Hickory smoke

Unknown · July 2006

Newbie question--- Would you recomend hickory chunks or the little chips for producing smoke for beef and pork, and how much of each??

BlueSmoke · July 2006

Bucky Buckshot,
I like un-soaked chunks: they last longer. Two or three fist-size chunks is plenty for almost anything you'd want to smoke.[p]Ken

Unknown · July 2006

BlueSmoke,
Thanks Ken for the input. Much appreciated

EddieMac · July 2006

I prefer hickory chips.....While the dried chunks do indeed burn considerably longer...there's only so long that the meat will accept the meat flavoring.....And that's in the earliest stages of the cook.......[p]Plus the dried chunks can cause little fired and flare-ups during the cook.....[p]Just my druthers......[p]Ed McLean....eddiemac
Ft. Pierce, FL[p]

The Naked Whiz · July 2006

eddiemac,
Not to disagree, but I'll have to disagree. :-) The smoke flavor will be deposited on the meat as long as there is smoke in the cooker. It is the smoke RING which only forms at lower temperatures, typically below about 140.[p]TNW

The Naked Whiz · July 2006

Bucky Buckshot,
I use chips when I want a burst of smoke for a short period of time. I use chunks for longer cooks. Drbbq had said here that he uses chips that he mixes throughout the lump. So, there you have a bunch of options![p]TNW

stike · July 2006

Bucky Buckshot,
good lord, yes. one of (if not THE)traditional smoking wood.[p]any hardwoods, oak, maple, etc.
fruit woods; cherry, etc.[p]all good.
some folks debate whether to use wood with bark on it, but i don't quibble.[p]i'm of the mind that folks likely didn't pick thru wood and de-bark it when the tradition got started, and that they used local woods. that doesn't mean not to use guava, not at all, just means that usually what you have on hand locally for hardwood should be great.[p]

stike · July 2006

The Naked Whiz,
yep.
keep spreading the truth and someday this myth'll go away (not bloody likely though!)

stike · July 2006

The Naked Whiz,
chips sticks chunk and heck, even bark.[p]whatever smokes and smells/tastes good doing so

SirKeats · July 2006

Bucky Buckshot,[p]I use chunks for longer cooks... chips don't last long enough. Remember, your meat can accept smoke up to something like 145 or so. After that you won't get any more of a smoke ring... but I don't know that chips would last through the 145 mark on most chunks of meat.[p]I do, however, use chips on things like burgers. I know I'm not cooking them long enough to really absorb much of any smoke, so I want a LOT of smoke and I want it fast... so I toss a handful of chips on there to just engulf the burgers so at the very least some of that flavor sticks to the outside.[p]jmho though.

Spin · July 2006

Bucky Buckshot,[p]The chip/chunk preference greatly depends on how much smoke flavor people tend to like in the meal. Smoking early in the cook (at the start) adds a smoke flavor that tends to penetrate the meal and the flavoe is very mild. Smoking later in the cook tends to deposit a stronger smoke flavor in the meal.[p]Chips tend to burn out quicker than chunks, but if you mix the chips in with the lump you will get a mild smoke the entire cook.[p]Can work either one equally well. The only advantage of chunks is they are easier to remove from the left over lump if the next cook doesn't want smoke.[p]Spin

CT Grillguy · July 2006

Bucky Buckshot,[p]I'm new to smoking food, but I recently bought a bag of Hickory chunks. I have used them with great success and I feel like they make the food a bit less smokey than the chips. I don't know why that is. I like to find one nice chunk and place it in the middle of the lump to start out. We're not big smoke flavor people, so we don't want too much, and this method works perfect for our tastes. So far I've used Hickory on Brisket, Ribs, and a Steak. All great.

fishlessman · July 2006

Bucky Buckshot,
i use 1 chunk of hickory mixed with 1 or 2 chunks of cherry for most low and slows. i dont like too much hickory smoke as it seems to be bitter to me, but its fine mixed in with a little fruit wood

Unknown · July 2006

fishlessman,
Thanks a million to everyone who contributed to my hickory smoke lesson. Proves once again how important this forum is to all of us with less experience in cooking on the BGE

stike · July 2006

SirKeats,
i mix cips throughout the lump, so no matter where the fire travels, it'll still find fresh wood to smoke with.[p]it's 140 where the ring stops forming, but the flavor still lands on the meat up til the second it comes off the egg. i don't like it over-smoked, but there is flavor being added after the outer surface portion of the meat hits 140 (not the internal temp).[p]the exterior portion hits 140 well before the internal probe would reister 140.

Hickory smoke

Comments

Categories