soaking wood chunks

[Matt in CT]

i'm assuming soaking wood chunks helps the wood burn a bit slower but does it help provide a bit more smoke??

when do you soak for your smoke??

 

[V_Rocco]

I'm not sure soaking wood chunks does any good at all. It seems to me, that they don't really absorb water.

 

[Bob Correll]

Here's what Chris has to say about soaking wood:
http://virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html#soak

 

[Matt in CT]

i'm finding i get good smoke for a relatively short time and that the wood burns down rather quick.
if you think about starting a campfire after a rainfall, the wood is a bit stubborn...

 

[Matt in CT]

Here's what Chris has to say about soaking wood:
http://virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html#soak

thanks for the link Bob, very informative, found this in there too...

Visible Smoke: How Much & For How Long?

When you fire-up the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker and add smoke wood to the hot coals, it's common to see an initial flush of white smoke that lasts for 30-60 minutes as the wood ignites. After that, the amount of smoke decreases to where very little is visible. It's at this point where many people wonder if the wood has been totally consumed and if they should add more.

You don't need to see smoke billowing out of the WSM throughout the entire cooking process to get good smoke flavor on the meat. If you open the smoker after the initial 30-60 minutes of strong visible smoke, you may be surprised to see much of the wood still there, burning slowly and doing its job.

My advice: Trust that adding 2-4 chunks of smoke wood at the beginning of a cooking session will give you all the smoke flavor your want in your meat, regardless of how much smoke is visible during the cooking process

 

[timothy]

I occasionally soak mine to get it back to the right moisture content, but I buy it on line and the moisture content is usually good for a year.

Tim

 

[Bill Farmer]

Here is a good read on amazing ribs: http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/zen_of_wood.html
and scroll down to myth 4 here: http://amazingribs.com/

 

[J Hasselberger]

Try this: take a decent-sized chunk of solid hardwood and put in underwater for a week ... or a month. Then saw it in half and see how much the water has penetrated (or not). You may be surprised (or not).

Jeff

 

[Kevin L (NKY)]

I never soak chucks I do soak chips as they can actually absorb some water, I use warm water or hot water also.

 

[Pat G]

I never soak chucks I do soak chips as they can actually absorb some water, I use warm water or hot water also.

Same here. I use chips more than I use chunks, the family doesn't care for the smokey stuff and the chips usually give me just enough to keep everyone happy.

 

[JFusaro]

Some boats are made of wood.

 

[Tim K]

Some boats are made of wood.

True, but that's an entirely different story all together as that wood has many coats of sealant applied to it.
Tim

 

[Brian Thomas]

I soak wood chips since it does slow down the burn time. I never bother with soaking chunks.

 

[Enrico Brandizzi]

Never, Matt. Never.
Read here for more info:

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_soaking_wood.html