Adding smoke

[Russell McNeely]

Jamie, what is your preference for adding smoke wood while using the Weber kettle? Do you prefer wood chips or chunks? Soaked in water or dry? Chips in a foil pouch or directly on the coals? Do you let the wood burn for a while before adding the food to the grill or just add food immediately?

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!

 

[Jamie Purviance]

Hi Russell,

My preference is to use soaked wood chips in the kettle. The dry chips ignite too quickly; I only use those when I want a burst of heat. I save the wood chunks for use primarily on the smoker. They don't need to be soaked. In fact, soaking chunks is pretty much a waste of time because the water doesn't seep in more than a fraction of inch.

Whenever I'm smoking, I get the wood going first, and then I add the food. Otherwise the food will cook for a little time without the benefit of smoke. This is especially important when you are smoking quickly cooked items like steaks and fish fillets.

Good questions! Thanks.

Jamie