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

At what temp do wood chips combust

SaintJohnsEgger
SaintJohnsEgger Posts: 1,826
in EggHead Forum
I was playing around today with my electric smoker at temperatures running from 230 up to 350 degrees. The chips never smoke and never started to burn even after 5 hours in the cooker. I know electric smokers aren't the bet for smoking but this really surprised me. I was using a mixture of chips and chunks.

So at what temp does wood combust? 

I need to modify the smoker in order to get some decent smoke. I'm just curious why the chips didn't look any different and didn't burn at all.
Marshall in Beautiful Fruit Cove, FL.
MiniMax 04/17
Unofficial BGE MiniMax Evangelist
Facebook Big Green Egg MiniMax Owners Group


· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 17,373
    Actually a good question!  I know that paper, which is made with wood, combusts at Precisely 451º F   ;)  so I imagine wood is pretty close to that.
     
    The thermometer in my old electric smoker was up near the top ("Brinkman" style) and always read just over 200, but the wood chips were in a dish nestled within the electric coils, and saw much higher heat.  They smouldered fine.  

    “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”

                  - Mark Twain 

    Ogden, UT, USA


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SaintJohnsEgger
    SaintJohnsEgger Posts: 1,826
    Botch said:
    Actually a good question!  I know that paper, which is made with wood, combusts at Precisely 451º F   ;)  so I imagine wood is pretty close to that.
     
    The thermometer in my old electric smoker was up near the top ("Brinkman" style) and always read just over 200, but the wood chips were in a dish nestled within the electric coils, and saw much higher heat.  They smouldered fine.  
    The wood chip box int the CharBroil is to the left of the heating element. May have to figure out how to move it. May end up setting up my A-Maze-N smoker tube and using that though I'm worried that it may go out. If so then I will have to modify the smoker.

    If all goes well that Jolly elf will be bringing me a gas smoker for Christmas. So this may not be an issue.


    Marshall in Beautiful Fruit Cove, FL.
    MiniMax 04/17
    Unofficial BGE MiniMax Evangelist
    Facebook Big Green Egg MiniMax Owners Group


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,793
    Being educationally challenged I consulted the Google machine and here's an article that may be worth a read:
    FWIW-

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 11,549
    SaintJohnsEgger said:
    Botch said:
    Actually a good question!  I know that paper, which is made with wood, combusts at Precisely 451º F   ;)  so I imagine wood is pretty close to that.
     
    The thermometer in my old electric smoker was up near the top ("Brinkman" style) and always read just over 200, but the wood chips were in a dish nestled within the electric coils, and saw much higher heat.  They smouldered fine.  
    The wood chip box int the CharBroil is to the left of the heating element. May have to figure out how to move it. May end up setting up my A-Maze-N smoker tube and using that though I'm worried that it may go out. If so then I will have to modify the smoker.

    If all goes well that Jolly elf will be bringing me a gas smoker for Christmas. So this may not be an issue.


    I used my AMAZN in my Smoke Hollow Digital electric smoker , never went out
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SaintJohnsEgger
    SaintJohnsEgger Posts: 1,826
    Thanks for the help guys.

    Yesterday was also a test to see if I could hold my temps in the smoker. It was also an opportunity to practice with setting the temps as all the smoker has is a round knob with lines and low/med/high but no temperature markings.

    I'll have to do something about the smoke if Santa doesn't come through for me. But I'll put that off until next week and cross that bridge if/when it comes.
    Marshall in Beautiful Fruit Cove, FL.
    MiniMax 04/17
    Unofficial BGE MiniMax Evangelist
    Facebook Big Green Egg MiniMax Owners Group


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    lousubcap said:
    Being educationally challenged I consulted the Google machine and here's an article that may be worth a read:
    FWIW-

    Ha! was just coming here to post that link. That one cost me $1500 for a new smoker. I like to post it everywhere I can in hopes someone else takes the bait.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,793
    @The Cen-Tex Smoker I get it but you do have the state of the art "Dishwasher" in your stable so there's that  ;)
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    lousubcap said:
    @The Cen-Tex Smoker I get it but you do have the state of the art "Dishwasher" in your stable so there's that  ;)
    Still love it but I want someone to share in my wallet genocide.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories