Bark on Chunks?

Willie Lump Lump · February 2008

I was looking at a website selling wood chunks and they offered both bark on and bark off chunks. Every chunk I’ve ever gotten had bark. Is there a flavor difference?
Never disliked what I’m doing. Just wondering.
WLL

tjv · February 2008

some say bark imparts a harsh flavor. I'll take it off, if it comes off easily.

egret · February 2008

I've never taken the bark off any wood chunks. In fact, I've smoked meat on a previous smoker using only bark with good results........I never noticed any sort of harsh flavor like some say doing this! Therefore, I'm not likely to change any time soon :P

stike · February 2008

i'll preface my comments by reminding you that i'm a well-known idiot.

but i often use nothing but the dried dead-fall bark from shagbark hickory. it is the single sweetest thing i have ever used. more so than even maple. i even use oak branches when they fall off (dead and dried).

i think barbecue grew out of a tradition of cooking that was simple, and used what was handy. i don't imagine anyone spent the time to debark their wood "way back when". so i wouldn't bother either.

that said... anything loose, infested, moldy, etc. is obviously not going in my fire.

Beanie-Bean · February 2008

That must be from the advanced class. I'm still trying to get the hang of "don't soak your wood chips" and "use chunks instead of chips" lessons from the forum. Now this :P OK, so I'm only supposed to use dry chunks with no bark for smoking.

Got it.

That'll be part of the experimentation this weekend, with results to be posted shortly thereafter.

NibbleMeThis · February 2008

Great thread for me. As a recent Egg convert, I miss splitting my own hickory or oak logs to feed into my former offset. I have only been using wood chips so far so I am glad to know I can at least use chunks.

Celtic Wolf · February 2008

Chunks are preferred, but you can certainly use chips. Neither require soaking.

Beanie-Bean · February 2008

Yessir, I still use both, but don't bother to soak any more, especially after a rainy week when I saw all the black "liquid smoke" running down the outer dome from the upper vent. Figured some of that soot buildup inside was a result of my reluctance to not soak the wood chips. Besides, I can't get Jack Daniels barrel stuff in chunks. I know that the unsoaked chunks can smoke like the dickens, too, because I'm usually teary-eyed after getting the meat situated on the racks and grids because of all the smoke.

stike · February 2008

i dunno how the egg knows if you have chips or chunks...

i always find that if the fire misses my chunk, i go a long time without smoke. whereas chips or smaller bits can get sprinkled around and throughout, for the fire to find wherever it goes.

i think whatever works for you is best. there really aren't "rules". if you have chips left, i wouldn't throw them out, is all i'm sayin...

Michael B · February 2008

If the bark comes off easily, I'd remove it.
If the bark is well attached, don't worry about it.

Bark on Chunks?

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