First Smoke - How Much Hickory?


 
Nate C

Nate C

TVWBB Fan
Spent the afternoon trying to find Oak for my first smoke but was unable too therefore purchased a bag of Hickory. I understand Hickory is a pretty strong wood and I don't want to over smoke my meat.

I will be smoking a 3.62 pound Pork Butt in my new WSM 18.5. How many chunks of Hickory should I use for a mild but noticeable flavor??

Should I bury some and put some on top or all on top??


Thanks in advance.
 
Hi Nate
I would not use more then 3 but to be on the safe side i would use 2 fist size chunks.When I did my ribs i used 2 fist size chunks and when i pulled the ribs off I still had about 1/4 of each of my wood chunks going.But you have a bigger hunk of meat to.Here is a website that helped me in chosing wood to.
www.deejayssmokepit.net/Downlo...okingFlavorChart.pdf
Good luck with you'r smoke out and post some pic's plz
 
Nate , I like more on butts and brisket but 2 or three big chunks as already suggested would be ample. If you want more next time you can make your decision after you taste this one. Remember, you can always add more smoke but you can't take away when you put too much on
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Thanks all...I really appreciate it.

Getting ready to apply the rub to the pork with the smoke tomorrow morning. I'm nervous!! Hahah...feel like i'm going on a first date or something.
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That's a pretty small butt, so I'd agree with the answers you've gotten.

You know that door is there for a reason, though. Assuming you're around when you're cooking, just have a chunk or two on hand to toss on the coals if you don't see any smoke for a bit. Sometimes wood chunks do funny and just quit smoking sooner than you'd think. At the same time though, I've reached in when smoking chicken and pulled a chunk out because I thought it was smoking too much.

Of course, you don't need to smoke for the entire cook. I do think burying two thirds or so of your chunks is the way to go, for a slower smoke. You can have too much of hickory, but IMHO, it's a must for pork butts.
 
I have struggled with the term "oversmoked". I hear it a good bit from competition cooking teams and from professionals such as on the TV show Pitmasters. I put generous wood chunks on my WSM and like the smoke flavor to be pronounced. My Traeger wood pellet grill never does give me the flavor intensity I look for.
So, how about the cookers who cook with nothing but wood logs called stick cookers? Are they not smoking with an intensity here?
My understanding is that meat only accepts smoke for a certain period of time at which the cell structutre closes off and no more smoke can be accepted anyway. So...my question is...how much is too much? How can we tell and what is the result? Is it a bitterness that is created by the intensity of smoking?
 
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