New WSM question about wood?

[RFMarshall]

Hello everyone, new to smoking and was wanting to know if you need to keep adding wood chunks every time the smoke stops coming out? I smoked a pork butt last weekend and it turned out great, I followed this guys directions, http://howtobbqright.com/pulledporkrecipe.html

 

[Steven P (Tupelo)]

No. You should determine how much smoke wood you need for the piece of meat you will be smoking. For example, you would want more smoke for a butt or brisket than you would for ribs or chicken. If you are doing ribs with two chunks of wood, once they are gone, don't add anymore wood.

 

[RFMarshall]

Ty for the response, is there a guideline on the web or anything that suggest how much wood for different meats?

 

[Steven P (Tupelo)]

All About Smoke Woods. There is not much you will ever need to know about BBQ that you won't find on this site.

 

[Dwain Pannell]

Some folks like more but I am a less is more guy when it comes to smoke. I avoid the ashtray effect by using a chunk or two but that's about it.

 

[JRAiona]

The article that Steven referenced is very good and very informative. Think of smoke/wood as a seasoning just like salt, pepper, etc. Your better off to start minimally and make adjustments on your following cooks. I like waht Dwain said and agree, I prefer to avoid the ashtray effect.

 

[M Schneider]

Personally, I like to have smoke coming out of the chimney or (top vent on my WSM) throughout the cook right up until I do the foil wrap. Sometimes I have to add wood and sometimes I don't. It just depends on how much wood I started with to begin with. As long as the meat remains un-foiled, I want smoke, although not a lot of smoke, just some hint of smoke coming out of the cooker makes me happy.