How long do you "smoke" during a cook?


 
A

Andrej Steinbergs

New member
I have some questions regarding the duration of actual smoking vs. just cooking during a session. I understand that once meat is placed in the cooker you want to start the smoking process immediatley. But is there a time say during a 4-6 hour cook or even a longer say 12 hour cook when you want to stop adding wood chunks and simply finish the cook? Just curious what the rule of thumb is if there even is one.
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For long smokes, I always use the Minion Method and have wood chunks mixed throughout the lump in the charcoal ring. This produces smoke all the time the meat is not in foil. Easy and produces just the right amount of very good quality smoke.
 
Conversely, I place wood chunks (usually four fist-sized) on top of whatever lit coals there are at the beginning of the cook. When they're gone, that's it. Since smoke, in this setting, is merely deposition of fine smoke particles on the meat, the same amount of wood should provide the same level of "smokiness" whether it's applied at the beginning or over the course of the cook. There is some merit, I believe, to mixing wood down in the charcoal in that the heat drives off some of the moisture even before the chunks ignite, leaving them to burn "cleaner". Over time, I have taken to placing my wood chunks on top of whatever I'm firing up in my chimney, and letting them start burning there first, but even so, when they're gone they're gone-- I never add more wood during a cook.
 
I have done it both ways and not noticed a big difference in the smoke flavor. I have added chunks mixed in the charcoal with the MM, added 4 or 5 chunks on top of the lit and then added 4 or 5 more chunks after the first ones are gone. I think it mostly matters on the amount of smoke flavor you like. Personally you can't get to much for me unless it's mesquite then I back off. For example on a 16 hour butt cook I have used up to 12 - 15 chucks of hickory and cherry mixed, but this might be to much for some people's taste. In this case I add 4 or 5 in the beginning and add another 4 or 5 every 4 - 5 hours until done. If and when I wrap anything in foil I don't add any more wood chunks after that.

What meat you are cooking makes a difference too I think. To me chicken will absorb more smoke flavor than any cut of pork with the same amount of chunks. So I adjust for what I am cooking as well.

Randy
 
Smoke will continue to be deposited on the meat as long as it is supplied. It is the smokering that forms in a range of temps that tops out at about 140°. For that reason, many cooks, especially in competition, will put the meat in the cooker straight from the refigerator, prolonging the period of time the meat remains in that range, in order to enhance the ring.
 
You can add smoke at any time. There is one team on thecircuit the foils their ribs, with sliced appled on top, first. Then after a few hours they unfoil the ribs and add smoke.

A smoke ring will form up to 140 degrees.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rick Soli:
Your larger cuts of meat will only take on smoke up to the 140 degree internal mark. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
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