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Soaking wood

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reelgem
reelgem Posts: 4,256
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I would like to know what people think about keeping wood chunks soaking in water. We had a cookout and my husband soaked the wood and left the unused wood in the water and he seems to think you can leave it in the water indefinitely and use it whenever you want. I think that's ridiculous and not a good idea. If you were supposed to store your smoking woods they would tell you to put the whole bag of chips or chunks in water and use as needed. Can't the wood get moldy? I need to put this discussion at rest with him.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    tell him not to soak it at all, use them dry, soaking wood chunks is not needed with the egg
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Smokey Chuck
    Smokey Chuck Posts: 19
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    I think that would get nasty after a while.
    I soak my chips for about thirty minutes, then put them in freezer bags and put them in the freezer. That way I've always got chips ready to go on the fire.
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  • milesofsmiles
    milesofsmiles Posts: 1,377
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    Yes it can get nasty. D T D T by a mistake. No need to soak wood as the egg does not have an open flame like a gasser. Miles out.
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  • milesofsmiles
    milesofsmiles Posts: 1,377
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    As you can see their are as many ways to Chicago as their are religions. To each their own. Soak no soak heck let er rip tatter chip. Miles out.
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  • RebelEgg
    RebelEgg Posts: 45
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    No need to soak your chips. Wood chips when left in water for a long time begin to sour and put of a really strong odor.
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    When we cooked on an offset at the store we left our wood out in the elements soaking up rain. Like fish said, no need to soak with an egg.

    Mike
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Soaking wood for a long time had terrible results for me and I had to toss the wood out.

    I think there is a time to soak and a time not to soak. Some woods I can only get in chips and I will soak and then build small water tubs out of foil.

    That is, soak the chips and make 3 or 4 small foil tubs 4" x 3" X 2" thereabouts, put the soaked chips in along with some water. Foil close and put some fork holes in the top. I put bare soaked wood chips in the lump, them the foil tubs. I get a good long smoke cycle.

    Lately I have been putting some unsoaked chips scattered and a handful in a pile where (a make shift chunk of wood) the lump is just beginning to light. This has also been working very well.

    Chunks, I haven't found a need to soak.

    GG
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    i haven't read all the other posts, but i bet they all say "there's no need to soak".

    plus, you are right. if they soak too long, the water turns color. why? because you are leaching OUT the very stuff that smells good when you smoke it. plus the mold and mildew.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,889
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    color me dry with the only exception when I'm using a Adler board for smoking salmon then I soak that so as to slow down the burning/charring that occurs, but really that's different anyway sooooo never-mind :P
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    yeah
    same for cedar. if the cedar smoked the whole time, i think it would be ass-tastic. i soak it in the hopes of holding off smoking til the end of the cook
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    Your colored dry. :woohoo: Of course you soak planks.

    Mike
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  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
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    If I soak them (and I don't do it much anymore) I just soak what i need.
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  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
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    Another non soaker hear.
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  • Cookinegger
    Cookinegger Posts: 20
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    Soaking seems to work okay for me. Actually, I think I use less chips wet than dry to produce the same smoke. I think after a few days of soaking the wood will start to get mushy and then moldy. Recently, I left some hickory in the rain for a week and it seemed to be fine - but it wasnt constantly wet.
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  • grEGGor
    grEGGor Posts: 109
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    I don't soak any more at all with the egg...
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