smoking wood for smokehouse?

[masonman1345]

I have been told to start with a charcoal bed then add my wood chuncks on top for smoking. What is the best way to soak the chips and for how long. I will be using red oak for the smoke. how much smoke is too much?

 

[eman]

No need to soak at all , You will get thick smoke when you put the wood on the fire but it should settle to thin blue smoke after a few min.

 

[rbranstner]

Are you using chips or chunks? 

To soak or not to soak is a matter of opinion. The majority decision is to not soak. 

 

[flash]

I have been told to start with a charcoal bed then add my wood chuncks on top for smoking. What is the best way to soak the chips and for how long. I will be using red oak for the smoke. how much smoke is too much?

I am not familiar with your smoker, but you may want to research the minion method. You mention Chunks, then mention Chips? Which one? Chips do not last near as long and you probably should soak them. Chunks do not have to be soaked but some do. No set time but I usually do around 30 minutes or so for chips.

 Red oak is real good for smoke. I like to mix cherry wood with it. Do not oversmoke. Remember if you smell wood burning, you are smoking.

 Good smoke on right.

 

[garyt]

I stopped soaking a couple years ago, all you are doing is delaying the wood from burning, it is going to happen anyway.

 

[masonman1345]

Thanks for the replies, I'am using these chunks in a true smokehouse for sausage and pork. I dont soak when i smoke on my pit. I have been cooking competition for ten years now and want to start a new hobby in the form of a smokehouse in my back yard but dont know where to start.

 

[pineywoods]

I use a 55 gal drum for my firebox and it sits about 10' from my smokehouse and I burn straight wood. If I need heat in the smokehouse I use a propane burner inside the smokehouse but the smoke still comes from the drum

 

[pops6927]

I built a smokehouse last year and couldn't be happier with it.  I use propane w/iron frying pan to hold the chunks that smolder and produce the smoke.  I have a row of aluminum pans to catch the grease and drippings so nothing gets in the burner.  I just did 4 butts worth of buckboard bacon last Sunday, here's a pic of part of it (from one son's amount):

Unfortunately I left my camera at that son's house on Thanksgiving so I didn't have any way to take pics of the smoke.  Check out the ham and smokehouse threads at the bottom of my post!