when to put the wood chunk on?

Manfred

My question is when is good to put your chunk wood on? Like for a butt or ribs, brisket. I put the chunk on right befor I put the meat on. I sometime soak the wood.Is there a wrong time or a correct time. Welling to take any and all advice. thank for your help.

FearlessGrill

Manfred,

For most cooks, I do what you described, and put the wood chunks in right before putting the meat in. Especially on higher temp cooks, I figure this will provide more smoking time before the chunks burn out.

For long low and slow cooks like brisket and butts, I put the chunks in early, as soon as my fire has caught. In this type of cook, I put in 3-4 chunks spread around the firebox, with only 1/2 of them on currently burning sections of lump. I find that this setup keeps smoke production up for longer during the cook as the fire slowly spreads. I put them in early in this case so I can put in the plate setter and drip pan and allow them to come up to temperature while stabilizing the egg temp, resulting in less of a temp drop when putting in a large piece of meat.

I have tried soaking and not soaking, and haven't found much difference, so I don't generally bother anymore. Last week, I tried using some chunks of green oak from a recently cut tree, and they worked great.

Not sure whether this is helpful, but it's what I do.

-John

Manfred

Thanks any and all help is a good thing.

Hungry in Lilburn

with the oak did you get a black patina to the skin? I remember eating black smoked chickens when I was little and they were great! I am thinking that since it was south ga they were probably smoked with oak. Maybe?

FearlessGrill

I used the oak for a beef roast, so I didn't see any discoloration like you would on poultry skin. I got a great smoke flavor and nice smoke ring though.

-John

lowercasebill

no reason to soak,, water makes steam , wood burns when it is dry , wood goes on with meat if you want a smoke ring ,, once the outside meat protein is denatured [cooked] it won't absorb. so no smoke ring.

Manfred

thanks That what I thought. But it is always good to ask to make sure. So on brisket or butts or ribs the first 15-20 min is the smoke time.

lowercasebill

maybe a bit longer depends on how much smoke you like but it is easy in the beginnig to add too much and there is no taking it back start. small and add more the next time then " no wrecked meals' it is an art not a science
happy eggin
bill

thirdeye

I don't soak.... Put your flavor wood splits or chunks on the charcoal right after starting. It usually takes about an hour for the coals and the wood to settle down enough for cooking, then you can add the meat. Don't get in a hurry. Wait for the sweet blue or light gray smoke to rise from the top vent.

Abe Froman

Before I light the fire, I put a chunk or two about 1" from the center of the lump where I put the paraffin cube.

I tend to use too much smoke, which I love when the food is fresh off the cooker. Reheated for several days afterward, the smoke gets to be a turn off at that point.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

I do as thrideye suggests.
Once I have a pretty good fire, about fifteen minutes, I will add the smoke wood and wait for the “blue”.
When it’s blue, it’s time to Q!
BTW, I don't soak any smoke-wood just the cooking planks.

Manfred

does this go for direct and indirect?

ibanda

Hungry in Lilburn wrote:

with the oak did you get a black patina to the skin? I remember eating black smoked chickens when I was little and they were great! I am thinking that since it was south ga they were probably smoked with oak. Maybe?

When I was kid my grandad had a cattle and pecan farm in Sealy, TX west of Houston. Nearly every time we visited he would cook chickens over pecan wood on some grills he had made himself (direct heat, raised grid). And yes there would be black patina patches and some golden brown skin. 30 years later I still think they are some of the best meals I have ever eaten. The first time I ever grilled myself was on the those grills and I couldn't believe I could make something that good myself. Now when I drive down to visit I bring a several sticks of pecan back in my trunk to OKC and spatchcock some chickens!

I know they grow a lot of pecans in Georgia, maybe it was pecan? Anyways I highly recommend pecan smoke and chicken I think they are a great combination, give it a try.

thirdeye

yes

thirdeye

When it’s blue, it’s time to Q!

Here's another...about the top vent.

"If it's puffin' white, it ain't right, If it's blowin' blue it's good for Q"

Manfred

thanks for all the help. that smoke flavor is the hardest thing to get the right amount.

thirdeye

And some folks definately like a harder hit with the smoke too, so they use stronger wood or more of it.

I think the key is, even if you use more wood than the other guy, it does need some time to burn off before adding meat to the cooker.

An exception would be when grilling something like a steak or some chops.... you can get away with adding a small handful of chips to the coals for a blast of smoke flavor. A grilling fire is much hotter than a barbecuing fire and chips go pretty fast.