Wood chunk placement


 

Andy Harrington

TVWBB Member
A very well known bbq master mentioned that you should always place your smoke wood in the coals, not on top. I have not been able to find an explanation why? Does anyone know why this may be or have personal experience with doing this? I always just place my chunks on top.
 
A topic here recently. There was a lot of great info in that thread. Can confirm that some very famous top chefs use this method. At the weber class all i saw was this way
 
I can't really answer the technical reasons for doing so. After 4 years of smoking I still lay my wood chunks on my coals. I'll place a couple with lit coals and then I place a couple farther away from lit coals. But while on the topic of wood, I placed my first order with Fruita a little over a year ago and, in my opinion, there is a world of difference between that and what I had been using from retail stores.

Here is one of the articles discussing chunk placement: https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?76364-Burying-wood-chunks-under-Charcoal-in-WSM-difference-in-smoke-and-flavor&highlight=bury+wood
 
What I believe happens is the wood does not burn as fast, less smoke, longer time. I have always buried my chunks. I tend to like less smoke and less chunks, buried, seems to do the trick for me.
 
It's easy:D You bury the wood because Harry Soo does it that way;)
Seriously,my thoughts are you get more consistent smoke. If it is buried in the coals it has to smolder making more consistent smoke. Putting the chunks on top you can have flames. A burning piece of wood doesn't make as much,or as controled smoke as a smoldering piece of wood. Of course thats only theory on my part .
 
For most of my 21 years cooking with the WSM, I have just dropped the chunks on top of the lit charcoal and not worried about it. I like light smoke flavor and it works for me.

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Recently I've been sticking chunks into the unlit charcoal and placing lit coals on top. Any flavor difference? Not that I can tell.

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If someone says "you should always", you probably don't have to. Do what works for you! :D
 
It's easy:D You bury the wood because Harry Soo does it that way;)
Seriously,my thoughts are you get more consistent smoke. If it is buried in the coals it has to smolder making more consistent smoke. Putting the chunks on top you can have flames. A burning piece of wood doesn't make as much,or as controled smoke as a smoldering piece of wood. Of course thats only theory on my part .

Can confirm. Harry and some other well-known masters bury the wood. In large logs too!
 
I believe I am going to place the wood on top again but this time I am ordering from a local source that does not kiln dry their wood. They claim it adds to the flavor. All I’ve ever used is the store bought bagged stuff, I’m hesitant to change too many things at once so if something goes well or poorly I can hopefully pinpoint the cause.
 
I used to put 4 on the grate and then 4 on top if using store bought kiln-dried chunks when cooking briskets or butts. That's overkill with Fruitawood. It probably doesn't matter a whole lot which way you do it.
 
I don't think it makes much, or any difference, I just usually put a chunk next to a live coal, and stagger the rest around the coal bed, sometimes I may nestle them down. I just throw my sticks I pick up under my hickory tree on top.
If there was ever a difference I couldn't see it.
 
I have had my 22.5 WSM for 3.5 years and have never buried wood. Smoke profile always cones out very mild (which I like & most others I cook for) I sold my 18.5 to a coworker and his 1st smoke was 2 brisket flats. After watching many videos he settled on Harry's method of burying chunks. His meat came out fantastic and the smoke profile was much heavier than what I usually get. Not too heavy or oversmoked, it just tasted more like an authentic wood fire. I will be trying it for sure on my next smoke.
Btw I believe he used a small apple log in the middle and a few pecan chunks around the edge.
 

 

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