I have a pit smoker that I've been cooking briskets and ribs in. Why does the outside of what ever I put it turn black instead of brown? It always tastes kind of bitter, too.
If the food is turning black, it could be one of two things. The first possibility is that your smoker is too hot and the outside of the food is becoming charred, but I doubt that this is what the problem is.
The second possibility is that your fire is not getting enough air and is choking. When a fire is starved for air, it burns cooler than it should. This causes the fire to create a lot of smoke that's filled with soot and contaminants that would otherwise burn away if the fire had plenty of oxygen. The black soot also contains creosote, which is produced by cool burning smoldering fires. It tastes terrible and really should not be consumed.
When using your pit smoker, make sure the fire is burning clean and has plenty of air to keep it going. The smoke should be barely visible as it leaves the smokestack. To control the temperature of the smoker, adjust the size of your fire. You can cut back on the intake airflow adjustment, but don't cut off too much of the air. If the smoke begins to darken, open up the smoker and the firebox until the fire is burning clean again. Remove a few of the coals and wood to bring the smoker temp down.
Make sure that the fire is burning clean before you add your food to the smoker, too.
If you like, you could try using lump charcoal next time you smoke some food. All the contaminants that create creosote and soot have been burned out the the lump charcoal, so it creates a clean burn. You can add a few small pieces of your smoking wood...oak, hickory of whatever...as the coals burn. Continue adding more charcoal to maintain the smoker temperature you're shooting for.
Make sure that the smokestack is at least halfway open, too. The heated, smokey air needs to freely pass through the smoker. If the smokestack is closed up too much, soot and creosote can form, which will turn your food black.
Lastly, green wood can produce a lot of sooty smoke, so be sure to use dry wood for smoking. You can soak the wood in water for a bit if you like, but I find that it's not necessary.
