Lost When It Comes To How Much Wood For Smoking


 
Nate C

Nate C

TVWBB Fan
2nd smoke will happen tonight and I feel very confident going in. If there is one area I feel totally unprepared for is types of woods for smoking and how much to use.

I currently have in my arsenal bags of Hickory and Mesquite chunks. I used Hickory for my first smoke (pork butt) and ready to try either Mesquite alone or a combo of Hickory and Mesquite. My first smoke was a 3.6 pound pork but and now I am jumping up to 2 butts weighing 13 pounds total.

Are there any general rules to figure out how much of a specific wood to use factoring in the type and weight of meat?

How much should I use tonight for my 13 pound pork butt?? I would like to go Mesquite or a combo of Mesquite / Hickory.

Thanks for your help all....
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I would leave the Mesquite in the bag. It's pretty strong for smoking. Since your only other wood is hickory, put some of that in your charcoal ring and you'll be fine. I would use a couple fist sized chunks, but I like a lighter smoke.

If you want to start mixing woods, you should try to get some apple and cherry. They would mix well with the hickory.
 
I agree Mesquite is strong for Q. I use it alot for grilling burgers and steaks where the food is not on very long. I like a smokey Q and use hickory for pork. I use about 6 chunks total. 3 on top and 3 buried in the middle of the coals.

Jamie
 
Generally, mesquite is used with beef only. It can be bitter if oversmoked. I use a little of it with cherry and hickory when I do brisket.
 
When I first got a brinkman a couple years ago, I got a bag of mesquite at HD and I used it to smoke a chicken.......and I used more than was necessary for the entire smoke.....BLECH!!!

I still have the same bag and rarely go to it (sometimes in moderation with beef). For the pork, I would go with a couple of nice sized chunks of hickory, or better yet, go get some apple if it's available to you.
 
Nate,

How'd your second smoke come out? Although it's too late to recommend anything for that cook, I concur with the others in leaving the mesquite alone.

In the future, there's a lot of resources out there on pairing woods with food. Chris wrote a good piece for the site found here.

Another quick reference for flavor pairings is found here.

The quantity of wood to use varies. It depends on your tastes, the type of wood, the type of meat (or other food product) and the length of smoke. For example, in your last cook of 2 butts, I'd probably toss in 4 or 5 chunks of hickory. Hickory and pork are a great pairing and the butt can take a lot of smoke. Brisket (oak or pecan wood) is another meat that can take a lot of smoke. However chicken and fish don't need nearly as much smoke. Smoking a whole chicken may only require 1 piece of pecan or fruit wood. Not only is the quantity cut back but the type of wood is significant in that fruit wood is much more subtle. Pecan is good with many meats and while related to hickory, it is not as strong. Read through the postings on this site and experiment. Keep in mind that meat will continue to adsorb smoke. Not absorb, but adsorb. The tiny smoke particles build up on the exterior of the meat and continue to do so for as long as you're burning wood.

Paul
 
Nate, Paul K gives sound advice. On brisket and butts I always pour the smoke on they are hardier cuts plus on the butts you're shredding them anyway. On ribs,chicken and fish use less wood maybe two or three chunks and when they're gone that's it. Ribs ,chicken and fish can get bitter real fast from too much smoke. I love mesquite. Just balance it out between what your cooking and how many chunks.
 
As usual - it's one of those questions where the answer is the one that nearly everybody hates: "It depends......."

There is no "magical" formula for the amount of wood to use. It's something that you'll need to develop a feel for over time.

However, there are a few pointers to get you started in the right direction:

#1 - Some kinds of smoke wood produce a stronger flavor than others, while others are more mild:

-Hickory can produce a strong "hammy" taste if it is over-done, and a little goes a long way.
-From what I've heard, mesquite is even more so.
-On the other hand, apple and maple are more mild, and you can usually use a higher quantity with less fear of over-powering smoke flavor.

(I have not tried pecan, grape vine, alder, or oak yet.)

#2. - Some kinds of meat can stand-up to more smoke than others. Poultry tends to get over-done most easily, so go lighter on the smoke wood than you normally would. With butts & brisket, you can usually use more smoke wood with little fear of too much smoke.

#3. - Certain types of briquette vs. lump can add smoky flavor - so, err to less smoke wood when you're trying a new charcoal source for the first few times until you develop an understanding for how it affects flavor.

Again, this information is not set in stone, and I am still relatively new. But if you keep these thoughts in mind, it may help you understand why that (whatever) you just cooked tasted too smoky or not smoky enough.

Hope this helps
 
It also depends on what your smoking. You sure don't want to use the same amount of wood on chicken,fish or any ground meat products as you would on a shoulder or a brisket.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Paul K:
Nate,

How'd your second smoke come out? Although it's too late to recommend anything for that cook, I concur with the others in leaving the mesquite alone.
Paul </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well I completed my smoke of the two pork butts weighing 13 pounds and it went off without a hitch. Family loved it so I was pleased.

Being very new at the art of smoking and after being raised on predominantly saucy and chain restaurant BBQ, I am realizing that I do not have a palate for correctly smoked meat. I used three hickory chunks in today's smoke but really don't know if it was correctly smoked or could have used more wood. Everyone liked it but was I missing some flavor if I would have added a couple more chunks?? I don't know!!

I will be taking a Konrad Haskins class in March and am planning on taking a judging class put on by PNW BBQ Association this summer. The above and continuously experimenting with different types and amounts I believe will give me the proper "plumb line" to gauge a properly smoked piece of meat.

I am finding in me a real passion for this art of BBQ and am not content on throwing something on my WSM and drowning it in sauce to cover the imperfections. I truly want to learn how to properly smoke a piece of meat so that when eaten by itself, the people enjoying it don't want sauce!!
 
One of the good things about BBQ is that you get to eat your experiments. If you're the engineer type, do a number of cooks with the same meat starting with no wood and working your way up. Keep a log and when it taste good to you, you'll have a record of how much wood to use. If you're more of a fly by the seat of your pants guy, throw some more wood on and if that still ain't enough, throw a log on there.
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Personally, I like a light smoke flavor. I tried a cook with no wood and thought my ribs were pretty good. Then I put a little hickory in on the next cook and it really made a difference (a good difference). It's really just a matter of taste and trial and error.
 
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