Wood Placement for Prolonged Smoke

Anthony Up North · January 2001

As I was arranging the lump in my home-made smoker while getting ready to smoke my home-made sausage, I was wondering how to prolong the smoke over the five-six hour time period it would take to smoke the sausage. I did not want to keep opening the smoker and inserting more wood. Then an idea struck me.[p]Why not layer the 1 x 3 pieces of green maple between layers of lump and light it from the top as we do in the BGE for a slow cook. Then light the lump with the starter and place the final pieces of green wood on top the burning lump.[p]The result is that the hot fire immediately starts burning the wood setting on top causeing immediate smoke. Then as the lump slowly burns down it encounters another layer of wood, and begins burning it, (more smoke) etc. So there should then be continuous smoke throughout the cook.[p]I tried that. It worked perfectly. I had smoke for the entire cook, without once opening the smoker. [p]After the sausages were done and I dampted down the fire, and when the lump cooled, I looked inside. There were still a few pieces of the green maple left on the botton. They were charred, but if the cook had continued longer, I would have had smoke for another 30-60 minutes.[p]I haven't tried this method on the BGE yet, but the next time I do pulled pork or brisket, it will be a method I will use. No reason it shouldn't work there too.[p]Give it a shot and see what happens.... then post your results for the rest of us to read.[p]Happy smoking.[p]Anthony

Wise One · January 2001

Anthony Up North, have you ever thought of incorporating the BGE into your smoker design? (OR DO YOU?) I was wondering what would happen if you took a pipe off the chimney and led it through an auxiliary smoker of some sort. That way we could fill the BGE with lump and have only the cooler smoke actually reaching the meat. I know some guys do this with two BGEs but I was thinking it might be easier to just lead it into something else.

Char-Woody · January 2001

Anthony Up North, your on the money. Thats the way I do it and if we both do, then it has to be right~! :-)
Good post!
C~W[p]

Cornfed · January 2001

Anthony Up North,[p]This is how Smokin' Todd often builds his fires. Both of us like heavy smoke on things like ribs or pulled pork, and this method provides some nice smoke throughout the cook. Another example of how a little pre-cook effort goes a long way towards the end product.[p]Cornfed

Wood Placement for Prolonged Smoke

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