how to put smokey flavor in my low-and-slow cooks?

Cooking on a roasting rack on top of foil has given me some stunning LOOKING cooks recently. My chicken has come out beautiful, both in terms of asthetics as well as texture. But there hasn't been much smokey flavor lately.

I did use wood chips. I took a handful of dry mesquite chips, wrapped them in foil, poked a big hole, and let them light while I preheated the grill. But the problem was that they went out once I turned down the flame.

I think maybe the problem was that I didn't let them stay in the preheating grill long enough - only 10 minutes. Maybe next time I'll soak them first, then wrap them loosley in foil, poke lots of holes, let them sit in the preheating grill for 15 minutes, that way they'll all catch fire, and since they'll have soaked they'll smolder for a good 15-20 minutes. Then I'll put down my foil and roasting trivets to set up for my indirect cook and spread the chips out on the foil so everything will be basked in smoke (for a couple minutes).

Not sure if I was at all clear, but if anyone got what I was saying, what are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Pinny

Smoke doesn't necessarily mean smoke flavor. Ideal smoking temperature is 200-225, so that would be one of the goals.

When using foil on top of flame, if you poke too many holes oxygen will get to the chips and they will catch fire (no smoke).

Here is a link to find - "foil chips" - link

A lot of links, you should be able to get what you are looking for.

Russel, you wrote that smoke does not neccessarily mean smoke flavor. Can you expound on that a bit?

You don't want the chips to catch fire - only to get hot enough to smolder and give off smoke. Poke one or two small holes in the top of the foil packet so that little to no oxygen gets in.

That being said, in my experience, smoking on a gasser has always been disappointing. It's not even close to smoking on a WSM.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Smoke doesn't necessarily mean smoke flavor. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I guess what I was trying to say was that you don't need to have smoke billowing out of the bbq to get the smoke flavor.

Pinny
I am still catching up on posts that were written during my holidays to New Zealand.

To develop a smoke flavour on the Q you need to soak the chips in HOT WATER for 20 minutes or cold water for 2 hours. I find that the Hot water is much better.
When smoking on the Q you can put he foil pack on the grill or you can rest it on top of the little SS boz that covers the gas ignitor on the LH side of the Q if you are using low temps.
Using dry wood produces very little smoke and burns out real quick.

Good to see that the Indirct Method on the Q is working well for you. Next step is vegetables, then cakes and deserts.

Regards
Hope this helps