Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Do you soak the wood chunks before putting them in the egg?

Tier1Terrier
Tier1Terrier Posts: 129
in EggHead Forum
i'm smoking my first pork butt tomorrow. Before I put the wood chunks on top of the Kohl's, do I soak them and if so for how long before putting them on?
XL BGE Owner Since September 2015 - So expect a lot of newbie questions and please go easy on me :-)
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Tier1Terrier
    Tier1Terrier Posts: 129
    I meant coals lol.  I was using voice recognition sorry  
    XL BGE Owner Since September 2015 - So expect a lot of newbie questions and please go easy on me :-)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    Negative on the soaking of the chunks. Mix them in while you are adding lump so you have smoke throughout the cook.  I would use maybe 4-5 chunk of a mix of cherry & oak for a butt. 

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    No need to ever soak wood chunks.  No benefit at all.  Just toss them in.
    Packerland, Wisconsin

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mosca
    Mosca Posts: 456
    I don't. As soon as you close the lid they start smouldering. There's no need to soak them.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
    Want to prove to yourself that it doesn't help to soak the lump?  Soak one piece of your normal lump wood for however long you normally soak ... hour or two.  Then split the chunk down the middle and look at how little the water has soaked into the wood.

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,455
    The reason you don't need to soak might be of interest - wet wood has to dry out first in order to start smoking! In the meantime you have introduced steam in your egg which is not needed nor is a pan of liquid in a BGE. Make sense now?
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PASmoke
    PASmoke Posts: 279
    I agree with @RRP and would add that soaking wood chunks also prologs the harsh, white smoke that you actually want to burn off prior to adding your meat. It's a necessary evil for those who don't have a natural wood fire burning....but you do....so, just weave it into your coals....open a cold beer....and enjoy the smoke! 
    Atlanta, GA - Large BGE x 2

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,455
    Jeepster47 said:
    Want to prove to yourself that it doesn't help to soak the lump?  Soak one piece of your normal lump wood for however long you normally soak ... hour or two.  Then split the chunk down the middle and look at how little the water has soaked into the wood.
    Good point, Tom. I have to wonder if the soaking idea gained a foothold in backyard America when grilling was done fast and furious using chips - not chunks - so to get a rise of smoke then the water created STEAM masking as "smoke" before the real smoke occurred. Thin flaky chips surely absorb more water, more quickly due to the open exposed pores than chunks. Stands to reason doesn't it?
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • bboulier
    bboulier Posts: 558
    There is good scientific evidence that soaking wood chunks doesn't matter.  However, you should soak wood chips.  For example, I use alder chips to fast cook salmon steaks.  They should be soaked, otherwise they just burn up quickly.
    Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories