Smoking with wood?

damond

Newbie

Original poster

Nov 6, 2007

4

10

• Nov 26, 2007

• #1

I have always used charcoal and wood and was wondering if someone could point me to information on the "Pre-Burning" down to ash method . I have many questions such as How far down do you let it burn, will it hold heat and how much wood is needed? I think I can do it in my offset smoker and pre burn the wood in my old offset smoker ( till my wife makes me get rid of it).
Just curious and would like to try it this weekend since I have a lot of yard work to do and will be outside a lot.

Thanks

 

richtee

Epic Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Aug 12, 2007

10,682

29

N. Oakland County, MI

• Nov 26, 2007

• #2

Yer always gonna need a pit full of coals to stick burn. Keep a supply burning on the other grill, and be prepard to ash out the smoker, as it'll build up. wood coals have nowhere near the BTU value charcoal does... takes ALOT more to stick burn.

 

cowgirl

Legendary Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Oct 2, 2007

7,644

48

Oklahoma

• Nov 26, 2007

• #3

Use a hardwood, they will burn hotter and longer. My favorite is hedge..osage orange also called bodark. http://www.gpnc.org/osage.htm
I use the hedge wood for heat, then add other chips for flavor, such as fruit woods, mesquite, hickory, etc..
Depending on your cooker, you can either add a stick of wood to your hot coals, or burn the wood down to hot coals and add them to your cooker.

I am able to add sticks to my horizontal and continue without pre-burning the wood.

 

terrance o

Newbie

Nov 29, 2007

14

10

• Dec 13, 2007

• #4

what about sycamore wood? www.volko.com/firewood.htm say sycamore burns down to good coal and a light fragrance. Hans any one used the sycamore for heat then add hickory for flavoring wood to save on wood? I have the opportunity to get a lot of sycamore if it works and it wont cost anythime but time on my part.

 

terrance o

Newbie

Nov 29, 2007

14

10

• Feb 18, 2008

• #5

can you purchase the osage orange any where on the net?

 

nolabel7

Newbie

Sep 12, 2007

23

10

Indianapolis

• Feb 18, 2008

• #6

I have had good luck mixing lump charcoal with wood chunks. I just throw the wood on, but they are not logs mind you, they are chunks. The lump keeps the temp and the wood does its job.

I have not tried preburning the wood to get it to coals, I didn't figure the time ti took really made much difference as long as you hold your temps where they should be.

 

shooterrick

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Jan 13, 2008

2,035

20

South Louisiana

• Feb 18, 2008

• #7

I use either oak, apple, or hickory and apple together. Lump charchoal for consistent heat. Has worked well for me and I dont like fixing things not broke. I am now in area where no apple:( Oak and pecan here in the deep south. Hedge? I have burned hedge in my wood stove up north but it smells bad to me and sparks like crazy when air hits it. Not sure how it works in smoker but cowgirl must have it figured out.

 

just woody

Fire Starter

Jul 5, 2006

30

10

• Mar 3, 2008

• #8

I use oak, maple, locust, cherry,black birch, ash almost any hard wood