New to charcoal, question.

[Fishonshawn]

Just ordered a copper 22" webber kettle premium. Ive been cooking on my camp chef pellet grill for a year now and enjoyed it but want to expand to charcoal as well. This is going to be new to me. I should be able to pick up the grill Saturday but already have a vortex, charcoal baskets, chimney starter and a few other accessories. My question though is with wood chunks. I see in a lot of videos people throwing chunks of post oak or pecan wood or whatever to add some smoke to their cook. Not sure how much of that I'll be doing as I think if I want smoke ill just use the pellet grill but if I do go that route is there a reason I need wood chunks, or could I just throw a handful of pellets on the charcoal? There a reason that wouldn't work or i shouldn't do that instead? They would probably burn faster than wood chunks..... I also have a smoke tube though ive used on my pellet grill and it can last hours depending on how much I put in it. So I would think the smoke tube would also work but I've never seen anyone do it...

 

[Brewandque]

As you said pellets will burn up too fast. Go with chunks. You'll probably only use 3-4 pieces per cook depending on how much smoke you like. A bag should last quite a while.

 

[Hamdrew]

Found this pic earlier for another thread- those 3 chunks of mesquite, and I believe one initial chunk with a full-chimney got me through the 6+ hour cook. Pellets, even if you soaked+reconstituted into foil logs/make-shift chunks, will simply burn too fast. I'm talking a matter of minutes fast.

That said, I have two big bags of pellets from a mix-up (never send someone else to the store!) that I enjoy having for fast grills. I can get quite a bit of smoke flavor on a 2-3oz fish fillet. I still have to make pouches of wet pellet pulp to get 10min out of them.

 

[Fishonshawn]

View attachment 494524
Found this pic earlier for another thread- those 3 chunks of mesquite, and I believe one initial chunk with a full-chimney got me through the 6+ hour cook. Pellets, even if you soaked+reconstituted into foil logs/make-shift chunks, will simply burn too fast. I'm talking a matter of minutes fast.

That said, I have two big bags of pellets from a mix-up (never send someone else to the store!) that I enjoy having for fast grills. I can get quite a bit of smoke flavor on a 2-3oz fish fillet. I still have to make pouches of wet pellet pulp to get 10min out of them.

I figured if I just throw them on they will burn quick but I get 5-6 hrs in the smoke tube with them on the pellet grill. Don't know why it would be any different in the charcoal grill if I had the charcoal in a basket on one side and had it set up for indirect cooking with the smoke tube on the other side... looks like I'll have to experiment a bit. I was just looking at wood chunk prices and it seems a little spendy for what your getting. Plus I have like a dozen 20lb bags of pellets in tubs in the garage... admittedly also I think for now at least most of what I cook on there will be quick stuff. Steaks, wings.. things like that. Ill probably stick to the pellet grill when it comes to things like ribs and brisket until I really get a handle on things.

 

[Hamdrew]

I was just looking at wood chunk prices and it seems a little spendy for what your getting.

Those mesquite chunks, as well as hickory are usually $3.50/6lb bag. No more than $4, with woods like apple, cherry, or pecan $5-6/6lb. You'll use maybe 1lb in a rib cook like my pic.

You also have to account for it saving you some money on charcoal/heat, it may be pennies but it is something. Mesquite being a very hard wood is partially why I only needed a single chimney on that cook. Whereas if I had used apple, I would have had to add a couple more pounds of charcoal.

 

[mike243]

For grilling you can add pellets a few times to give some smoke flavor, shag bark off of a hickory tree works really well , start with small pieces as it can be strong if your not use to it.

 

[Hamdrew]

For grilling you can add pellets a few times to give some smoke flavor, shag bark off of a hickory tree works really well , start with small pieces as it can be strong if your not use to it.

Lotta red oak around here I am a fan of, but like hickory gotta be careful.

 

[Fishonshawn]

Those mesquite chunks, as well as hickory are usually $3.50/6lb bag. No more than $4, with woods like apple, cherry, or pecan $5-6/6lb. You'll use maybe 1lb in a rib cook like my pic.

You also have to account for it saving you some money on charcoal/heat, it may be pennies but it is something. Mesquite being a very hard wood is partially why I only needed a single chimney on that cook. Whereas if I had used apple, I would have had to add a couple more pounds of charcoal.

Where do you get your chunks...? .ive looked at Amazon and Walmart and the prices you listed can't be found... ive seen bags of oak over $20, apple around $7, but many seem to be $12+... if I could find them for $4-6 I wouldn't have even brought this up lol. Thats why I was thinking of just using pellets.

 

[Hamdrew]

Honestly, usually just at the cheap-middle grocery store (they bought out all the cheap stores in the area a couple years back). They're usually about the same at the expensive/nice chain.

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=western%20hickory%20chunks

Charcoal is a little more expensive, chunks a little cheaper. Walmart/Lowe's/Home Depot are all usually around $5-6 for that Western BBQ brand, Royal Oak chunks $5-8 cheapest, which happens to be from the most expensive little grocery chain here.

Have not seen any good charcoal sales this year, but now is the time to buy up a year's worth of chunks as I HAVE seen some good deals.

 

[Fishonshawn]

 

[Fishonshawn]

For charcoal I just got Kingsford original birquettes. 4 20lb bags for $36.

 

[Brewandque]

Those prices are crazy. I bought a bag of post oak at Ace for $8 and a bag of hickory at walmart for $7 within the last month.

 

[Hamdrew]

Those prices are crazy. I bought a bag of post oak at Ace for $8 and a bag of hickory at walmart for $7 within the last month.

I have never seen them nearly so high, either.

In any case, that is where the hardness and moisture content starts to become a factor. I believe 30lb of hickory is about 1cu foot, so 1cu foot of apple would be less weight. That Western brand usually has both the weight and volume, and I THINK Royal Oak does as well. I have been buying/given bulk wood splits for some time now, chopping off my own chunks, but I do almost always have a bag for the kettles and WSM.

On a quick search, and by memory it looks like the 6lb(?) bag of Royal Oak mesquite featured in my pic was on sale for $6. I like their wood a little better than Western. Even the "nice"/fancy local Missouri brand "Rockwood" are never more than $10 for roughly the same size bag, volume-wise. I think the weights on those are all listed at a nondescript "3-5lb".