Charcoal+wood or 100% wood?

[oufan75]

I've had good luck using 100% wood to smoke with by keeping a small "campfire" burning near my smoker, and 1/2 hr or so before adding wood, put the desired number of splits on your secondary fire, and let them burn until the surface has "coaled out" and has begun to check.

This burns off the resins and drives off excessive moisture, thus getting that nasty start-up period overwith without exposing your meat to it. It also minimizes the temperature swings associated with adding the cold wood to your fire.

Then, just transfer your already burning splits to your smoker adjust the air inlet accordingly to keep your temp where it needs to be.

I am sure that works great, but sounds like too much work to keep track of two separate fires. I have been playing with the mixture of coal (Stubb's from Lowe's) and mesquite chunks and have been achieving beautiful TBS with minimal white smoke when I refuel. Just keep the chunks hot on top of the firebox before you put them in.

 

[oldschoolbbq]

    I can profess to the all wood burn,I am a Stick burner and have no trouble keeping my temps.,yes,I do a lot of Thermometer watching,however I don't get the white smoke.How,I too start with a pre-burn and watch for 10*f or so heat changes and add a pre-heated stick. The preheating helps in ignition,and notice the small,hot fire I have-

 and with good draft will not produce white smoke,only blue...

.Notice the wood heating on the SFB?   What are my results,well-

I love to do batches-

have fun and............

 

[drunkenskull]

All wood is the best. Pre burning aint to bad either. Once you get a good coal bed you can use small chunks and not have a problem. I got this same advice from a very reliable source and it works. Wood is also free depending on where you live or your knowledge of tree types? Smoke on!

 

[oufan75]

Thanks for the pics and descriptions oldschoolbbq... 

So you are saying that you don't keep track of 2 fires?

You basically pre-burn the first batch in the SFB and pre-heat the rest on top of the SFB and refuel as needed with the pre-heated wood?

 

[andrew82]

Nice Lang!

 

[oldschoolbbq]

   OUfan, yes,in my smoker I have room to add pre-heated sticksm which ingite almost immediately.Smal,hot fire(embers).Watch the therm. for a drop and add a hot stick(some start before I get them in-on top of the box)

.

   Andrew, my smoker is a Tejas2040CC-I baffled and plated her and she works great.

   Catch my"Just another Smoke" from 9-16 thread.

   Have fun and...............

 

[vicki]

if you put unlit charcoal in a smoker, does it not have a strong charcoal taste? I started smoking this summer and still learning. I'v been using lit charcoal and adding wood chunks which usually catch on fire. I didn't think about adding unlit charcoal because of the strong taste.

 

[corjen]

I am new to this as well, and have wondered the same things. For me, I use a mix on my yoder sfb. But it has 2 grates in the box, I start with 1.5 chimneys of hot coals on the bottom grate and I but the chunks on the top one, as they burn out they get moved to the bed of coals and new chunk goes in.  They seam to smoke better there instead if directly on the coal bed. tend to catch fire there and raise my temps. About after the 6 hrs mark I add another 1.5 of lump coal. seems to work,  I dont know if there is a correct answere or not, maybe its how ever you figure out to maintain temp with good smoke......

 

[elkmaster101]

wood, I use butternut wood, or huckery, cherry apple and some times peach.

going to get a mess of these little bird together and do some breasts. 

 

[oldschoolbbq]

If interested in all wood smoking,go to our WIKI and look for 'Woodburning 101'

 

[raymo76]

I just searched for woodburning101, couldn't find it, however I did find stickburning101 Just posted that so someone else could find it easier 

 Now I'm off to read it!

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Raymo76-here's the addy:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/articles/2/Instructionals  

have fun and............

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Andrew, my girl is a Tejas,she gets jelous when you say the "L" word.Shhhhhhh......