Getting quality smoke from an electric smoker

msymond

I was wondering if people had any advice re getting quality smoke from an electric smoker. I have a smoker that looks identical (but is branded differently) to the Masterbuilt used in the Baby Back ribs video. I have found that it hasn't produced quality smoke on a consistent basis. While, sometimes, it has produced a nice sweet smoky aroma, other times it has left the meat either without much of a smoked flavour or an acrid bitter taste, and meat with a dry texture. I've done the ice-in-the-water-tray-trick and I live in quite a humid location -- I have also checked the temperature (as suggested here) with a thermocouple, and temperature control seems to be fine. I'm really confused about how I can improve the quality and consistency of smoke I'm getting. Specifically, I'm wondering if anyone could describe a procedure that has given them consistent results with an electric smoker of this kind.

Brendan_Lee_56950

What kind of wood are you using and are you doing anything to it before adding it to the smoker?