Soaking wood
- Thread starter squeezy
- Start date
-
Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Always thought is was silly to soak wood. You let the wood dry for at least 6 months and then soak it again?...silly. The object is to have the wood as dry as possible in order to get smokin' as soon as possible. Thanks for the confirmation.
smokinhusker
Legendary Pitmaster
I don't soak it cause I use pellets in the MES. If I have to use chips, they get some spritzing and mixed with the pellets.
Last edited:
cabrego
Smoke Blower
gnlsr
Newbie
soaked till the late 70's cause my dad taught me... discovered no soak when got in a bind for a "quick" turkey breast for a family friend... thought I got a deeper smoke than w/soaked...started playing and no soak since...
damon555
Smoking Fanatic
I never saw the logic in soaking the wood....What does it do?.......It just prolongs how much time it takes for the wood to start working its magic. Just cut to the chase...
onebadmofo
Fire Starter
- May 12, 2011
- 22,172
- 7,150
If using Chips it don't really matter they will burn in short order regardless. Wood Chunks work best near but not necessarily on the Fire. You get smoke but even they will burn eventually...I chuckle every time Bobby Flay throws a couple of handfuls of Soaking Wet Chips on his Egg or WSM and comments on all great Billowing White STEAM coming out...JJ
Seriously ... Flay does that? No wonder it is difficult to educate people!
Similar to videos on YouTube showing how to do BBQ ribs by first Crock potting and then slather with sauce prior to throwing them on a grill to finish .... LOL!
Similar to videos on YouTube showing how to do BBQ ribs by first Crock potting and then slather with sauce prior to throwing them on a grill to finish .... LOL!
- Jul 26, 2009
- 14,315
- 73
bruno994
Master of the Pit
I hope this post doesnt seem like a hijack.
I have said this quite a few times, reduce the oxygen to the wood and reduce the heat to control your smoke.
If using chips wrap in a foil pouch, poke with a fork (Once)
If using chunks in a pan control the burn by heat and stacking or setting the wood vertically.
I will get 3 hours from the stack shown below.
If I take the one piece and switch it vertically on a rough edge, that will slow down
So you can place the wood flat for a heavier smoke, stack for a heavier longer smoke you can stack vertically on a flat surface for a lighter longer smoke you can place vertically on a rougher surface and prolong the smoke even further.
You can place a chunk flat propped up with a pebble for a long burn. There are endless ways to control the burn, but Heat and oxygen are the 2 main things to remember.
If you need to reduce the heat to the wood and can not do it by controlling the smoker, adjust your pan or place heavier metal inside, there's also a million ways to achieve this.
If you are using charcoal as fuel, you will need to play around with chip placement, pouches chunks etc... I will let the charcoal Gurus add to this.
I have never noticed any difference in smoke flavor with longer smoke durations versus shorter smokes, but it does give you control over the burn times.
The bottom is spent and the top is still going, I barely saw smoke on this burn but it smelled great the whole time.
Picture below shows a piece of cherry spent completely, at this point I remove from the smoker, this can be used as fuel.
Piece on the left could have went a little longer.
For folks looking for TBS this is what you want, Wisps of smoke.
But some folks prefer a heavier smoke and that is fine to, just don't over do it.
Just remember this is supposed to be fun, If you want to soak your chips in Rum, Beer Water Wine continue to do so. Don't let science ruin your FUN!
And Don't get hung up on TBS you just don't want white billowing or grayish smoke.
Remember also If you can smell smoke, the food can absorb it as well.
Sorry for the ramble but figured a lot of curious folks reading this thread could benefit from it.
Thank you Squeezy for bringing this point up again.
Below pic is not smoke it is steam, this was a high heat rib cook but I'll use this as an example for low and slow, since I do not have any white billowing smoke pics.
If you get this much smoke it is not a good thing
I have said this quite a few times, reduce the oxygen to the wood and reduce the heat to control your smoke.
If using chips wrap in a foil pouch, poke with a fork (Once)
If using chunks in a pan control the burn by heat and stacking or setting the wood vertically.
I will get 3 hours from the stack shown below.
If I take the one piece and switch it vertically on a rough edge, that will slow down
So you can place the wood flat for a heavier smoke, stack for a heavier longer smoke you can stack vertically on a flat surface for a lighter longer smoke you can place vertically on a rougher surface and prolong the smoke even further.
You can place a chunk flat propped up with a pebble for a long burn. There are endless ways to control the burn, but Heat and oxygen are the 2 main things to remember.
If you need to reduce the heat to the wood and can not do it by controlling the smoker, adjust your pan or place heavier metal inside, there's also a million ways to achieve this.
If you are using charcoal as fuel, you will need to play around with chip placement, pouches chunks etc... I will let the charcoal Gurus add to this.
I have never noticed any difference in smoke flavor with longer smoke durations versus shorter smokes, but it does give you control over the burn times.
The bottom is spent and the top is still going, I barely saw smoke on this burn but it smelled great the whole time.
Picture below shows a piece of cherry spent completely, at this point I remove from the smoker, this can be used as fuel.
Piece on the left could have went a little longer.
For folks looking for TBS this is what you want, Wisps of smoke.
But some folks prefer a heavier smoke and that is fine to, just don't over do it.
Just remember this is supposed to be fun, If you want to soak your chips in Rum, Beer Water Wine continue to do so. Don't let science ruin your FUN!
And Don't get hung up on TBS you just don't want white billowing or grayish smoke.
Remember also If you can smell smoke, the food can absorb it as well.
Sorry for the ramble but figured a lot of curious folks reading this thread could benefit from it.
Thank you Squeezy for bringing this point up again.
Below pic is not smoke it is steam, this was a high heat rib cook but I'll use this as an example for low and slow, since I do not have any white billowing smoke pics.
If you get this much smoke it is not a good thing
Gotta Luv it
Steam...might as well throw veggies on there and have a side of steamed veggies.
Sorry Bobby
Sorry but (Silly me
) I soak my wood chunks for several days and get better results. I have been using store bought wood chunks that seem to be very dried out. When I first used them without soaking they bursted into flames and were gone in a short period of time and my heat rose fast. After soaking the chunks and still producing tbs along with steam at the beginning they lasted a lot longer slowing the burning process of the outer layer of the wood chunk with less of a spike in heat...... There are so many variables here.... I have to disagree for my application.....
Joe
Joe
Last edited:
ski-freak
Meat Mopper
Soon as I started watching grill temps over 10 years ago, I noticed a big drop in temp from adding the soaked wood chips - which were effectively putting out my fire for a while - and I learned to stop doing that. Instread of chips, I switched to bigger chunks so the dry wood lasts longer...
gnlsr
Newbie
this is one of the better explanations f the wet/dry question... I am going to really look into making charcoal!!!!!! love the explanation...really like the pics...
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Similar threads
Hot Threads
-
Spammer PMs, Anybody Else?
- Started by chilerelleno
- Replies: 65
- Blowing Smoke Around the Smoker.
-
Lost my dad yesterday
- Started by normanaj
- Replies: 40
- Blowing Smoke Around the Smoker.
-
On the Edge of Trying Sausage Making
- Started by BrianGSDTexoma
- Replies: 35
- Sausage
-
Took a stroll this afternoon
- Started by Buckeyedude
- Replies: 33
- Field and Stream
