Stick Burner question

[Jason Robinson]

I have 2 smokers a Chargriller w/ sfb and a WSM, I am wanting to burn straight wood in the Chargriller do I need to modify it in any way to do this? I have read in other posts that I would need a way to burn the wood down before cooking with it is this true or can I just heat it on top of the firebox and then add it? All suggestions help will be appreciated!! Thanks

 

[Clark "Harbormaster" Hodgson]

You should be able to stick burn in that offset. The trick is to keep a small, but very hot, fire. You don't want to wind up with a pile of smoldering wood in the firebox. A small, hot fire will create the "sweet blue" that you want.
On my offset I'll start with a lump fire and add a piece of wood, then keep adding wood to keep temps up. There's a lot more work involved, as you'll need to tend the fire every 30-60 minutes. Pre-heating the wood is a good idea as it will catch fire faster.
No mods required to do it this way, but mods are helpful in keeping cook chamber temps even.
Anyone else feel free to chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.