When smoking do you place the wet wood chips on the lump coal or

RaySMS

do you put a bowl in the bottom to smoke?

Thanks

Chubbs

Don't soak them and throw them on top. No need to overthink. 

Darby_Crenshaw

Mix them in. No soaking required

they can't burst into flame in the BGE

bhedges1987

Yeah just mix them in your lump when you are filling it. I do about 4 chunks and 2 handfuls of chips 

logchief

Like what everybody said above, chunks are better for low and slow cooks like ribs and pork butt.

Doc_Eggerton

No chips, chunks in a ring around the fire.  Dry not soaked. 

RRP

Agree with all the responses but permit me to say why soaking isn't needed. Actual research shows that soaked wood chips really don't get "soaked". Even if you do "soak" them then all that does it temporarily dampen your hot embers and turn the moisture to steam. The soaking is an urban myth at best.

bkhooegger

I do not soak either, just mix throughout.

Darby_Crenshaw

Chips work as well as chunks 

in the BGE, soaking is not required because it is an oxygen limited environment 

the reason your fire holds 250 and doesn't run away, despite all that fuel, is due to the opening restricting incoming air (oxygen).

which means your wood (chips or chunks) cannot possibly ignote and run away, burning up 

if this seems counterintuitive, do this. Next time you're at say 400 degrees, open the lid and toss in some twigs or chips. Something that burns readily. Then shut the lid quickly

You'll see some quick flames. That's because the dome was open. 

The flames will die and suddenly the wood will snuff, flames out, and smolder. 

Now open the lid

the flames will ignite again with all the extra oxygen. 

Shut the lid, and while you are still at 400-500, the flames will eventually (within maybe 20-30 seconds) go out again


It is true that no matter what grill you have, soaked chips need to dry out before they ignite. But in a BGE, they can't ever ignite 

unless you have the done open (free air) or are running at super nuke temps. Say 600 plus

it's a low oxygen environment. The unused wood will become charcoal even if it never sees fire. Because low oxygen and extended burns will drive off all the moisture and non-carbon stuff and leave you with poor man's charcoal

DMW

There are other things to put in a bowl and smoke...

Focker

Chips are fine, and what I prefer on the egg.
Chunks are for the kettles and WSMs.  I know all the chunks will burn on the Webers.  Chips are poof, and gone for reasons Darby mentioned....more airflow.  

Got tired of using chunks, and discovering after the cook that 50 percent of what I put in, was unlit.  And I tried to place them where the fire would burn.

Grader07

DMW said:

There are other things to put in a bowl and smoke...

You got that right!

bboulier

Depends on what I am cooking.   With salmon which is a very short 10-20 minute cook, I use alder wood chips that have been soaked for 20-30 minutes. For cooks involving chunks of wood (hickory, peach, apple, etc.), there is no reason to soak the wood.  The Virtual Weber Bullet forum has a very convincing video:  http://virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html#soak 

YukonRon

They make boats out of wood for a reason, because if they soaked up water so easily, they would be at the bottom of the lake. Dry wood chunks and chips are better for smoking and the egg.

Fred19Flintstone

Ok.  That on-going mystery is solved...for now.  Lets talk about fat cap up or down!

Darby_Crenshaw

The conventional thinking is that soaked chips keeps wood from bursting into flame, raising temperatures and leading to your smoke woods being used up too quickly

this is possible in most cookers which are not air tight 

this is not possible in the BGE, unless you give the fire more air (opening the lid for ex). Even then, the fire stops and returns to smokdering when the air flow is checked or choked

jtcBoynton

Fred19Flintstone said:

Ok.  That on-going mystery is solved...for now.  Lets talk about fat cap up or down!

The fat cap up or down argument is all wrong - the fat cap must be on the side!!!  

yljkt

Why would anyone soak wood chips for smoke?

jtcBoynton

@yljkt   Check out my signature line.

Fred19Flintstone

No offense to anyone here, but soaking produces steam only.  IMO if you soak, you don't understand fire.  I won't go as far as to say "If you soak, you suck."  But there is a kernel of truth there.

Darby_Crenshaw

soaking has its place though:  in a grill that isn't air tight; or when you soak a plank to delay the smoke (so your salmon can cook  bit before being swamped by too much cedar smoke, which can get too much too quick); or RRPs trick, which is to toss wet chips onto the coals if the fire has gotten too hot

Legume

Raichlen says the added moisture (steam) from soaked smoke wood helps a smoke ring to form.  I always do what Raichlen says.  I'm growing out my hair so I can get a really sweet perm.

Chubby

Truth is ... you can soak or not, either do/will work!

Don't fret over it, just do as you like and go with whatever you decide.

I've always used chunks for longer cooks...chips for shorter...mixing the chunks as I fill my egg.

More than anything...youre looking for a clean burning well ventilated fire...with very light colored whispy smoke.

Jstroke

I starting buying smoking wood by the cord. I just use a stick of firewood and lay it on the lump. This way I get a mix and choose what I am in the mood for. 

northGAcock

So reading this string....I think the one thing all agree on is smoking is good.....no matter what and how you do it.