How much wood chunks?


 
Scott C.

Scott C.

TVWBB Super Fan
Over the last year or so since my wife bought me my WSM for Christmas, I've used it quite a bit, and I've come around pretty well in honing my skills. With the addition of the DX2, I've pretty much nailed Ribs, Butts, Turkey, etc. I've kind of developed my preference of different combinations of wood chunks types for each meat and at the correct proportion.

However, I just can't seem to reconcile this question: How is it with a WSM that is priarily ran with charcoal, and uses only a few chucks of wood, you can easily go overboard with the wood. But, you get all of these stick burner guys who run nothing but wood, and this evidently isn't an issue. I see it on the TV shows, and the local BBQ place using straight hickory and it actually seems rather mild. However, if I go with more than 3-4 big chunks, it starts getting overpowering.

How can this be?? I just can't seem to get this riddle out of my mind !!!
 
I'm no expert but here's my thoughts;
smoldering wood smokes more, using a minion method your chunks will smolder for a while before they catch fire.
If you ever get a chance to look inside the firebox of a good stickburner, they will have just a very small fire. The design will also have a major affect, for instance the smoke in a Jambo will go over the top of the meat and they get very little smoke. At least that's what I've been told.
 
Yeah, I've noticed that where there's flame, there tends to be less smoke, but it still doesn't make sense to me. But, then again, my wife says I'm a little slow, so what do I know...
 
good topic scott!
I have the same issue. well should say my wife has! all ways tooooo much smoke! i am now tring apple and cherry chips! started with 2 handfulls (too smokey) so next time just 1 handfull!
 
Smoke is caused by incomplete combustion. In the case of smoking with charcoal, we limit the oxygen to keep it all from igniting and getting too hot. The wood chunks are also deprived of oxygen, causing them to smoke. Basically we limit the combustion.

The goal of a stickburner fire is small and hot, great combustion, very little smoke. You will see a lot of stickburners who put their wood splits on top of their firebox to warm up before they use them, the hotter they are, the faster they will combust once placed into the firebox. This prevents the nasty white smoke every time you place a log into the fire. They place logs into their fireboxes every so often to maintain temperature, rather than charcoal users who limit oxygen.

The fire triangle, Oxygen, Heat, Fuel
Charcoal users control oxygen, stickburners control fuel

It is just two different methods of controlling fire. Fire is an amazing thing.

In the end, the real nice thin blue smoke is what we all want.
 
I have never had bitter meat with my WSM. I run a 2:1 ratio of fruit wood to hickory. I did however a few times get the nasty bitter taste with my big stick burner. Also Stick burner would never have white smoke because I burned the fire hot till it was clean trying to avoid that. WSM I accept "white" smoke and put my meat on before I get to temp...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top