Adding wood

[The_Dude]

Hi there very new to using an offset smoker and would like some advice. Is there a rough guide on how often you add wood to offset smoker. I usually have bed of charcoal 225- 250 and add a stick (apple) about 3 or 4inch diameter 12inch length every 45 minutes. Is this too much or not enough. Every time I add a stick it smokes like hell for about 20 mins is this normal? The wood is well seasoned.

 

[yankee2bbq]

That’s normal. Making sure your wood is dry and seasoned.

 

[TNJAKE]

Leave your firebox door open until the wood ignites instead of smolders

 

[JckDanls 07]

Leave your firebox door open until the wood ignites instead of smolders

I second this

Also.. I see in your pics you have one piece of wood on firebox for preheating... that's perfect... but I suggest you put 3 or 4 pieces on to preheat .. let them get good and hot ... That helps for instant ignition ...

 

[TNJAKE]

Inside of my firebox right now. You want to see flames and minimal smoke. I use lump to start a bed of coals but after that I'm wood only. Once you get a nice coal bed going good seasoned wood will ignite pretty quickly. After that it's like maintaining a fire in your fireplace

When you get that part figured out you will have almost invisible smoke coming from chimney. This is at 250 running only wood. Good clean fire. Also continuously additional charcoal throughout the cook can cause thick white smoke

 

[1MoreFord]

Round sticks are harder to light than split wood is. The splinters on the splits catch fire easily. Also stick burners usually like to run 250°-275° better than they do at 225°.