Wood ?


 
J

Jason Robinson

New member
When I do whole shoulders on my CG I use hickory wood for the whole burn I was just wondering how this would work in the WSM and what kind of burn times I'm looking at..Thanks Jason

P.S.
I am tracking my wsm from amazon and it should be here Monday!!!!!!!
 
Not sure if you are saying you want to use only hickory (instead of charcoal) for the fuel, or if you want to use hickory only for the smoke wood. The former, I wouldn't recommend. The charcoal pan size, shape and flow system in the WSM really isn't that good of a set up for burning straight wood for the fuel source.

However, if you mean the latter - using hickory as your sole wood smoke flavor (and charcoal to power the sucker), then you'll be fine. It's what I use most of the time.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jason Robinson:
So it would be better to "NOT" use all wood for the burn? What about lump? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Now your talking. I use nothing but lump in the WSM.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jason Robinson:
I use Royal Oak is this ok in the wsm or should I look for something else? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
RO is a very good lump. It's very pricey here so i don't use it all that much.
 
Royal Oak lump is all I can get in Malta apart from easy light stuff (lump and briquette) which I do not trust. There is a local lump available but no idea what wood it is made from and when I have seen it burning on friends BBQ it looks as though it could have been produced from soft wood. Stick with your Royal Oak.
 
I would love to use lump only. I have used all the tricks that I can find here on this site for using lump. It just seems that lump never gives as long or consistent a smoke as briquettes. That is fine with me for short cooks such as ribs. For overnight cooks I won't use lump. I would suggest that you start out by using briquettes, and then move to lump after you have a good feeling for your WSM. Best of luck.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jason Robinson:
Anyone else having this trouble with lump?? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It depends mostly on the type of lump you are using.

Other factors include loading of the ring and how well you started the burn.

I've used Royal Oak, and its burn time had been 10-12 hours. B@B got me around 16 hours, Wicked Good and Picnic lump well over 20 hours on a single burn.

Easy to find brands like Cowboy are not much good for anything but light grilling.

First, find a lump that has density.

Secondly, load the ring carefully so as not to leave gaps between pieces.

Finally, do not reassemble the wsm until the lit lump has taken hold.

Reaction time to temps is much quicker than charcoal. Meaning a spike can happen quickly, but so will settling the temps down too.

Lump advantages?

Far less ashe ( I can go 2-3 cooks without too much buildup).

IMO, much better flavor.

Once you get the hang of it, better temp control.

Disadvantages?

Cost. Low density lump burns faster making it much more expensive than charcoal. However, quality lump is nearly as cost effective as charcoal.

My last burn was 16 hours with a third of a ring left. I used around 12 lbs of a 15 lb bag that cost 7.50.

Cost of the burn? About 5 bucks.

Availability.


Look for quality lump!!!!!!

Craig.
 
Admitted lump cheater!!!

If you have trouble with lump, most of the problems can be solved with my cheater method.

#1 Place one layer of Kingsford charcoal in the bottom of the charcoal ring.
#2 Load your favorite lump carefully and add the hardwood chunks.
#3 Do a Minion Method start using kingsford charcoal as the starter.

This is not a pure lump cook because of the bottom layer and starter of kingsford but it will give you the experience and then confidence to go all the way with lump. This method seems to solve the issue of even and complete burning.
Try it for a no hassle conversion to lump.
 
I use lump all the time and light it with a propane torch. As mentioned it's important that you get it packed in there touching each other so they can light off one another. Here's what i do and have done from day one. Put a 1/2 ring full of lump in and put one hand at 3 o clock the other at 9 and rock the bowl back and forth to get it to compact and settle in. Fill the rest of the way and repeat. Works great. I then fire the torch up and light 3 spots and off it goes.
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