Need help: chips, chunks or pellets

Unknown · November 2005

I'm a BGE newbie and am confused about how and what to use for flavored smoking. Which is better to use: chips, chunks or pellets? Should I soak them or put them in dry? Also do I need to continually add them for a longer cook or do you just put them in at the beginning of a cook? I'm confused....Help!!

YankeeBBQ · November 2005

SE,[p]Depends on what your cooking. If your grilling a steak or some chicken, chips or pellets work great. For long cooks chunks are the way to go. You won't need to add more if you layer them in the charcoal. I don't soak my wood but I know others that do.[p]Steve

guavawood · November 2005

SE,[p]I use chunks. I don't soak. Chips are ok too, they burn faster but impart more smoke in shorter time in my opinion. I add 3-6 chunks with the lump and that's it for the whole smoke. I just did an 18 hour butt smoke kept at 250 on one load of charcoal and 6 chunks of guava.[p]"The Naked Whiz" website has more info on soaking wood and wood types. Here's a link:[p]Aloha![p]Greg Kemp
[ul][li]Informational Website[/ul]

smokeydrew · November 2005

SE,[p]I prefer chunks because they don't need to be soaked, thus require no preparation. As far as flavor imparted, I have not noticed a difference between the two. I have never tried the pellets, but I have heard good things about them.[p]-smokeydrew

Bobby-Q · November 2005

SE,
I personally use chips, chunks and pellets...lol depending on the flavor.[p]I never soak them unless they were left out on the deck and it rains.[p]I mix the wood in at the beginning and I make sure there is enough to handle the whole cook if I am doing a low and slow. For something a little quicker I'll just drop a handful in the middle before the food goes on.[p]HTH

jake42 · November 2005

SE,
Welcome aboard. I prefer to use chunks. I do not soak them.
Depending on the type of wood you want to be careful about adding more during your cook there is such a thing as too much smoke especially with hickory.. For instance if I'm doing a slab of ribs one, no more than two fist size chunks at the beginning are sufficient. I sometime use Woodridge Oak barrrel chips for shorter cooks like chicken etc. These chips do not need to be soaked as they come from oak wine barrels. Might I suggest after you get your smokin' legs under you to definately try the guava wood.
Happy cookin'

Vyccid · November 2005

I buy the chunks and place them around/under my lump before lighting. I used to soak them but don't anymore, and I haven't noticed a difference except less prep time.

I think adding the smoke at the begining gets you more flavor, so I try to keep the smoke going for the first part and don't worry about it later in the cook. The chunks always come with a few chips (and you can easily make more), which I sometimes toss onto the coals if I need a bit more smoke, normally because the fire wandered away from where the chunks where placed.

I don't have any pellet experience, but I'm just starting to experiment with putting my own herbs/spices in foil packets.

Squeeze · November 2005

SE,
I have used all three and have really started to like the pellets. I picked up some samples at the Jack Daniels cookoff this year and have been using them like crazy lately and really like what they produce. [p]-Kevin

Citizen Q · November 2005

SE,
I use whatever I can get my hands on, the longer the cook the bigger the pieces. Chunks get mixed into the lump, dry. Chips get soaked, usually in wine, beer or hard cider, and go over the top of the coals.[p]Cheers,
C~Q

Need help: chips, chunks or pellets

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