How long to soak?

lintonkennels

Fire Starter

Original poster

Jan 17, 2010

50

10

Salesville Ohio

• Jan 20, 2010

• #1

I was wondering how long do you guys soak your wood chips? I let mine go over night for about 24 hours total. I am to use the chips but ended up haveing to get wood chunks and trim them down to size. They just dont seem like they work right to me didnt seem like they were putting smoke off. I was wondering if this was just because of the low temp about 160 or did I soak them to long?

 

figjam

Meat Mopper

Nov 13, 2007

214

13

St Louis (area)

• Jan 20, 2010

• #2

You'll likely get opinions on both sides ... both for soaking and not soaking.

For you, let me ask ... Why do you soak em?

 

travcoman45

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Jan 19, 2008

4,118

34

A Holler in North Iowa

• Jan 20, 2010

• #3

It's a personal choice, I don't soak wood chips cause they just gotta dry out ta create smoke.

I control the amounta air gettin ta mine. In the gosm, I use a bread pan an cover that with foil an poke about 5 er 6 holes in it, get good smoke without flare ups.

 

the dude abides

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Jul 12, 2008

3,525

39

Des Moines, Iowa

• Jan 20, 2010

• #4

I don't soak either. They just steam until they start to smoke. It may slow things down a bit, but not much from what I've noticed. I've done it both ways.

 

ronp

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Apr 27, 2008

5,433

21

• Jan 20, 2010

• #5

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html#soak

 

lintonkennels

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Jan 17, 2010

50

10

Salesville Ohio

• Jan 20, 2010

• #6

I will try it without soaking the chips thanks alot guys

 

beretta92_fs2003

Fire Starter

May 30, 2008

66

10

Northern Micigan

• Jan 20, 2010

• #7

I let chunks soak for about 3-4 days. He said about over night...No it is not going to soak through, you do not need a smart guy to tell you that. Chips I would do 12 hours and not worry about it. Hell I scored some adler it is almost like saw dust. almost but not that fine and an hour and it is ready. It is on all how you want to do it.

 

meateater

Legendary Pitmaster

SMF Premier Member

Oct 17, 2009

8,983

63

Hendertucky, Nv.

• Jan 20, 2010

• #8

Not to step on toe's here, either way you want the TBS, whatever works for you. Stay away from rolling thunder.

 

bob hines

Newbie

Nov 11, 2009

24

15

Benton, Arkansas

• Jan 20, 2010

• #9

i let them soak over night and let them drain about an hour before i need them

 

hoser

Smoking Fanatic

SMF Premier Member

Jul 11, 2008

452

10

Cumberland, Rhode Island

• Jan 20, 2010

• #10

I never soak my wood....never saw a need for it.

 

pike

Meat Mopper

Jan 10, 2010

290

10

IOWA

• Feb 11, 2010

• #11

soaking wood for a wood smoker is a waist of time, "as said" it has to dry out to start smoking, but for putting it directly on hot charcoal "as seen by AB in his shows" can reduce flair ups.

 

hog warden

Smoking Fanatic

Feb 10, 2009

410

23

• Feb 11, 2010

• #12

You didn't way what you were smoking, but at 160* temps it must be sausage.

A lot of that generates smoke by using a special sawdust in a shallow pan set onto a hotplate. That is dampened by dousing the dust with a spray bottle. Not soaked...just damp. Keeps it from flaring up into a fire.

Few if any other smokers need to have the chips or chunks soaked. Unless you are going to boil them or put them under a vacuum, that is just wet on the outside anyway. The initial surge is just going to drive the water off as steam and then it's back to doing what they were going to do anyway.