Foil wrap your smoke wood?!?


 
B

Briann R

New member
I'm reading this "advice" from a someone who is claiming that kiln dried wood wrapped in foil is the best way to go for smoke wood versus just adding wood chunks to the coals...

Any validity to this or is this hot air?

The reason that people say to soak your wood is so that it will last longer and will smolder/smoke instead of flaring/flaming up. This can easily be done by controlling the main factor that causes a flame, OXYGEN. By wrapping dry wood in tin/aluminum foil with small holes, it not only slows the rate at which the wood is used up but it also virtually eliminates flare ups by eliminating oxygen. Tin foil also helps draw heat around the entire piece of wood, creating a more even consistent burn. Also the foil holds heat so if you turn down your heat source the wood will continue to smoke longer than if it was unwrapped. Not to mention cleanup is a breeze, because you can easily throw away the small tin foil pouch.
 
Hi Briann and welcome to the forum.

I guess it depends on what type of smoker you use. Like most on this site, I use the WSM. Due to its tight design, it is a very easy to control the amount of air going in. That said, the 3 bottom vents and single top vent achieve the same results as wrapping in foil. I have never wrapped my wood chunks in foil and frequently have leftover pieces that have been rendered into charcoal (the smoldering process with limited oxygen). As far as 'kiln dried'...dry is dry; the absence of moisture. I primarily use local wood from my own trees and just leave it outside to dry - never an issue.

Paul
 
Using WSM and your thoughts are pretty much the ballpark I was in. Thanks for the confirmation!

For my first smoke I didn't have any appropriate chunks so I had to make a foil pouch for chips which worked well but I think it held back my temps a bit because I made the pouch too big...live and learn! Now that I've got chunks I'm going to work the Minion method and bury some within.

Thanks!
 
What Paul said. The only time you'll get flare ups with the WSM, is when you take the lid off or open the door and introduce all that O2 to the coals. With chips or pellets, yes, make a foil pouch. With wood chunks, just place them on top of the lit coals, and no need to soak them either, cause it does nothing to wood chunks but make the outmost layer of the wood wet.
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