Placing wood smoking chunks????...............

GenesGrill

What method do you guys find best for placing chunks (mine are kiawe chunks which are about fist sized) of smoking wood in the lump?? Is fist size too big? Do you put it on top of the burning lump, bury it under the lump so the lump will burn it later in the cooking, or what?? I don't want all my wood to burn up before my temps are stabilized......

ted

I put the chunks on about the time it gets stabilized. Then put the grid on and start cooking. You might need to wait a bit longer if your wood is dry and cooking directly since it might flare up. I use dry chunks if cooking something quickly like a steak and soak the chunks if Im doing a longer cook. I use various sizes from sticks to fist sized. My mother is obsessed with providing me wood from her place... I now have boxes of oak, pecan, cherry and maple. So, I use whatever she gives me.

Essex County

GenesGrill,
A fist sized chunk is ok. I'd place it on the burning coals. If you're not cooking at superhot temps, it shouldn't ignite and burn vigorously once the lid is closed and should smolder for a good long while.
Paul

tach18k

GenesGrill, I put mine in just before I put the food on. I try not to smoke for than an hour for the longer cooks. My chunks are no bigger than a tennis ball, if they are I cut them down. I dont soak either. I may scatter 3-4 for over nighters, others I place near the hot lump, maybe 1 or 2

Elder Ward

Essex County,
Well here is one more opinion ( nobody is wrong just different methods) I would use one chunk fist size is more than enough for my taste in most cases. I soak my wood for min 30 mins then let it drain 5 to 20 min. build a fire igloo on top of lump when that is going I disassemlbe the isgloo and distribute it around entire area evenly. that leaves the center with the most fire still burning I place my chunck dead center of that fire and put the meat on immediately and close the lid. The vents are only open enough to let air in maybe 1/16 if inch. I will not open the vents any wider for 1 hour then if egg is not to desired cooking temperature I will increase opening to stablize temp. for balance of cook. I find the majority of smoking flavor is done in the first few minutes to my taste.
If you got em smoke em,
Elder Ward

GenesGrill

Elder Ward,
Elder....aren't you originally from North Carolina?? If so, what part? I live in Murphy (about 100 miles west of Asheville) and love it here...we don't call it God's Country for nothing...eheh.....

Elder Ward

GenesGrill,
My mother is from Tar Heel,NC, My Father from Barkus Creek, I was born in Sylva lived in Cullowhee went to HS in Charlotte. Went back to Cullowhee to live while going to college in Webster, NC just outside of Sylva.
Lumberton, Wrightsville beach, Winston-Salem, Pineville.
and maybe a few I missed. We moved alot when I was younger.
Elder Ward

DieselkW

Commenting on this 20 year old thread to demonstrate that I looked for the answer first.

I've got a long cook coming up Saturday.... might be Friday night into Saturday.... two pork butts total weight going to be 15 pounds. 

I know most of the smoke flavor comes early in the cook and I usually bring her up to 300º at the chimney, set the vents to barely enough to keep it on fire, throw in some chunks of hickory, place the deflector/platesetter with an aluminum drip tray on top and then when it's been at 225º for a while, place the pork on the grill. 

The question I've been noodling around... does it make any sense to put some wood in or around the drip tray?

I think it will make the wood last a lot longer, especially if I put 1/4" of water in with the chunks. 

Anybody already try this?

RiverBBQ

Is there a chance the chunks would ignite and scorch the meat? Just throwing out ideas… 

fishlessman

with the dome closed on a low and slow the fire wont happen on the smoking wood. just get the lump burning clean and throw it on. with water in the pan you just use more lump. water in a cheap steel smoker keeps the temps lower and stabilized, not needed in the egg

MaskedMarvel

I’ve always done a dual layer in the lump, itself. 

Lump maybe halfway
three or more big chunks
lump to almost the top 
three or more big chunks
sprinkle the kick-ash leftovers over everything

lower Chunks, sometimes, don’t even get touched. 

MaskedMarvel

I’ve always done a dual layer in the lump, itself. 

Lump maybe halfway
three or more big chunks
lump to almost the top 
three or more big chunks
sprinkle the kick-ash leftovers over everything

lower Chunks, sometimes, don’t even get touched. 

MaskedMarvel

I’ve always done a dual layer in the lump, itself. 

Lump maybe halfway
three or more big chunks
lump to almost the top 
three or more big chunks
sprinkle the kick-ash leftovers over everything

lower Chunks, sometimes, don’t even get touched. 

MaskedMarvel

Yowzah. Sorry. “Incorrect Date/Time Error” preventing me from deleting those stat boosters..

DieselkW

Well, to close this out... I put some chunks in the lump, and some chunks on top of the platesetter, and the two big ol' shoulders on at 2pm Saturday.

Took the smaller one came off at 10am Sunday.

The bigger one came to 204º before that shoulder blade pulled out about an hour later. 

Both disintegrated into shreds easily and we put them up in 2lb containers with some store bought bbq. sauce.

Back out to clean up.... the wood on top of the plate setter was just greasy, unburned, not even charred. I wrapped them in foil for the next batch of chicken legs coming up Tuesday.

So... the answer is clear - put the wood chunks in with the lump.

DieselkW

Well, to close this out... I put some chunks in the lump, and some chunks on top of the platesetter, and the two big ol' shoulders on at 2pm Saturday.

Took the smaller one came off at 10am Sunday.

The bigger one came to 204º before that shoulder blade pulled out about an hour later. 

Both disintegrated into shreds easily and we put them up in 2lb containers with some store bought bbq. sauce.

Back out to clean up.... the wood on top of the plate setter was just greasy, unburned, not even charred. I wrapped them in foil for the next batch of chicken legs coming up Tuesday.

So... the answer is clear - put the wood chunks in with the lump.

RiverBBQ

Looks like a successful cook. Thanks for the feedback, experiments are the best! 

Mark_B_Good

I put my chunks in before I light her up, and they are just below the surface of coals, spread out, but bias towards the rear, where I see the fire tends to run. I prefer to put them in before lighting, as I avoid opening the dome to minimize disruption to the environment ... I find it quite destabilizing. 

Begger

However the wood is applied, I would and DO, Soak it for hours in cheap beer.     Maybe overnite!

Begger

However the wood is applied, I would and DO, Soak it for hours in cheap beer.     Maybe overnite!