How much smoke?

Vanzo · June 2011

Ok, for a long cook like a butt, how much "smoking" wood to use? I start with a egg full of lump.....should I put in a couple of chunks of hickory or more, should I put any small chips to get a lot of smoke early in the cook? Do I want smoke during the entire cook or only during, say, the first couple of hours?

If I could redesign the egg I would make it possible to add smoking wood without opening the top!!

I have failed miserably in my attempts to cook my first two butts but I intend to get this one right!!

Thanks for your help.

Vanzo
Alabama

The Naked Whiz · June 2011

You don't need to add smoking wood during a long cook if you add it before you start. I put four good sized pieces of smoking woods nestled down in the top of the lump and one piece on top of the burning portion of the fire. DrBBQ has recommended adding chips that are spread throughout the charcoal as you build the fire. Either way, you will get smoke throughout most, if not all of the cook.

As to when you want smoke, smoke will add flavor as long as the smoke is present. You don't have to add it at the beginning or the end or any particular time. There has always been this urban legend running around that "the meat only absorbs smoke while it is below 140 degrees". Smoke flavor is caused by the deposition of smoke particles on the surface of the meat. As long as you have smoke present in the cooking chamber, you will be adding smoke flavor to the meat.

Good luck!

Vanzo · June 2011

Thanks Whiz! Thats the exact kind of information I was hoping to get here. I think I am ready to try again.

Now, off to the grocery to find a good piece of meat!!

Thanks Again,

Vanzo
Alabama

stike · June 2011

Mix chips or chunks in the center up and down thru the lump. The fire will catch it as it burns downward

No need to add chips when you are cooking. You can also dose it more heavily at the beginning. Smoke flavor doesnt need to be applied slowly throughout the cook, as photogenic as it may be.

Cruezn · June 2011

I use 5 fist sized chunks of wood. I put them all on the top, 1 in the middle, and 4 evenly spaced around the outside edge. As the Whiz already mentioned, at 140 degrees the meat will not accept smoke any longer, therefore I only put the wood on top of the charcoal.

crghc98 · June 2011

not totally true... the meat will continue to accept smoke flavor throughout the cook (you are depositing the smoke on the meat)...it is the smoke ring that stops forming at 140....Stike can provide you with the scientific detail on why....

stike · June 2011

smoke rings stops at 140, smoke will flavor the meat whenever.

some day, after enough repetition, this will actually stick. :laugh:

The Naked Whiz · June 2011

Just to add one more correction,

what I said was that the smoke flavor does NOT stop at any temperature. It continues to build up as long as there is smoke in the cooking chamber.

stike · June 2011

no matter how many times you say it, the peeps be hearing what they wanna be hearin, yo :laugh:

How much smoke?

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