Soaking wood is a NO NO

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cwalk

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Feb 25, 2010
279
14
Little Rock, Arkansas
I learned this past weekend that soaking wood is a no no for me. I have never soaked my wood before but this past 4th of juyl weekend I parked my smoker at my n-laws, wood and everything, overnite so it'll be there that morning. So my dad n law decided to soak the wood in water. It took the TBS forever to get going and my ribs/butt/leg quaters didnt have a smoke flavor at all. Usually I can taste a good portion of smoke in my ribs but nooooooo not this time. It was the same batch of wood i have used all year so I was expecting hickory flavor, but all I got was bbq sauce flavor. So from experience, NO wood soaking for me.
 
I learned this past weekend that soaking wood is a no no for me. I have never soaked my wood before but this past 4th of juyl weekend I parked my smoker at my n-laws, wood and everything, overnite so it'll be there that morning. So my dad n law decided to soak the wood in water. It took the TBS forever to get going and my ribs/butt/leg quaters didnt have a smoke flavor at all. Usually I can taste a good portion of smoke in my ribs but nooooooo not this time. It was the same batch of wood i have used all year so I was expecting hickory flavor, but all I got was bbq sauce flavor. So from experience, NO wood soaking for me.
I think your father-in-law was out to sabatage your excellent smoking skills. 
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  I saw a video on youtube that shows soaking wood has no real effect at all.  I don't bother with it.  Good luck next year.
 
Ive heard of success stories with it but my smoker dont like it. I used up lots of wood that I normally wouldnt use. But thats ok im picking up some cherry first thing in the moring and hiding it from dad n law. Which reminds me, I need to get my smoker out his yard
 
Ive heard of success stories with it but my smoker dont like it. I used up lots of wood that I normally wouldnt use. But thats ok im picking up some cherry first thing in the moring and hiding it from dad n law. Which reminds me, I need to get my smoker out his yard
after i posted i was thinking about the smoker in question. on my offset i have to soak my fst size chunks due to the heat. in my upright gasser/charcoal mod i don't.
 
 
Ive heard of success stories with it but my smoker dont like it. I used up lots of wood that I normally wouldnt use. But thats ok im picking up some cherry first thing in the moring and hiding it from dad n law. Which reminds me, I need to get my smoker out his yard
Ha!  That's funny.  You left your rig in his back yard.  I bet he tried to use it too.

 
thx..........and that's why i ain't no skin an bones, it can be a curse sometimes!

 
Your welcome.  And it is a gift & a curse~~~~
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Ha, he did use it. We smoked on a saterday, we went by that sunday he had it going. He was using that water soaked wood. Good cause its no use to me anymore.
 
I do both chips and mini chunks 1"x1" or 1" x 2", and have always soaked, and get plenty of smoke flavor.  Now I'm using the AMNS with saw dust, that I don't soak :)  I usually don't soak for more than 30 to 60 minutes.  I also put the chips and chunks in dry, and still get good flavor.  My main reason for soaking is to get a little longer burn time.
 
If you watch water soaked wood chips or chunks on the fire or in a smoke box, the water in them will boil for a while and once it has all boiled off the dryed out wood will begin to smoke.  No smoke until the water boils off.
 
Probably has a lot to do with the type of smoker you use. When I use my electric smoker, I never soak the wood. When I use my wood/charcoal smoker, I always soak the wood, because if I don't the wood burns too fast with very little smoke.
 
If you watch water soaked wood chips or chunks on the fire or in a smoke box, the water in them will boil for a while and once it has all boiled off the dryed out wood will begin to smoke.  No smoke until the water boils off.
I don't soak. but that boiling water in the wood is adding heat and moister which is a good thing for most slow cooked meat.

To each his own I always say.
 
 
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Now I used to soak my wood chips but one time I needed smoke pretty fast so I put some in dry and I haven't soaked any chips since. I just don't think that soaking does anything to the chips good or bad to the results of the smokey flavor. 
 
I soak mine for 30 mins.   It works for me so I have not tried anything different
Ditto with my MES (although I've tried not soaking at all and soaking longer).  Soaking chips for 30 mins seems to do the trick just right for me.
 
I soak chunks for 2 days, that makes the difference. If you weigh the chunks before and after you will notice the weight difference. The chunks will start to smoke within a minute or two for me. It works for me so I'm sticking to it.
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