Wood chip frequency

[Matthew Appler]

I am a brand new WSM owner (Merry Christmas to me!). I've been following this board for a few weeks now and I am currently in the process of cooking my first meats. (Beef ribs).

I have a question. How frequently should I add wood chips? I decided for time #1 to try the "weber" method of doing things. Next time I will try Minion I think. Currently, I am adding wood chips every time the smoke goes away, which is about once every 45 minutes - hour. Should it be more frequent, less frequent? The Weber manual and my other smoking books are silent on this issue.. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Thanks,
-Matto

 

[Jim Minion]

What I would do is make a bag out of foil, place a big handful in the bag and close it up. Punch a couple of wholes in the bag and put on the coals.
They will put out smoke for a longer period, I wouldn't add more when they are gone.
If you are seeing smoke the whole cook then the chances are you could be putting too much smoke on.
Jim