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Wood chunks... bury or not?

BuddyC
BuddyC Posts: 37
in EggHead Forum
What is your technique for using wood chunks? I have always just thrown them on top after the temp has stabilized, about 15 minutes before I put the meat on. Do any of you find it better to put them in when lighting the fire? Do you let the temp stabilize then bury them, or just lay them on top? I saw a video saying they got better flavor by just laying them on top.
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  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,066
    I do the same as WeberWho.

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 21,675
    I bury also.  My thought process: if I have lump burning above the wood, the smoke coming off the wood will be cleaned up as it passes through the burning lump.  Resulting in cleaner smoke.  The Eggs big problem with wood smoke, is it is a smoldering fire.  Anything I can do to clean that up is a benefit.

    I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.

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  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,066
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
    I bury also.  My thought process: if I have lump burning above the wood, the smoke coming off the wood will be cleaned up as it passes through the burning lump.  Resulting in cleaner smoke.  The Eggs big problem with wood smoke, is it is a smoldering fire.  Anything I can do to clean that up is a benefit.
    The KBQ wood smoker is designed on this - smoke passes through the fire to purify it.  It works great!

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    I try to place as close to the fire grate as I can. Same thoughts as @Ozzie_Isaac

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

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • BuddyC
    BuddyC Posts: 37
    edited September 2020
    ok thx I'll try burying just under the top layer of lump. Do you bury them and then light the fire or wait until the flames are out and the coals have heated up fairly evenly?
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 21,675
    BuddyC said:
    ok thx I'll try burying just under the top layer of lump. Do you bury them and then light the fire or wait until the flames are out and the coals have heated up fairly evenly?
    I bury before I light.

    I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,794
    Another one who buries the wood chunks in the general direction I expect the fire to travel.  I will also toss a chunk on close to where the initial fire is burning when loading the internal hardware.  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.  
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    When I low and slow on the BGE I bury 3-4 chunks just below the surface and dump a chimney full of hot lump over the top. I also feel that if the smoke has to travel up through the ignited lump it cleans up the smoke (and I also surmised this based on watching how my KBQ works)

    This appears to work better for me. What I do know is that a smoldering chunk on top of the lump tastes like an ash tray to me.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Mark_B_Good
    Mark_B_Good Posts: 1,653
    I bury them too. Occasionally, if I want more smoke, I bury the wood chunks in the top half of the lump and then sprinkle wood chips all around the top of the lump. I normally bury the lump more towards the back of the firebox ... I have an XL egg, and it seems the air flow moves the first to the back and right, so I put those lumps along the path I think the fire will travel.  I bury them before I light, I don't want to disturb the coal core fire once it is lit.
    Napoleon Prestige Pro 665, XL BGE, Lots of time for BBQ!
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,227
    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    When I low and slow on the BGE I bury 3-4 chunks just below the surface and dump a chimney full of hot lump over the top. I also feel that if the smoke has to travel up through the ignited lump it cleans up the smoke (and I also surmised this based on watching how my KBQ works)

    This appears to work better for me. What I do know is that a smoldering chunk on top of the lump tastes like an ash tray to me.
    I have done this since I learned it from @T@"The Cen-Tex Smoker" and I have shared the technique with some who are not on this forum and we all agree that this is the way to go.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,759
    Keep in mind that the fire might not get low enough to ignite buried chunks though.......if you light it from the top.  Many times I have found unburned chunks even after a 16+ hr smoke.  If ~350-400F heat never touches that wood, it won't light off.
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  • rekameohs
    rekameohs Posts: 264
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
     the smoke coming off the wood will be cleaned up as it passes through the burning lump. 
    If the lump "cleans" the smoke, where does that stuff go when the lump burns up?

    Raleigh, NC
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 21,675
    edited September 2020
    rekameohs said:
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
     the smoke coming off the wood will be cleaned up as it passes through the burning lump. 
    If the lump "cleans" the smoke, where does that stuff go when the lump burns up?

    The smoke has unburnt pollutants from incomplete combustion.  When they flow through the hot lump, the combustion is completed and you are left with "clean smoke".  Incomplete combustion comes from a fire without sufficient oxygen or heat, i.e. a smoldering fire.  You can see this same effect when you start a camp fire.  The initial fire is smokey, but once it gets good and hot, the smoke cleans up and becomes almost translucent.  

    I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.

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  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 7,335
    I bury it. I put it on top of the old charcoal in a line from front to back. Then add charcoal. If it really needs smoke I repeat with another line of wood on top and another layer of charcoal over it. Then I light it at one spot in the front for a low and slow.
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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,184
    Griffin posted this to explain fire building;
    https://griffinsgrub.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/how-to-build-your-fire-for-a-low-and-slow/

    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 11,549
    rekameohs said:
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
     the smoke coming off the wood will be cleaned up as it passes through the burning lump. 
    If the lump "cleans" the smoke, where does that stuff go when the lump burns up?

    https://youtu.be/vSYcmeoJiGQ
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,759
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
    rekameohs said:
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
     the smoke coming off the wood will be cleaned up as it passes through the burning lump. 
    If the lump "cleans" the smoke, where does that stuff go when the lump burns up?

    The smoke has unburnt pollutants from incomplete combustion.  When they flow through the hot lump, the combustion is completed and you are left with "clean smoke".  Incomplete combustion comes from a fire without sufficient oxygen or heat, i.e. a smoldering fire.  You can see this same effect when you start a camp fire.  The initial fire is smokey, but once it gets good and hot, the smoke cleans up and becomes almost translucent.  
    I think you're overestimating how much lump is actually burning.  It's not much.

    The smoke burners at the plant run have to fire the white smoke to 1500F to turn it clear.......and they go through a sh!tload of propane to do it.  At 225F, the 2-3" diameter of charcoal that's actually burning, is not going to fire the wood smoke to anything that's going to really make a difference.  I could be wrong, but I don't see it.  Plus, if it's the wood that burning (thus smoke), that means less charcoal is burning.

    In a big leaky stick burner, it's another story.....BGE is never going to hit a high enough temp in the fire box to do what you're saying without having a subsequent dome temp WAY too high for any kind of smoking.
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 21,675
    stlcharcoal said:
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
    rekameohs said:
    Ozzie_Isaac said:
     the smoke coming off the wood will be cleaned up as it passes through the burning lump. 
    If the lump "cleans" the smoke, where does that stuff go when the lump burns up?

    The smoke has unburnt pollutants from incomplete combustion.  When they flow through the hot lump, the combustion is completed and you are left with "clean smoke".  Incomplete combustion comes from a fire without sufficient oxygen or heat, i.e. a smoldering fire.  You can see this same effect when you start a camp fire.  The initial fire is smokey, but once it gets good and hot, the smoke cleans up and becomes almost translucent.  
    I think you're overestimating how much lump is actually burning.  It's not much.

    The smoke burners at the plant run have to fire the white smoke to 1500F to turn it clear.......and they go through a sh!tload of propane to do it.  At 225F, the 2-3" diameter of charcoal that's actually burning, is not going to fire the wood smoke to anything that's going to really make a difference.  I could be wrong, but I don't see it.  Plus, if it's the wood that burning (thus smoke), that means less charcoal is burning.

    In a big leaky stick burner, it's another story.....BGE is never going to hit a high enough temp in the fire box to do what you're saying without having a subsequent dome temp WAY too high for any kind of smoking.
    Your response has given me pause.  Thank you for providing it.  I need to cogitate for a while now.

    I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.

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