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Adding wood

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volntitan
volntitan Posts: 95
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Getting ready to do my first long smoke. Smoking 4 pork butts. What would you suggest for a mild smoke wood wise and how do you add additional wood during the smoke? When I've done shorter smokes (couple of hours) I've been accused of making every too smokey, so don't want to go overboard on these.
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  • Fencewire
    Fencewire Posts: 34
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    Mix in your smoking wood with your lump and load the egg accordingly (large to small lump), with wood chunks in the bottom and wood chips on the top of your coals. As it burns down your wood will burn.

    I've never had to add lump or wood to a cook and have gone for as long as 20 hours at 240, with lump left over.
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  • volntitan
    volntitan Posts: 95
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    Thanks! What kind of wood would you suggest? I have some pecan chunks, but didn't know if I should go out and get something different. When you say put chunks on the bottom, do you literally mean put some soaked chunks in first and then start putting lump?

    I also need to buy some more lump charcoal. I saw some at GFS for $12.99 and Sam's has some called Frontier for $14.99 for 40#. Haven't checked Home Depot, WalMart or KMart yet.
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Don't soak your wood. In the Egg, the air flow is restricted enough that the wood won't kindle. Also, moisture and wood smoke form creosote when the temp is just a little above boiling, so wet wood just increases the chance of bitter flavors being created.

    Fruit woods are considered to produce milder smoke. But pecan is usually viewed as good for poultry, so it too is fairly mild.

    Check the Naked Whiz's lump database for charcoal reviews. Personally, I would avoid Frontier. The bags I've had sparked really badly when temps were above 300 dome.

    WalMArt often has Royal Oak, which is good for lo-n-slo.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    Actually wood smoke that leave the EGG at 250 or less will cause creosote anyway. No real way to avoid that..

    Soaking wood chunks is simply a waste of time in the egg. The lump can get up 1200+ degrees. Water boils at 212 degs.(sea level) By the time the smoke clears the lump is dry and burning..
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  • ChargerGuy
    ChargerGuy Posts: 357
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    I used Cherry on my last Butt and it was great! I second going to walmart and getting some Royal Oak, good stuff and reasonable. I believe the Naked Whiz gave them a Highly Recommended!
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    Put two or three decent sized (2" - 3") chunks of Pecan in there. Apple or Cherry are good on pork too, but Pecan is king..

    Don't waste your time soaking them..

    Remember just because you can not see the smoke doesn't mean it's not there. Want proof stick your nose close you'll smell it.. Might also burn your nose, but you'll have proof :woohoo:
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  • ChargerGuy
    ChargerGuy Posts: 357
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    :woohoo: :laugh: I have actually done that ouch :laugh:
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    You really need to get off that flat view.. :laugh:
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  • ChargerGuy
    ChargerGuy Posts: 357
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    Flat View???
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    Versus the threaded views. Usually when I find people answering the top post under something I posted it's because they are in flat view.
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  • volntitan
    volntitan Posts: 95
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    Would you put those chunks in and then put the charcoal on top?
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  • ChargerGuy
    ChargerGuy Posts: 357
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    :laugh: no I just scewed up and hit reply instead of just posting at the bottom. Sorry.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    No.. Put them on or near the surface or they may never get burnt. When I use wood chunks I typically light the lump near each chunk.
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  • Wise One
    Wise One Posts: 2,645
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    Any effects of the wood smoke will be completed in the first hour or so of cooking. Make sure your wood is on when you put the meat on but adding wood for smoke later in the cook is really a waste of wood.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    Ohhh Please Bill tell you didn't say that...

    Smoke particle pile up on the meat till you take it out of the cooker.

    If you are referring to the so-called smoke ring that should more appropriately be called a chemical ring.
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  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
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    Indeed. Smoke flavor accumulates as long as there is smoke in the cooking chamber. (See Harold McGee, "On Food and Cooking") The smoke RING only develops while the meat temperature is below 140 degrees or so....
    The Naked Whiz
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  • volntitan
    volntitan Posts: 95
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    So for a nice mild smoke, pecan would be my best choice?
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  • volntitan
    volntitan Posts: 95
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    Sorry for the double post :blush:
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  • volntitan
    volntitan Posts: 95
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    The Whiz!

    I notice on your website that you show your first low and slow you have the butt on a rack. Do I have to use a rack or can I just place the four on the grid?
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    On the grid is fine. Though you will be hard pressed to get four on a single tier and still have decent airflow. Unless you have an XL..
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    ...and that's the temp of the meat where the smoke ring is forming, too, not the internal temp
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    holy smokes, man. hahaha in one day it seems you have gone over to the stike-side.

    first the turbinado factoid, now the "smoke flavors meat throughout the cook" issue and the "charcoal burns at 1200 even in a lo-and-slo cook" tid-bit.

    maybe if you start sayin it they'll believe me (and the whiz, and a few others) now. ;)
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  • volntitan
    volntitan Posts: 95
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    I have a Large Egg, but I do have the 3-Tiered rack accessory. I was thinking using 2 tiers and having 2 butts on each one.
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  • Woody69
    Woody69 Posts: 360
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    volntitan, I *assume* from your screen name that you are in TN. What part ? I'm in southern middle (Summertown).
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  • volntitan
    volntitan Posts: 95
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    Yep! Live in Franklin, TN.
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  • Wise One
    Wise One Posts: 2,645
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    I said it but in the future, I will preface it by saying "Although Celtic Wolf and others believe to the contrary..." I guess we need to have a taste-off to determine the accuracy. I certainly have done it both ways and I don't taste the difference but then my taste buds are ancient. Maybe, it's because I eat most of the bark as I'm pulling my pork so the outside doesn't get mixed in with the meat that I don't taste any additional smoke. All I know is that I smoke it for the first hour or two at the most and just let it continue cooking with no additional smoking wood added - and I like the result.
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  • volntitan
    volntitan Posts: 95
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    I may have misread...I thought they all said no need to add wood. BTW...you like pecan for mild smoke flavor with pork?
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    That is what we all said. Until that wood chunk turns to ash it will produce smoke and accumulate on the surface. The "smoke" ring is the pinkish meat color that forms about 3/8" of an inch all around the surface. That is actually a chemical reaction caused by the reaction to the rub and heat..

    With a box of tenderquik you can cause a smoke ring to happen in your oven.. It is the same reaction that turns ham pink during the curing process only the heat speeds it up some and then retards it..

    Hickory and Pecan are the King and Queen of smoking woods when it comes to pork.. Pecan is a milder flavor.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    I have always been on your side when it comes to smoke and the temp of the lump.. Science wins that one. The flash point of the lump is well above 212 degs anyway. So for wood to burn properly the water has to be history. Before anyone says this: House fires get douched because of the volume of water counters the temp of the wood; however, there is a whole lot of steam produced in a house fire before the fire gives up and dies.

    Jury is still out on the turbinado myth.. When I catch my breath I am going to prove or disprove it once and for all. :unsure:
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