Splits

interesting idea. I visited the Jack Daniels distillery and they make their own charcoal-huge stacks of wood stacked up log cabin style they burn with a a guy spraying a fine mist of water as needed to keep it from burning to a pile of nothing. I generally cook with Hickory splits and I always start my smoker with the last smoking's leftover (charred) wood. try it out...let us know how it works out!

Here is what I do and it has worked very well for me. I will take the wood that I need for the current smoke, cut up into splits about 3" diameter by 14-16 long. I will set these in a big metal tub and use my weed burner to char them fairly well, to the point where the surface starts to "crack".

Once they are charred, I use them for the smoke. This does a couple of things, it burns off any nasty stuff that may be on the wood, it helps to burn away some of the compounds that give you billowing white smoke, and it helps to dry the wood even further.

Personally, I think the closer the wood is to its prime for good combustion, the better, however, others have good results by just adding unburnt splits to their fire. This particular method, like I said, works for me and I no longer have the problem of white smoke when I add wood.

I will also keep a few pieces inside the firebox, away from the flames, next to the door on the firebox. The wood is heated up and close to the temp where combustion occurs. Being kept hot like that, when its time to add a piece or two, when I toss them on the fire, they ignite almost instantly. Other do the same thing with "UNBURNT" splits, by simply placing their wood on top of their firebox. The wood heats up, burns away some more moisture in the process, and when its time to add more wood to the fire, the time it takes for the wood to ignite is greatly reduced.

I had a pic of how I do mine but I cannot find it on here.

I look at it like this.
Say you have a pot of boiling water, 212 degrees, and next to it, you have a pot of cold water. If you add the cold water to the boiling water, it stops boiling and takes a while for the water to begin boiling again.

Now, if you have the same pot of boiling water, and add to it, water that is 200 degrees, (2 degrees below the boiling point) the amount of time it will take all the water to reach 212 degrees in order for it to boil is greatly reduced.

Just like the wood, the closer it is to the combustion temps, the sooner it lights, and the sooner it lights, the less the white smoke.

I was just reading Pineys post. He does not preburn, and I know you can add unburnt splits to your fire WITHOUT preburning and avoid the billowing white smoke. I have not mastered that...YET, but I will this year. The more I get to know my smoker, the easier things have gotten.

Adjust your splits to the size of your pit.....
i.e.-if you have a small pit,use small splits and shorter lenghts...
a small 'hot' fire gives off TBS.
Like this;


Fire Control in the Offset Firebox Smoker



As a stick burner, I tend to have more hands on during my smoke sessions than the Electric, Gas or Pellet Smokers. But ,then that’s what I enjoy. The involvement in feeding the fire, controlling combustion, and just being close to my Pit. Conversation and friendships flourish in this environment; beer(or other drinks) are definitely in order, as are the snacks you will be creating as you monitor the progress.
And , the result of “showmanship” ensures only YOU are the GO-TO GUY for BBQ in your neighborhood.LOL!

O.K. Say you want to go with just wood. What is first?
Build a fire, be it with a chimney, gas support(weed burner), or the old Boy Scout way.
Let this fire burn until you have a good bed of embers(1 hr. or so). Next, adjust the intake to the temp . you want(your exhaust should be wide open and left that way the entire cook).Do the adjustments slowly and wait between moves.It takes a few to do it.Drink something.
(firewood. Should be about one year old, have no mold or bugs on it, and split to a size your smoker can handle.)

Size of your wood is a factor in maintenance of a fire.
In a smoker the size of “FLO”-(20”X40” with an upright) SFB I can use 16” sticks, split twice or appox. 4”X4”.




however in my New Braunsfeld-(16”X30”)SFB




I use 8” sticks , about 2”X2” in size.

What does this do for me?
I use a thermometer at the grate level of the smoke chamber and one in the thickest part of the meat I am smoking. This gives me a visual of what’s happening, tracking both the IMT(internal meat temp.) and the cooking level temp.
I try to keep the cooking temp. at 220*F to 225*F-giving me a window to work with when things start to change.
I watch for a 5*F to 10*F changes on the grate level therm. When I notice it going down, I add a piece of wood and open the intake just a wee bit, watch and shut it back down when stable. When it increases in temp., I’ll close it down, in increments, until stability occurs .This change can happen quick so be aware. If it gets out of hand you could be fighting an hour to stabilize it…
It takes a little more effort this way , but you will notice a great difference in the taste of your “Q”. I know circumstances call for alternate methods and different strokes for different people, but as for me……………………….

STICK BURNERS RULE!


Hope this helps,and remember:





STICKBURNERS RULE!