HELP! White smoke when adding wood

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va_connoisseur

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Dec 13, 2007
338
13
DC Metro - Northern Virginia
BBQers,

Just bought a reverse flow trailer rig (review to come) and its my first big smoker, I typically use a WSM.

Problem is that once I got it to temp and it was holding, I added wood at about 90 minute but now I am getting a lot of white smoke. Vents open and she is drawing good. Could it be green wood? Help please. Before adding the wood she was chugging along with a nice thin blue smoke.
 
some times you will get some white smoke when adding wood. It should settle back to TBS in a few Min.

 If not then i would start checking the moisture content in the wood you are using.
 
<Foul four letter words deleted>

I just bought a quarter cord of hickory and I thought it was a little "moist", OK, what is the best way to dry, age wood. I have been putting the logs on the smoker box and that has seemed to assist.
 
I havd learned that preheating the wokd helps a lot. I just place the next chunk of wood on top of the the firebox to warm it up it help the wood light faster.
 
Va con, evening.......I have found smaller splits added more frequently works well....  has to be dry..... and a big bed of coals helps too....   Dave
 
Put a stick of wood in the firebox but not on the fire to preheat, then add it when needed to the fire. It should flame almost immediately, avoiding the dreaded white smoke.

See below, 2 splits to the left, waiting to be added.

9b83ea79_chargrillerfire2.jpg
 
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