostly from you all) that cherry is much like apple in that it's mild and hickory is similar to oak but stronger - smokier, do you agree?

For this weekend, I need to decide if how I will run the poppets for this brisket cook and what types of wood I'll burn when.
Looking forward to your input and suggestions.

Thanks in advance!
JD

[CALNZ]

Hi JD

I like to run the top open and bottom half open for the entire cook to get the smoke profile I like now. Or sometimes just both fully open.

Just bottom poppet is a little too clean for me but awesome on ribeye or steak which I prefer subtle smoke.

I had a weird experience trying to cook just with the top poppet only open recently and couldn’t get the cooker over 250f (I was cooking chicken so that wasn’t hot enough). When I opened the bottom poppet up the heat came up fine. Hadn’t read about this anywhere so no idea if this is typical but I concluded I needed at least some bottom poppet all of the time.

I wonder sometimes if the fan was running the whole time whether the food would pick up more smoke or whether it would make little difference. But the KBQ flavor and aroma is perfect for me so it’s nothing more than a wondering.

How did your first brisket cook turn out ? Any pics?

[TripleB]

I have a 2 lb. Tomahawk ribeye that I'd like to try in the KBQ. Do you smoke it to a desired temp and then finish it with a sear or do you take it all the way to your desired temp in the KBQ?

[lostclusters]

Imho and from my experience there is no reason the run the bottom poppet in any other position than fully open. Unless dirty smoke is what your seeking. I personally do not like the taste of dirty smoke.

Once the firebox has burnt most of the wood to mostly coals and there is far less dirty smoke being generated I open the top poppet to get more cleaner smoke into the cookbox. This takes coordination, timing, and experience. But the results are much tastier.

[CALNZ]

Interesting. All personal preference I guess but I find the smoke from the top poppet very very clean relative to my other cookers - still thin blue smoke. I understand the bottom poppet cleans the smoke through the coals, for the cleanest possible smoke flavor, which the top poppet doesnt, but sometimes I just enjoy more smoke. Even top poppet is clean burning stick burner quality smoke flavor.

That’s one of the coolest things about the KBQ. Custimize your smoke profile every cook.

[CALNZ]

Hey tripleb

I have done tomahawks two ways in the KBQ:

1. reverse seared over the firebox, which is fun and easy as only requires KBQ. Bring it up to 115f - 118f slowly at 225 - 250max then paint with grapesead oil, beef fat, or clarified butter and sear on the firebox grill grate (if you have it). I also slide the firebox grill on immediately before the sear (cold grate technique from this website).

2. Same process as above but instead of using the firebox for the sear, I fire up a Slow n sear in advance, with the spin grate, and transfer the 117f tomahawk to that to do the sear, using cold grate technique again, flipping regularly and painting with a fat before each flip - and avoiding flare ups as much as poss.

Method two I can get a better crust to be honest, but the sear is over charcoal rather than wood. And it uses two cookers which is not always practical. I would do that to get perfection (say when entertaining with guests, cooking special wagyu etc).

Method one (firebox sear) I would do on a weeknight cook for the family or just the wife and I. For convenience and fun.

KBQ tomahawk without a sear would be juicy and smokey but I would miss the crust. It’s my favorite thing to cook and eat on the planet.

Here’s three four inch thick Australian wagyu tomahawks done using method 2.

[Allon]

Three children, three tomahawks... Works out well

[CALNZ]

Yes, one each for growing girls.

[CALNZ]

And here’s a much smaller cowboy ribeye done using method one (KBQ only, firebox sear) for a quick dinner