wood chips

[chefmjg]

Just wondering how many people pre soak the wood chips before they start to smoke What is the differce in the smoke

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I don't soak. It just delays the onset of actual smoke until the water in the wood has evaporated. Many less expensive smoker manufacturer instructions will tell you to soak the chips or chunks, but it's a lame attempt at telling people how to slow down the burning of the chips. To get a good smoke, you need to control the heat and air/oxygen getting to the wood. More heat and/or more oxygen = more smoke...go too far with either one and the wood will catch on fire, which = zero smoke and smoke chamber temp spikes until the wood chips are finished burning into ash, or you remove them. Smoke wood just needs to smolder, not burn.

Eric

 

[s2k9k]

Very good answer Eric! I used to use chips and soak them but just like you said it just delays the smoke. I switched to chunks and learned (from SMF) that was using too much. I thought more would last longer but it really just produced too much smoke and didn't last any longer. I have found that less is more, not more smoke but more quality smoke, that good ole TBS. Two medium sized chunks at a time works great for me. No soak just smoke, the good kind!

 

[mr500]

1000X what FLOS said. I like chunks as opposed to chips...I THINK there larger size helps them to last longer. Chips to ME have smaller surface area and tend to jump up in flames really quick. I have soaked and NON soaked and really can tell a difference.

Someone did a test video where they soaked the wood, then cut it open. Water had only penetrated like 2 to 3/32 into the wood. So, the core of the wood is still dry.

.02

M

 

[victorytea]

When you are talking "chunks"- how big are the chunks, I am getting a masterbuilt 30 electric smoker. Thanks

 

[eman]

You really can't use chunks in a MES 30. The chip chute is not designed to use them.

 If you try to put them in the chip drawer you will be spending WAY to much time w/ the door open.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

When you are talking "chunks"- how big are the chunks, I am getting a masterbuilt 30 electric smoker. Thanks

The chunks I get are up to the size of your fist, some are bigger (3" x 5" give or take). I usually split them down to size for my propane rigs and end up with finger-length pieces an inch or less in thickness, and sometimes I leave them 2 to 3 times as wide as they are thick. For charcoal fired, I leave them about 2.5-3" wide x 1.5" thick, finger length.

For the MES, you may want to start a new thread to find out for sure how big you can go for chunks with the chip loader, but then if you have a way to split them down (hatchet/camp axe), it won't really matter. Take them down to whatever size works best for you. Chips are typically only an inch or so across and some are 1/4" thick, but most that I've had in the past were 1/2" to 3/4" thick. I only buy chunks now, so I can use the size I want for whatever rig I'm smoking with at the time, and the length of smoke I want (bigger will smolder longer). If you're in the right place at the right time, you may stumble into slivered smoke wood (about 1-1/2 times the thickness of a round toothpick)...I found these work good for low temp smokes where you don't get the smoke-box/chip-pan hot enough to start chips or chunks smoking.

Eric

 

[chef jimmyj]

If you are getting a MES chips or 1X3 inch chunks are about it...OR...Get an AMNPS Pellet Smoker and you can get 10 hours of care free Smoke...JJ

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