How much smoke wood do you use?


 
S

Steven Hubbard

TVWBB Member
I typically cook pork butts with 3 or 4 chunks of apple or cherry. I typically get a few wisps of white smoke during the cook, and the flavor is always very good.

Today, I followed the Mr Brown recipe which totalled 7 wood chunks. There were massive clouds of smoke (still white at least) billowing out of my WSM for nearly 2 hours. That's a lot more smoke than I expect and more than I ever want.

So I got to thinking, how much wood do folks here like to use?
 
I like to use at least 5 chunks of hickory for butts and 3 chunks of hickory and 2 apple for brisket. Very little for chicken like a 1/2 chunk of apple. For pork ribs its a mix of 3 to 5 chunks. Beef ribs with some oak and apple
 
my 1st mr brown was done about 2 weeks ago and like you was done to the letter... i felt the smoke taste was fairly light compared to what i was expecting (though still pronounced and nice), next time i'll put in an extra hickory chunk...
 
Just curious ... do you add the wood all at once or do you add a chunk or 2 every hour or so?

I've always done the latter with good results (no soaking).
 
i did a little on top of the coal just as i put the butts on and had burried the rest of the wood in the unlit coals so i would get smoke throughout...
 
I add it all at once -- right at the start. When I use MM, I'll bury a couple of the chunks but I never put any of them all the way at the bottom. This usually gets me about 2 hours of smoke.

I was just surprised today at how much smoke was coming out of the top vent.
 
i've done it all on the top when i'm doing ribs or some other quicker cook, for butts, which are about 12hrs or so for me, i bury some... stylistic difference i guess...
 
Depending upon what type of wood, what I am smoking, and the size of the chunks - anywhere from 5 to 15 chunks.

I started with hickory for butts. I used 8 or so fist sized chunks. Now I am using more red oak and since it is milder, I find myself just tossing in a lot more (twice as much for longer, thicker meat cooks). For things like fish and meatloaf, I try to go less but, in the end, I like smoke flavor more than most people. I have never oversmoked a meatloaf and I toss in quite a bit of oak.
 
Four chunks of hickory for butts. I push them into the charcoal in various locations in the charcoal ring.
 
I like Jason's comment...and I agree....the most oversmoked rack of ribs I ever have done were....excellent...some of the best I have ever made.
 
I don't use much at all. I like a hint of smoke - not much more than that. Two or three good size chunks buried in the charcoal pile and maybe one on top just to get things going.
 
When I do butts, I use 3 chunks of Apple and 2 chunks of hickory. Start with 1 and 1 on top and the remaining buried.

I get white smoke for hours (almost 8 hours this last time). This last smoke (this weekend), the air was heavy and no wind. The entire neigborhood was covered in a fog like haze from my smoker. Smelled good. :)
 
I really don't think you could over smoke a Butt due it's mass/thickness. Yes you could overpower the outside of it but once it's all mixed together your good. When I cook Butt's I put wood everywhere in the charcaol bowl, and lotts of it. That said It really depends on what wood you are using and what you are smoking, and your taste. What I like you might not.
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These last few months I have stopped using hickory chunks and now using only pecan chunks. It seems to give me the smoke flavor I like on everything in my WSM. With my offset, wood used there is another story.

Anywho, I bury/layer my chunks.
If I'm cooking brisket or butts I put 5 chunks on the grate (4 on the edge one in the center) then pour a layer of charcoal (briquettes). 4 more chunks on the edges and then fill up the ring. I then put 4 more chunks on the edges. I use my weed burner and light the middle of the charcoal for about 2 minutes then put a chunk on top of that and put the smoker together. The smoke is pretty constant and thin throughout the cook. Sometimes it stops smoking for a bit but then it comes back. The only time the smoke is white or thick is when the final chunk is laid on the freshly lit briquettes. 14 chunks total.
For Ribs, I still use the minion method but with less coal. I put 3-4 chunks on the bottom and then the charcoal. 4 on top and one on the lit coals after I start it up. 8-9 chunks total.
For chicken I load the ring with charcoal and weed burn the whole top of the ring. Once lit, I add 3-4 chunks on top. 3-4 chunks total.
 
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