When to add wood chips ?

Mahi-Mahi · June 2008

If a person is adding wood chips to grill ribs when should he add the chips? My question is you are suppose to wait till the smoke becomes faint. But as soon as you add chips you are going to get a lot of smoke. So do you just stablize your grill on charcoal and wait till the smoke is looks ok and add the chips and not worry about the smoke or do you add chips and wait a while. I keep thinking most of the chips are burnt up.

vidalia1 · June 2008

I get my fire going for about 10 minutes and then add my chips or chunks. This allows the wood chip smoke to clear up in a few minutes. The chips still will burn for a while and give you good flavor...

Rascal · June 2008

I add them (sparingly) after the fire is burning clean and then a few more times during the cook. With a drip pan on the plate setter (inverted) I drop them in around the edges. I've read that the smoke ring builds primarily during the early stages of the cook, but since smoking is not my balliwick, I'll leave advice on that to the eggsperts.~~

stike · June 2008

the start up smoke from the lump burning inefficiently is the bad stuff. at startup, there's a lot of it. of course new lump is "starting" to burn as the fire continues to burn and new lump ignites, but never in the amount as at the beginning, when you light a whole bunch at once and it comes to temp.

i build my lo-and-slo fire with chips and/or chunks in the center, in a vertical pile up and down thru the lump. that means my wood is on the fire when i light it. but i just move wood out of the way where i light it. when the fire is burning clear, i might tease a chunk or two right into the coals, then toss the meat on.

if the smoke coming out the top smells good, it will taste good. to me, it's the starting charcoal smell you don't want. green wood can put off bad smoke, but if it is dry and clean, the wood itself doesn't need to necessarily settle down and become blue before you put the meat on.

again... think of the roadside 'q joints that have been doing this forever. they add wood continuously. they can't wait for the smoke to "turn blue".

white smoke is mostly steam.

use your nose. if the lump is just starting, it will smell petro-chemical almost. when THAT smoke is clear, i nudge some wood into the fire and call it 'go' time

Rolling Egg · June 2008

I always get my fire going for about 10 to 15 minutes without plate setter or grate.I get my temp stabilized where Im gonna cook at. When I bring my food out to put on, I lift the lid, put my chunks on, add plate setter and grate and then meat. Close lid and enjoy the smell!! Iusually like a more smoke taste so I add junks right when i put the meat on. If you want less smoke flavor, put meat on after the heavy smoke clears.I dont add any more. Hope that helps!

Dan in StL · June 2008

TNW has some thoughts on this in his FAQ document:

http://nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm#light

Check out the last two paragraphs under FAQ #18.

He also goes into some additional detail on another posting regarding pulled pork.

I've been using this method (both for lighting and introducing the wood chunks) and I've been happy with it.

Little Steven · June 2008

I don't use chips but I burn my chunks with the mapp torch on all sides while i am lighting the fire. Very little white/grey smoke when you do that.

Steve

When to add wood chips ?

Comments

Categories