are twigs ok for smoking?

[TulsaJeff]

Soaking vs. non-soaking is a matter of preference and/or necessity. I never soak the wood either, unless...

The wood starts burning and I don't want it to burn.

I HAVE to soak the wood in my electric Brinkmann else it starts fire and then I am no longer smoking low and slow but baking at about 350 degrees with a roaring fire in the bottom.

I suggest you try to smoke meat without soaking the wood but you may find in certain circumstances, like mine, that you absolutely have to.

The cool thing about this art that we call smoking meat is that there are NO rules.

A few of you need to spend more time helping and a little less time criticizing those who do it different than you do.

What is amazing is that most of you never have a bad word to say about anyone but then there is a small insignificant group who seem to always be involved anytime there is a conflict.

Sounds fishy to me.

Make it FUN or go do something else for crying out loud

 

[txbbqman]

Very Well Said, That's why you the boss

 

[smokeguy]

I'll use any sort of fruit twigs or branches around the yard as long as the tree didn't die from a disease.

With Rosemary, I've often wondered about that too, and I use it fresh in my water bowl thingy (technical term!) just to smell it, but when I cut the big twiggy stuff, it makes my scissors sort of sticky so I don't smoke with it in case it releases tars and sticks to the inside. Don't know if it will or not since I haven't done it, but...too late if I try it and I've guessed right.

Soaking- With my MES I always start out with dry since it starts smoking quicker. After that, I often mix dry and soaked and that way it prolongs the time I have to add more chunks to it since the soaked takes longer to dry and then smoke than the already dry chunks do.

 

[dave54]

What if you tried drying it on a gas grill or if it's small cut up twigs and branches in a bowl thrown in the microwave for about 5 minutes to dry them out some ? (When the wife is gone)

 

[tasunkawitko]

bingo! - that's the best advice i've seen regarding barbecue in a long time.

 

[travcoman45]

I've tried it both ways, soakin an not soakin. I don't soak my stuff, but if it works fer you that's what ya should do. Now, I've seen lots a ways ta smoke, it's what makes this a fantastic hobby (more then that to many) so try out different things. If ya try smokin yer chips an it don't work fer ya, well ya learned somethin. If ya try it an it works, guess what, ya just learned somethin that made yer food better.

So much we do here is a personal choice, some is grounded in necessary science (Safety ya know), but that which is personal choice should be yer choice cause it works fer you. Don't let somebody tell ya how ta smoke yer stuff if what yer doin makes a product ya like.

I'll share my ways with ya, if some of it works fer ya, great! If it dosen't, well ya might get an idear that will work for ya. Good luck, an keep tryin different things, it be what makes the craft great!

 

[nate_46]

The following statement is just an opinion, not to be construed as truth or an open admission of such. Please read for your entertainment value only. The view expressed is not shared by all parties involved nor the administration and mods of this web site.



"When I first started smoking I soaked my wood in everything from apple juice to salt water and I don't think it had any effect. I no longer soak my chunks cause the amount of liquid absorbed does not prolong my smoking time."

 

[azkitch]

A.)What Jeff said.
B.) What nate_46 said.
C.) I vote yes on rosemary. Too small, relatively, to cause a creosote problem. And I've seen it suggested in at least a couple three bbq books by the big boyz. My 10 cents worth. Cuz 10 cents now is worth about 2 cents from a couple decades back.