Indirect cooking with wood chips?

KevinH

I've been cooking on my large BGE for a couple weeks, with great success thanks to all the help from this forum and some personal web sites. I've cooked a roast beef, boneless pork chops, boneless chicken breasts, a salmon filet, shrimp skewers, and a whole spatchcocked chicken (half jerk rub for me, half barbecue rub for my wife).[p]I'm having trouble figuring out how to use wood chips for smoke while cooking using indirect heat. Here's the scenario: I have a spare 18" grid and five firebricks (splits). So I get a decent fire going and put the spare grid on the bottom. Then I lay two firebricks flat and put a drip pan on top. Then set 3 fire bricks on edge to hold the top grid above the drip pan. Next I let the temperature stabilize at the cooking temperature, say 300 degrees. The wood chips have been soaking for 30 minutes. Now I'm ready to add the chips and the meat and start cooking.[p]But wait! I have two grids, five firebricks, and a drip pan blocking access to the coals. How do I put the wood chips on the coals? Should I move the preheated bricks out of the way and squeeze the chips through the lower grate? Or should I have put the chips in before preheating the bricks (wasting valuable smoke)? Or should I not preheat the bricks, and just extend the cooking time while they heat up?[p]I seem to be missing something here. Any help would be appreciated!

Tanya

KevinH, I am anxious to see comments on this as I have wondered also. Some say soaking is not necessary and some put the wood on when starting the fire. Seems like the wood would just burn up and not really smoke, especially chips.

Sundown

KevinH,[p]I just started two picnic shoulders and I'm going to use smoke. This is how I learned from the senior members of this forum. First I get my lump started and on the way to my target temp. Today my target is 250º - 300º dome. At about 200º I'll get all of my food in place. My soaked hickory chunks and about the time that's all done the temp should be near 250º
I toss in my hickory put the pizza stone in the drip pan on top of that and the shoulders on in the rack. Put in the Polder probe, button the Egg up and sit. The dome temp will drop when it's opened and I just hang out till we start back up and make my adjustments till the temp is stabilized. From what I've learned the smoke will penetrate very well when the meat is cold (cooler) in the beginning. Most of the smoke falvor comes right at the beginning. If you want you could drop in a few dry pieces when you're loading you lump the get some extra smoke into the cook. Done that never noticed a big difference in smoke flavor. Worked for me for a lot od butts and shoulders. Good Luck.

Charbon

KevinH, I'm not one of the masters but have worked thru this one. I build the fire and incorporate several chunks of dry wood into the outer edges of the lump. I then put all the grates, bricks, pans in place and then use a long match to light the firestarter. I put the starter at one side not near the wood chunks. 20 minutes later you should have a corner start and the beginning of smoke. Pop the meat on and adjust Miss daisy and bottom vent for desired temp. I have to say I'm a dry wood guy after trying the soak method many times. Soak at times will leave a bitter taste. Good Luck