PRGottfried
New member
Hello,
I've been using my Bullet for, I'm guessing, 15-20 years. I've always used Minion method with either Kingsford or whatever lump I could find at local suppliers. Recently I decided I wanted to try cooking with just hickory (I have a lot of kiln dried split logs). I have now done it two times in the past few months and really like the results, as do my wife and kids. The tough part is it has been really labor intensive...meaning I have to really watch the smoker and play with the airflow for some consistent temps. So I'm wondering if anybody here has experience cooking with only hickory (or any other wood for that matter)?
My last session involved me splitting some big pieces down and then cutting them into fist sizes chunks. I started the fire and when I thought I had it going really well, put the smoker together and put on the meat. With bottom vents open, the temp still dropped. I took off the door which let in more air causing flare ups and wild temp swings. And this was the status quo for the next few hours. But during this time, I disassembled the smoker, threw on more dried chunks, waited till they were coated with ash, and reassembled. I did have a little more success then with the temp holding where I wanted it. But I did have to keep the door open a bit. I should also add that I was trying out a Pit Boss IQ110, but removed it from the mix as I became frustrated with it. I'll play with that in the future to better understand it.
Anyway, because I saw a little success towards the end with a more stable temp, I'm wondering if I should start with a bigger base fire and then throw on a lot more unlit chunks? Sort of like Minion Method w/o the charcoal. I'd appreciate any advice and recommendations.
Oh, and the ribs and chicken I smoked came out just fine so the work was worth it!
Thanks,
Pete
Buffalo, NY
I've been using my Bullet for, I'm guessing, 15-20 years. I've always used Minion method with either Kingsford or whatever lump I could find at local suppliers. Recently I decided I wanted to try cooking with just hickory (I have a lot of kiln dried split logs). I have now done it two times in the past few months and really like the results, as do my wife and kids. The tough part is it has been really labor intensive...meaning I have to really watch the smoker and play with the airflow for some consistent temps. So I'm wondering if anybody here has experience cooking with only hickory (or any other wood for that matter)?
My last session involved me splitting some big pieces down and then cutting them into fist sizes chunks. I started the fire and when I thought I had it going really well, put the smoker together and put on the meat. With bottom vents open, the temp still dropped. I took off the door which let in more air causing flare ups and wild temp swings. And this was the status quo for the next few hours. But during this time, I disassembled the smoker, threw on more dried chunks, waited till they were coated with ash, and reassembled. I did have a little more success then with the temp holding where I wanted it. But I did have to keep the door open a bit. I should also add that I was trying out a Pit Boss IQ110, but removed it from the mix as I became frustrated with it. I'll play with that in the future to better understand it.
Anyway, because I saw a little success towards the end with a more stable temp, I'm wondering if I should start with a bigger base fire and then throw on a lot more unlit chunks? Sort of like Minion Method w/o the charcoal. I'd appreciate any advice and recommendations.
Oh, and the ribs and chicken I smoked came out just fine so the work was worth it!
Thanks,
Pete
Buffalo, NY