How much wood to use?

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wwdragon

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Apr 5, 2013
86
12
Laval, Quebec, Canada
How much wood do you put on and do you soak them first? I ask cause last weekend when I did my first smoke I didn't have a nice blue smoke, I had bellows of smoke coming out of the vent on top.(Check out my first smoke post for qview) I tried dry chips and wet chips, nice smokey flavor but it was a bit too much smokey flavor.

Also around here I can only find wood chips not chunks which will burn longer. Normally in my BBQ and smokerbox I soak the chips for about 2 hours and they last a nice while giving off a thin stream of smoke from the holes in the box, However when I lay them on the lump coals, even before I close the door I can see a huge  bellow of smoke starting.Should I put dry/wet chips in foil and then place that on the coals?

Help?

Barry
 
Barry imo wood chunks is the way to go and i never soak them.    Does a charcoal ring come w/ that smoker?   Well seasoned wood chunks will produce less creosote.  You'll see lots of threads on here on the "Minion Method" and with that type of technique you put wood chunks in or around your unlit charcoal.   It'll take some trial and error but you'll get the hang of it.
 
I am using he minion method and it works like a charm, the trouble is here I can only get wood chips, not chunks, pretty much a little bigger then sawdust :(

As for where to place the coals, I have a pan with a grate about 1 inch on top to let the ash fall down. No vents on the bottom, I am tempted to mod it by drilling holes in the pan to allow for more air, I can always control the fire with the top vent I guess.
 
 
I am using he minion method and it works like a charm, the trouble is here I can only get wood chips, not chunks, pretty much a little bigger then sawdust :(

As for where to place the coals, I have a pan with a grate about 1 inch on top to let the ash fall down. No vents on the bottom, I am tempted to mod it by drilling holes in the pan to allow for more air, I can always control the fire with the top vent I guess.
 
Yea a bottom air vent might not be a bad mod to do.... You can order some wood chunks online can't you?  If not just chunk up your own from some well seasoned wood.   It doesn't take much to get a nice stream of smoke.  
 
Thank you for the reply, yup I can order online but I got company coming over this weekend and need a fast resolution lol will mod the bottom pan tomorrow, and order chunks for next time. As much as I have been goin on about smoking for the inlaws for years and I finally have a smoker, I don't want to mess anything up :)

Now if I can only get that TBS and not the OMG THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE look from the neighbours I will be fine :)

Barry
 
 
Update, sorry no pics I forgot my camera and took the smoker there, I smoked enough ribs for 10 people, there was no room left at all on the grates. The ribs came out amazing, at the end did a fast sear on the grill and wow. I am totally hooked.

Thank you for that link, I will check it out for sure.

Barry
 
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