Pellets, Chips or Chunks. Which is best in WSM?


 
Joe E.

Joe E.

New member
Has anyone compared pellets, chips and chunks in their WSM and decided on a "best" option? If so, which do you choose and why? Thanks!

Joe
 
For the WSM I use chunks or small sticks. I find they smoke longer and allow me to maximize smoke while minimizing wood use.. Chips burn super quick so I use them in my kettle and pellets I find would be way to cost ineffective compared to the other options for the WSM as far as I am concerned.
 
I've always used chunks. Chips will burn too fast unless you put them in an aluminum pouch or smoker box. I got an A-Maze-N maze for Christmas and I have used very fine chips in that, but that's a special situation where I'm cold smoking and don't have a fire going aside from the smoldering chips.
 
I also use chunks. I wait until there is no visible smoke from the lump charcoal and then add them. That way I know the only smoke is from what I added.
 
I also prefer chunks, but when I first started out I had bags of chips and pellets. Those worked fine for quick smoked items like chicken, chops, sausage etc.
I used to layer my chips in with the charcoal ( think lasagna) for long smokes and it worked ok.
And you can do either chips or pellets if you want just a "kiss of smoke" on a long cook. Either wrap them in a foil pouch or a spice tin, smoker box.

Tim
 
I've never tried pellets nor chips in my WSM's, so I cannot answer your question. But when I started smoking nearly three years ago I always used chunks from Amazon or box retailers. Then about five months ago I placed my first order with Fruita Wood and in my opinion the difference was like night and day. Since, I did away with my bad chunks and have placed several additional orders with Fruita.
 
For anyone who tried pellets, did you use a pellet tube or A-Mazing tray, or did you just sprinkle them around the coals? Thanks!
 
Not a real answer to your question, but still:
I use local lump charcoal and I find it gives me plenty of a smoky flavour. I think mainly because not all the wood has thoroughly become charcoal (if that makes sense).
If I use a different charcoal, I use small chunks from some of the local trees here
 
I can get lump and really tiny wood chips made for cold smoking from stores here in Japan. If I go with wood or pellets I'll have to order from Amazon or somewhere as they're not sold locally. Consensus seems like chunks is the way to go. Anyone try Mojobricks? https://mojobricks.com/
 
I like a good sized "chunk" of smoke wood in the WSM. 2x3x2 inches as an example.

Anything smaller and i have to use a pouch or box to contain them and I might even soak in H2O for a bit.

Some vendors definition of "chunk' ain't the same as mine. I have some Alder "chunks" that look like chips from an ax.

Your mileage and taste buds may vary.
 
Joe E. said:
For anyone who tried pellets, did you use a pellet tube or A-Mazing tray, or did you just sprinkle them around the coals? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Pellets are compressed sawdust, so scattering them on the coals would be a real short smoke.

The packs I bought from Larry Wolfe back in 08 suggested a foil pouch with a hole poked in the top ( you add more pouches as the smoke goes on) I tried that, but didn't like that the pouches were disintegrating on contact with hot coals so I made a smoker box out of an old spice tin with a hole on top..

Those Mojo bricks look like really big compressed sawdust so that might be the way to go.

Tim
 
Always charcoal and wood chunks in my WSM. Smoke tubes, pellets, or Mojobricks are things you add when you aren't getting enough smoke, and wood chunks give you plenty of smoke in the WSM.
 
When I started all I had available was bags of chips so I put them in foil packs. Once I got some limbs I've been cutting them into chunks and I like chunks better for the WSM. I have a pellet grill but I would not use pellets in the WSM because of cost and smoke output.
 
I use pellets that I have soaked in water, which breaks them up into a sandy kind of texture.

Then into a cast iron smoker box. Find them on Amazon under $10.

A trick is that you need to season the cast iron like a skillet so they don't rust and so they last.

Pellets can be bought easily for $1 a pound or less. Chunks tend to go for double to triple that when I see them... like $6 for a 2lb bag.
 
I only use chunks in my WSM. There's no need to soak them since you're not going to get much in the way of moisture into the wood by doing so.
 
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