Apple chips vs Apple chunks

[cripplecreek]

I just received a bag a apple chips and thought I was getting chunks (3"x3").  Having never used the small chips, I'm not sure how to use them in my offset using charcoal.  About to smoke a boston butt and a few small venison roasts tomorrow and need some quick advise.  Thanks,  Mike

 

[richoso1]

Chips burn a lot faster/quicker than chunks. Even when you soak them in water, once they dry they burn quick. That's means you'll be loading much more often. For your long smoke, I'd use chunks.

Good luck my friend.

 

[dick foster]

You can get a chip try or make one good enough to use up the bag or you could give them to someone.

Personally the chips don't work very well in an offset. I think they are mostly for the electric smoker crowd or for use inside the kitchen. For an offset you really want either chunks or sticks.

Chips you can buy anywhere but for chunks you have to go out of your way it seems. All the big box stores seem to carry only hickory and mesquite chunks and what other wood they do have is only chips. Clearly these folks aren't smokers.

 

[ralphbrown05]

im not sure what the rules are about referring to other websites, but i just bought a 12 or 14 pound box of white oak chunks from a website called www.barbecuewood.com...its pretty well priced considering theres wood thats hard to find...but i paid 32 bucks total with shipping and all...ive called around to all of the local bbq places, and wanted to know what the wood they used and 3 out of the 4 told me that they used white oak, and the other used black jack oak and hickory...

 

[rbranstner]

In my smokers I usually use a mixture of chips and chunks. I like the chunks because they don't usually catch fire and they last longer but I also like having the chips in there to start producing smoke quicker then when they burn out the chunks take over. If you use only chips they go pretty quick and you will have to refill.

 

[eman]

You can use chips in your offset.

 Make foil packs out of a double layer of HD foil. make the packets big enough to hold a good handfull of chips . seal the packets by folding the open edges and poke 6 pencil point size holes in one side of the packet. lay the packet snug up against one side of your coals w/ the holes up. the heat will be enough to smolder the chips and make them smoke . If you lay it on top of the coals they will ignite inside the foil. They usually last at least an hour per packet or more for me.