Cooking with wood as fuel

Unknown

Let me start by saying that I am new to the egg world. I got my BGE last Saturday, after considering a number of grills, both gas and charcoal. So far I've smoked a beer can chicken, direct grilled a pork tenderloin, and grilled burgers, all with superb results. My question is if anyone is using or has used oak or other wood chunks as the acutal fuel (not just adding chunds or chips for smoke) as opposed to lump, and if so what is the immpression and is it worth deviating from the norm of using lump charcoal. [p]I'm looking forward to doing steaks for the first time this weekend. I am literally amazed at how simple and stable temperature regulation on the BGE is. I did experience my first backdraft the other day while cooking a flat bread on a pizza stone using the plate setter. Temp was around 500F and I wasn't thinking, opened the top up all the way, and whoosh! - no harm, and I still have my eyebrows and my nice head of hair, but I'll remember to crack the lid and hold it there before opening all the way when cooking at the higher temps.

Nature Boy

BigPapiDoesItAgain,
The egg is just not the right tool to use all wood in. I tried it once out of curiosity, but the results were way, way too smoky.[p]There is just not enough airflow to keep a clean burning wood fire going without intense heat. I think cooking a steak over wood with the lid open would be nice, but otherwise I think you'll be disappointed.[p]If you burned the wood down to coals first, it could work, but then why not just use lump!? [p]Welcome to the world of the egg, and happy cookin!
Chris

stike

BigPapiDoesItAgain,
NB is right.
i think we all try it once. hahahaha[p]too much of a good thing.
plus, if it's a steak you want, you want sear, and frankly, lump burns hotter than wood, even though it useda be wood.[p]lump is carbon, whicle wood has a buncha other stuff in there that keeps it from getting lump-hot.[p]stick with lump for a predicatable controllable long-burning fire, and add wood in smaller amounts for extra smoke just when you want it.[p]

Unknown

Nature Boy,
That was my thought,that the shape of the BGE is not ideal for a good oak fire. My thought is that a table grill, of simply a hole in the ground with a grate over it is the way to go for wood grilling. Just was curious as to what has been attempted around here. I figured someone had done it at least once. [p]Speaking of Lump, I've been using Picnic brand for quite some time (they carry Picnic and Cowboy brand at the local Brookshire's here in Shreveport, LA) in my older charcoal grill, and was pleased to know it scored so well in Naked Whiz' database. I've always been happy with the results from Picnic, and nothing has changed since I got the Egg - I just wish it came in bigger bags.

The Naked Whiz

BigPapiDoesItAgain,
My results mirrored Nature Boy's. Either you get huge volumes of smoke or you let the wood burn with a flame and get a very hot fire. In addition, the lid of the Egg was covered with creosote. The daisy wheel was stuck on the egg and the slider was stuck in position. I had to knock the daisy wheel a bit to break it loose and use a blow torch to burn off some of the creosote to get the slider loose. [p]TNW