# Soaking wood is a NO NO



## cwalk

I learned this past weekend that soaking wood is a no no for me. I have never soaked my wood before but this past 4th of juyl weekend I parked my smoker at my n-laws, wood and everything, overnite so it'll be there that morning. So my dad n law decided to soak the wood in water. It took the TBS forever to get going and my ribs/butt/leg quaters didnt have a smoke flavor at all. Usually I can taste a good portion of smoke in my ribs but nooooooo not this time. It was the same batch of wood i have used all year so I was expecting hickory flavor, but all I got was bbq sauce flavor. So from experience, NO wood soaking for me.


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## caveman

Cwalk said:


> I learned this past weekend that soaking wood is a no no for me. I have never soaked my wood before but this past 4th of juyl weekend I parked my smoker at my n-laws, wood and everything, overnite so it'll be there that morning. So my dad n law decided to soak the wood in water. It took the TBS forever to get going and my ribs/butt/leg quaters didnt have a smoke flavor at all. Usually I can taste a good portion of smoke in my ribs but nooooooo not this time. It was the same batch of wood i have used all year so I was expecting hickory flavor, but all I got was bbq sauce flavor. So from experience, NO wood soaking for me.


I think your father-in-law was out to sabatage your excellent smoking skills.  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






   I saw a video on youtube that shows soaking wood has no real effect at all.  I don't bother with it.  Good luck next year.


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## chefrob

i soak mine and i always have tons of smoke flavor..........


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## caveman

I think everything you touch has flavor. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 


chefrob said:


> i soak mine and i always have tons of smoke flavor..........


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## cwalk

Ive heard of success stories with it but my smoker dont like it. I used up lots of wood that I normally wouldnt use. But thats ok im picking up some cherry first thing in the moring and hiding it from dad n law. Which reminds me, I need to get my smoker out his yard


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## chefrob

Caveman said:


> I think everything you touch has flavor.


thx..........and that's why i ain't no skin an bones, it can be a curse sometimes!


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## chefrob

Cwalk said:


> Ive heard of success stories with it but my *smoker dont like it. I used up lots of wood that I normally wouldnt use.* But thats ok im picking up some cherry first thing in the moring and hiding it from dad n law. Which reminds me, I need to get my smoker out his yard


after i posted i was thinking about the smoker in question. on my offset i have to soak my fst size chunks due to the heat. in my upright gasser/charcoal mod i don't.


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## caveman

Cwalk said:


> Ive heard of success stories with it but my smoker dont like it. I used up lots of wood that I normally wouldnt use. But thats ok im picking up some cherry first thing in the moring and hiding it from dad n law. Which reminds me, I need to get my smoker out his yard


Ha!  That's funny.  You left your rig in his back yard.  I bet he tried to use it too.

 


chefrob said:


> thx..........and that's why i ain't no skin an bones, it can be a curse sometimes!


Your welcome.  And it is a gift & a curse~~~~


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## chefrob

Caveman said:


> Your welcome.  And it is a gift & a curse~~~~


i ain't complainin'.........


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## cwalk

Ha, he did use it. We smoked on a saterday, we went by that sunday he had it going. He was using that water soaked wood. Good cause its no use to me anymore.


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## meateater

I always soak mine, that's how i get that sweet loving wood scent in my meat.


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## deltadude

I do both chips and mini chunks 1"x1" or 1" x 2", and have always soaked, and get plenty of smoke flavor.  Now I'm using the AMNS with saw dust, that I don't soak :)  I usually don't soak for more than 30 to 60 minutes.  I also put the chips and chunks in dry, and still get good flavor.  My main reason for soaking is to get a little longer burn time.


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## bluefrog

If you watch water soaked wood chips or chunks on the fire or in a smoke box, the water in them will boil for a while and once it has all boiled off the dryed out wood will begin to smoke.  No smoke until the water boils off.


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## tohearwell

Probably has a lot to do with the type of smoker you use. When I use my electric smoker, I never soak the wood. When I use my wood/charcoal smoker, I always soak the wood, because if I don't the wood burns too fast with very little smoke.


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## DanMcG

bluefrog said:


> If you watch water soaked wood chips or chunks on the fire or in a smoke box, the water in them will boil for a while and once it has all boiled off the dryed out wood will begin to smoke.  No smoke until the water boils off.


I don't soak. but that boiling water in the wood is adding heat and moister which is a good thing for most slow cooked meat.

To each his own I always say.


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## rdknb

I soak mine for 30 mins.   It works for me so I have not tried anything different


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## mballi3011

Now I used to soak my wood chips but one time I needed smoke pretty fast so I put some in dry and I haven't soaked any chips since. I just don't think that soaking does anything to the chips good or bad to the results of the smokey flavor.


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## mythmaster

RdKnB said:


> I soak mine for 30 mins.   It works for me so I have not tried anything different


Ditto with my MES (although I've tried not soaking at all and soaking longer).  Soaking chips for 30 mins seems to do the trick just right for me.


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## ak1

I've found no difference between soaked and not soaked.  Properly seasoned wood will not absorb any noticeable moisture during a 1 hr soak.


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## meateater

I soak chunks for 2 days, that makes the difference. If you weigh the chunks before and after you will notice the weight difference. The chunks will start to smoke within a minute or two for me. It works for me so I'm sticking to it.


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## dale5351

Sometimes when I soak the wood chips overnight, I notice that the water looks like weak tea.   I wonder if that is good flavor leeched out, or creosote making things leached out.


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## richoso1

dale5351 said:


> Sometimes when I soak the wood chips overnight, I notice that the water looks like weak tea.   I wonder if that is good flavor leeched out, or creosote making things leached out.


Several years ago when I used chips, I would try soaking and not soaking. I never noticed any difference in the smoke flavor when the Q was done.I even tried using the water I used for soaking, in the water pan. No difference to my palette.

Regarding creosote, maybe this will clearify things.

*Creosote* or pitch oil is the name used for a variety of products that include *wood creosote* and *coal tar creosote*. The word is also used to describe the black oily accretion that builds up inside of chimney flues as a result of incomplete burning of wood or coal. Commercially, wood creosote is created by high temperature treatment of beech and other woods, or from the resin of the creosote bush.


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## flash

Cwalk said:


> Ha, he did use it. We smoked on a saterday, we went by that sunday he had it going. He was using that water soaked wood. Good cause its no use to me anymore.


It does dry out, ya know.


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## ryanhoelzer

The reason for soaking is to keep the wood from flaring up and the heat spiking.  If you're using a stick burner it's designed to burn and keep the right temp range.  In many smaller smokers a flame will raise the temp 30*.  The MES has a chip tray and part of the design is to keep the chips from actually flaming.  In my CharBroil offset I put chunks above the charcoal and if the charcoal is hot enough and the vents are open dry chunks will flare up.

I would think you lose flavor by soaking too long, most things I've seen said 30 minutes.

Bottom line, it's not cut and dry, there are alot of things that determine whether you need to soak or not.


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## smokermark

I have used both soaked and non-soaked wood for smoking. My personal opinion is that wood chips are the best candidate for soaking.

The best results I've had infusing (wood chunks) with moisture is using a crock pot. I'll fold a sheet of tin foil and lay it into the bottom forming a shelf with about an inch wall.  I put about half inch or so water in the bottom. Then, I lay the wood chunks into the foil "dish" and turn it on low for four or five hours with just a little bit of water with them. I think you can loose some flavor (using this method) if the wood is laying in too much water. With a little bit of experimenting I've got it down to where there is no water left surrounding the chunks and the steam penetrates better than the soaking methods I've tried.

Some believe that soaking is benefitial while others don't believe it necessary at all. Foiling chunks is a good option but when doing that it seems to work better if they are somewhat loosely wraped with a considerable amount of holes punched and feeding your smoke at least a couple of times with wood.  When I've soaked I haven't noticed less flavor except once and I'm not sure why. It may just have been that particular wood batch not sure.


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## bigbountybbq

according to the great johnny trigg you should never soak..but sometimes I just cant help but try it ..this website gives some good info on whether or not it really makes a difference...http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/woods.html#soak


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## fourthwind

Ok my take on this is that it is a personal choice, and it depends on your smoker, and your methods.   I have played around with multiple style's keeping the meat, and other variables as consistant as I can.   Flavor wise it would be very difficult to tell the difference, I did however find there to be a slight difference in apprearance.  I consistantly get a better looking smoke ring, and better looking bark off of soaked wood chunks.   This mind you is on the Klose pit, and I wouldnt even bother unless I need the appearance points at a comp.   When running the masterbuilt I used a combo of dry and soaked to get a prolonged TBS.  When running a GOSM, I used all soaked to keep from getting flare ups.   So different smokers had different reasons behind whether I soaked or not.  In the latter two it's not for appearance, and in any of the cases not for flavor.  Don't let folks sell you on one way or another.  I don't care what his name is.  His method works for his smoker, his methods, and his taste buds.   Experiment and see what works for you.

As for creasote, that is created by wood that is not truly burning, but smoldering.  This is why you must be very careful about how much wood and smoke you are using in the electrics and gassers.


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## mokeriver99

I soak mine for two or three hours, sometimes over nite. My bud soaks his for three days, i've gotten flareup on dry but to each there owe'n ! Smoke on!!!!!!!!!!!


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## loosechangedru

I soak the chips, cause they last longer, but there's no need to soak chunks. So far as I can tell, that is. 
L


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## dreegle1

I find that I get better results soaking if I am using wood/charcoal, but with propane, I don't soak. I don't know why, I think it may be because that the propane has a more centralised heat source, and constant "hot spots", whereas wood/charcoal heat is distributed over a larger area. That is just my theory. I have also found that, when using propane, I get a longer smoke time if I fill the smokebox like a campfire i/e little twigs/sawdust at the bottom of the box, medium chips on top of them, with chunks on top of that...it aint no amns, but doing that makes smoke for about 6-8 hours...


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## geerock

Soaking only delays the smoking process.  Very little water is absorbed by wood.  Thats why they make boats out of it.  If you don't believe it, soak a chunk for a couple of days and then split it.  You will see very little water layer on the outside that will be cooked out in just a few minutes when it hits the heat.


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## hiroller173

If you have a vacuum sealer (e.g.Foodsaver) with a mason jar attachment, you can put your wood chips or chunks in a jar with water and vacuum seal it.  You can actually watch the air coming out of the chunks as the water displaces it.  Speeds up the process dramatically.


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## steve k

geerock said:


> Soaking only delays the smoking process.  Very little water is absorbed by wood.  That's why they make boats out of it.  If you don't believe it, soak a chunk for a couple of days and then split it.  You will see very little water layer on the outside that will be cooked out in just a few minutes when it hits the heat.




I agree completely. Also,  since dry smoking starts instantaneously, you start getting the meat to take the smoke right away, a key to getting the nice red smoke ring and the great color to sausages.  Meat will take smoke when it reaches about 90 degrees and stop taking it at 140 or so.  If you have wet chips, they won't start smoking until the water is gone.  Smoke is produced by burning wood.  Wet wood doesn't burn, ask any boy scout.  The key is to get the wood to produce smoke without flame.  All the people who are depriving their chips of the oxygen to burn quickly are on the right track.  You basically want the wood to "distill."  This releases the aromatic gasses without the carbon.  The carbon stays in the pan or the foil.  I think this method makes the best flavor and makes the food look more pleasing.  I enjoy a char broiled steak as much as anyone, but I'm not really looking for a char broiled flavor from smoking, and that's what you get when the chips are allowed to burn in the open air.


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## sprky

Interesting. I also do not soak my chips or chunks. I have tried it but saw no difference except longer to start getting smoke.


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## jason76

I'm new here and this happened to be the first thread that I checked out. So I figured I post something. I have tried both, soaking works GREAT for me. The one time I used dried wood the wood caught fire and shot my temp up way high. So no more dry wood.


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## frizzlefry

I have some wood that I've been soaking in rum for a week.  I'll dry it out and see if it gives a different flavor for smoking.


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## geerock

jason76 said:


> I'm new here and this happened to be the first thread that I checked out. So I figured I post something. I have tried both, soaking works GREAT for me. The one time I used dried wood the wood caught fire and shot my temp up way high. So no more dry wood.


Jason,

Back to what Steve K says.......... you are allowing too much oxygen to get to the fire.  Cut down the air intake (and oxygen) and they can't catch fire.  Kinda reminds me of my ex wife who used to cut into cucumbers and rub the ends together to "get the gas out".  Not a lick of practicality to it except she was convinced it worked.  And thats all that matters when it comes down to it.  If someone is convinced it gives them better smokes..............soak on!!


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## steve k

Frizzlefry said:


> I have some wood that I've been soaking in rum for a week.  I'll dry it out and see if it gives a different flavor for smoking.


Careful, there.  Alcohol fumes are flammable.  I used some Jack Daniels whiskey barrel chips once and had a big "poof!" when I opened the door and let O2 in.  I didn't like that, and thought it bordered on dangerous.


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## chef jimmyj

Soaking Wood in Rum sounds like a waste of Rum...I think I would mix up a Cuba Libre in a Sports Bottle, take a big gulp then squirt the Meat or hot metal, should get the flavor to the meat and leave more for your enjoyment...JJ


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## marc bodi

Hi,

    I use Cherry and Apple ,the stuff almost like sawdust.I soak it about 2 hrs before I start Smoking and just keep it soaking until I'm done.I add chips every 4 hrs until I'm Done.Some of my fish takes 32 hrs at 150 deg.


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## teesquare

Soaking is a waste of time. And as some good posts have pointed out SOME of the reasons:

1. The water does not penetrate into the wood more than about 1/4'', and then when placed in the heat - the moisture evaporates before it can do any good.

2. When you introduce any moisture this way - you risk adding black smudge to your meat, as you are moisturizing the smoke for the time that the moisture is being evaporated - not my idea of quality cooking.

3.If you reasoning is that it keep the wood from flaring up - you need to reduce the amount of air passing thru the fire chamber, and you should re-think where you are positioning your wood.


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## ice daddy

I never use seasoned or soaked wood.  Seasoned woods is dry, burns to hot and is hard to control and soaked just doesn't work for me on my stick smoker (Lang).  I always use what we call green wood, meaning the wood has not been cut down, split and allowed to dry out in a covered area for long period of time (seasoned).  I have some large Live Oak limbs that were cut in 4' lengths (4 months ago) that I cut into smaller lengths and split the day I start smoking.  I will start my wood box with seasoned wood to get the temps up and to build a coal bed, then feed the green wood to it as needed throughout the day.  I may be doing this all wrong, but I've been doing it this way for years and it has worked ok for me.   Thoughts?


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## alblancher

Ice Daddy

I guess most of us will disagree with you about using green wood.  You will need to run a hot enough fire that you don't have incomplete combustion and end up with a bunch of thick white smoke.

You can control the amount of heat generated by seasoned wood by just using less of it.  As far as I am concerned I'd rather have to watch the problems with heat control and maintain a nice clean thin blue smoke.  We can close the damper to reduce the amount of available O2 and control the fire

But I am a firm believer in doing what works for you so stay at it!


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## choctaw

[h1]*I never soak my wood, but I'm cooking with firewood size pieces, do however soak hickory nut husks when using them because of their strong flavor. *[/h1]


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## ice daddy

alblancher

Green may be the wrong way to discribe what I'm using.  Seasoned to me is older wood, a year or more stacked an dried.  To me it has lost its character and is mostly used for fireplaces to produce heat or atmosphere.  What I use is dry, still has a nice woody color to it that produces a great consistant smoke.  I usually cook around 210 an try to maintain that.  Smoke is not white, and at times can hardly be seen.  I'm guess I should do better in my discriptions.  Sorry


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## redclaymud

meateater said:


> I always soak mine, that's how i get that sweet loving wood scent in my meat.




They (the chips) do seem to last a few minutes longer in the MasterCraft if I presoak them . . . but only a few minutes.  Maybe it's because they stick together better and I can get more of them in.  Some of it may be in the form of steam, but it's steam with a bit of smoke to it.  Overall, I don't get concerned if I forget to soak my wood chips.  The step is not important enough to put on my check list.

I've tried wood chunks of equal size in my Weber, one soaked and one not.  I couldn't tell them apart a couple hours into the smoking.  Both were down about the same.  If anything, more white steam initially.

I'm looking for ideas to kitbash my MasterCraft so that I have a better intake of air toward the bottom.  I tried just using a big old thick 4 pronged fork and it worked for a bit before the pellets went out on last night's turkey.   I'm thinking something along the lines of the following photo, only using how many pipes are necessary and wedging them into the bottom of the door seal to suck in air.







Anyone have any solutions along these lines?  I've tried Todds method of cracking open the heat chamber door and pulling out the wood chip tray a half inch.    At best, the results are inconsistant.  Maybe two successful pellet burns out of the last 10.  I'm watching my pellets harder than I'm watching my smoker.


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## alblancher

No appology necesary Ice Daddy

What you are saying makes sense.  I look for the wood to have a ring to it and to have lost a considerable amount of weight.  I can honestly say that most of the wood I use has been drying for about 6 - 8 months.  I agree, anything to0 dry will just burn up


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## choctaw

[h1]*Have any of y'all tried persimmon or sassafrass? Our farm , like most places in the south is over run with persimmon trees, i've found them to have a fine flavor with pork , chicken, and beef when mixed with the right combinations of woods. Sassafrass has a sweet flavor to it and it don't take much but , just the right amount is a great compliment to the regular combination. And , like Ice Daddy said, aged wood is my favorite, i find greener woods to carry too much creosote and tar with em. *[/h1]


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## the butcher

I only ever get wood from these folks here http://www.fruitawoodchunks.com/. They say to not soak their wood at all because they cut it for you when you place your order. All the natural moisture and sugars are still present in the wood. It doesn't flare up, and the tiny bit of steam that evaporates into the smoker acts like a steam bath for the meat. If your using a water pan in your smoker I don't see how a little more steam would hurt. Now, if your using wood that's been on the shelf of the local Depot for who knows how long I would think that the majority of the moisture within that wood has evaporated by the time you buy it.

IMHO, everyone does things a little different than their neighbor and if we all smoked with the exact same smoker, using the exact same rubs and the exact same methods then how would we be able to call it our own?  Whatever works for you and your set-up is the right way to do it. I just find that we've only ever used wood that was not aged, or allowed to dry out, and our results have always been fantastic. Again, whatever works best for you is the best method for you.


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## teesquare

choctaw:

You are a lucky man to have some nice and more unusual wood resources readily available.

But - before the assumption that green wood = tar and creosote, please examine how much of it you are using on the fire. As an example - one of Mike Mills "secrects" is to throw a split or two of GREEN apple wood on the coals for a nice, sweet smoke without it being too much of the volatiles that are often thought of as "creosote" or "tar". That really should not be a problem if done in moderation.

As humans - we all tend to default to the "if a little is a good thing - a lot will be better" mentality. But, just as I am sure you know from tasting a lot of BBQ - it is the BALANCE of the input flavors and the balance of contributing factores that create the difference in "good" BBQ - vs "great".

Most of us can cook good BBQ. A few can cook great BBQ.  The difference might sound small - but the actual experience when you taste it is almost transcending. And - it is usually attributed to a number of small things - like the specific wood and age of that was chosen, temps, rate of air flow, etc.....

Best!

T

www.letstalkbbq.com


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## kows

I kinda agree,I mostly use large pieces of apple and hickory in my comp.rig.If I feel my wood is or appears to be real dry I will soak 50% of the wood.If the wood is to dry it seems to want to just catch on fire and that's not going to give you much smoke ether.But if you get your wood to wet your meat will cook out of that smoke range before your wood gets going.It a balance.


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## domapoi

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Soaking Wood in Rum sounds like a waste of Rum...I think I would mix up a Cuba Libre in a Sports Bottle, take a big gulp then squirt the Meat or hot metal, should get the flavor to the meat and leave more for your enjoyment...JJ




WASTE OF RUM!!!!! I would filter the rum back into a clean glass container and reuse it with some Dr. Pepper! Nothing like a good Rum and Pepper, mmmm! I wish bars would stock Dr. Pepper. Great to spray on ribs during smoking too! Anyway, I digress, *NEVER* waste the rum!


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## luv2eat

The only time I've ever soaked them was when using large chunks and placing them directly on coals while Q-ing.  Otherwise have always enjoyed success with dry so never changed up in the smoker.


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## gggander

I think it depends on the wood sizes, blocks or chips. I do find that I get longer lasting smoke from soaking my wood chips.

Would everyone agree that a fruit tree wood may be softer than let's say an oak .  Softer burns faster, so soaking may be an advantage. I always soak my fruit tree chips. I am working on modifying my propane vertical smoker by adding a side fire box so I can do the charcoal thing smoke. Then I will use chunks. I' will test at the time.

GG


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## bluto

I have an insulated big box propane smoker with 2 chip trays, I soak one trays worth of chunks.  The first tray starts smoking within 20 minutes and lasts about an hour, then by the time the water evaporates/burns off/dries, etc... on the wood in the second tray, they start smoking.  Doing it this way gives me fairly consistent smoke for up to 2.5 hours.


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## JckDanls 07

the butcher said:


> I only ever get wood from these folks here http://www.fruitawoodchunks.com/. They say to not soak their wood at all because they cut it for you when you place your order. All the natural moisture and sugars are still present in the wood. It doesn't flare up, and the tiny bit of steam that evaporates into the smoker acts like a steam bath for the meat. If your using a water pan in your smoker I don't see how a little more steam would hurt. Now, if your using wood that's been on the shelf of the local Depot for who knows how long I would think that the majority of the moisture within that wood has evaporated by the time you buy it.
> IMHO, everyone does things a little different than their neighbor and if we all smoked with the exact same smoker, using the exact same rubs and the exact same methods then how would we be able to call it our own?  Whatever works for you and your set-up is the right way to do it. I just find that we've only ever used wood that was not aged, or allowed to dry out, and our results have always been fantastic. Again, whatever works best for you is the best method for you.


I'm liking the sounds of this site for wood...  Anybody else ever try them ?


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## bigfatdaddys

Never soaked but not opposed to.....usually have to grill in a hurry so it's wood dry hardwood all the way.

Wayne


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## yackey

I soak mine in beer {ginus) and coffee. one can to 12 cups works real good.  I do let the wood drain so it is just damp


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## stlbassman

Marc Bodi said:


> Hi,
> 
> I use Cherry and Apple ,the stuff almost like sawdust.I soak it about 2 hrs before I start Smoking and just keep it soaking until I'm done.I add chips every 4 hrs until I'm Done.Some of my fish takes 32 hrs at 150 deg.


32 hours or 3.2 hours?  

Here's my wood setup...   24/7 soak bucket thingy... underneath the bigs chunks of apple wood are small pecan chunks... 
	

		
			
		

		
	







I soak my "gourmet" chips 30-60mins and mix with pecan chunks... I add more chunks as needed during the smoke. 






	

		
			
		

		
	
I


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## redclaymud

Well spoken.  Thank you.
 


teesquare said:


> choctaw:
> 
> You are a lucky man to have some nice and more unusual wood resources readily available.
> 
> But - before the assumption that green wood = tar and creosote, please examine how much of it you are using on the fire. As an example - one of Mike Mills "secrects" is to throw a split or two of GREEN apple wood on the coals for a nice, sweet smoke without it being too much of the volatiles that are often thought of as "creosote" or "tar". That really should not be a problem if done in moderation.
> 
> As humans - we all tend to default to the "if a little is a good thing - a lot will be better" mentality. But, just as I am sure you know from tasting a lot of BBQ - it is the BALANCE of the input flavors and the balance of contributing factores that create the difference in "good" BBQ - vs "great".
> 
> Most of us can cook good BBQ. A few can cook great BBQ.  The difference might sound small - but the actual experience when you taste it is almost transcending. And - it is usually attributed to a number of small things - like the specific wood and age of that was chosen, temps, rate of air flow, etc.....
> 
> Best!
> 
> T
> 
> www.letstalkbbq.com


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## redclaymud

Bluto said:


> I have an insulated big box propane smoker with 2 chip trays, I soak one trays worth of chunks.  The first tray starts smoking within 20 minutes and lasts about an hour, then by the time the water evaporates/burns off/dries, etc... on the wood in the second tray, they start smoking.  Doing it this way gives me fairly consistent smoke for up to 2.5 hours.


Bluto tells it best so far.  Dry wood smokes almost immediately.  Wet wood smokes later.  What you get from wet wood initially is a steam burn off and a later smoke.  Seems reasonable.  .


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## meyer

Use an electronic kitchen scale to weigh the wood before and after soaking, you will see that is is absorbing a very very little amount of water, - no soaking for me.


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## teesquare

Thanks redclaymud!

Just one more thought-

All "wet wood" is not created equal. By that - I mean that green wood ( again, I believe that it can be an ally or an aggravation if you do not understand HOW to use it
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






) has moisture distributed throughout, and wood that was dry ( aged, seasoned or cured...whatever term you prefer to use) cannot physically re-adsorb moisture at the cellular level that green wood has in it. We can soak all we want - but on average - with chunks, you MAY get up to 1/4'' of penetration.

This may be why so many here have different opinions of what is better.... The tendency by some may be to lump wet wood all together with green wood.

T


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## weaponx88

Yeah....I found myself that soaking my wood gave me no benefits as well. I just didn't see any difference in soaked v/s non smoked other that the soaked taking longer to produce a smoke..


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## garyt

geerock said:


> Soaking only delays the smoking process.  Very little water is absorbed by wood.  Thats why they make boats out of it.  If you don't believe it, soak a chunk for a couple of days and then split it.  You will see very little water layer on the outside that will be cooked out in just a few minutes when it hits the heat.




I agree completely,  This keeps coming up like which thermopen color is the fastest, by the way the orange one is the fastest


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## ed in jax

Still a rookie with smoking, but I have done it using soaked and non soaked during the cooking process and did not see any difference.  The soaked chunks that were soaked did start smoking right away, as for their burn time, I have to say they may have lasted a bit longer.


----------



## hurriken

I soak chips but not chunks.


----------



## csparker

When I first bought my MES I followed the directions in the manual, and soaked the chips.  I never got great flavor from anything...it was just flat.  In fact, that's what led me to the forum.  I was trying to find out why.  Someone suggested not smoking the wood chips, and I tried it.  Wow!  That made the difference.  Finally, great flavor!   I also found a suggestion about crushing a single charcoal lump into the chip pan with wood chips, and that worked out really well.  Eventually I bought an AMZPS so now I have many viable options, none of which involve soaking.  I guess I can't imagine that a side by side test between soaked chips and dry ones could yield the same results.  For me the difference was dramatic. 

I agree btw, the orange Thermapen is indeed the fastest!


----------



## blowingsmoke

Iv been using a side box smoker for a loooong time and the best cooking n smoke methodI found  is to use a bed of lump charcoal fire hot, and then feed it dry wood logs as needed i used to smoke wood using chips but thats a waste of time i only use chunks or split logs now it works for me .I say soak the meat not the wood


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## james parker

Well, I am a Newbie as far as this forum is concerned, but I have been grillin' and smokin' for a while now.  I have always soaked the chips because I didn't want them to burn up too quickly.  I have learned some things from reading this line of discussion on soaking or no soaking.  I am going to try some dry chunks and a peice of crushed charcoal in my wood box.  I have an upright BBQ Gear smoker I bought at Lowe's a few years ago.  It is propane and the biggest problem I have is controlling the heat.  It has a tendency to get too hot.  I can't leave it alone too long or it will creep on up to around 300 F.  I generally smoke my ribs and butts about 5-6 hrs, so it isn't much of a problem to check on the temp every hour or so.  I try to keep the smoke going for at least half of my cooking time and it works out pretty good most of the time.  I really appreciate all the input from you more seasoned smokers and I hope to become as good at it as y'all are.


----------



## csparker

James Parker said:


> Well, I am a Newbie as far as this forum is concerned, but I have been grillin' and smokin' for a while now.  I have always soaked the chips because I didn't want them to burn up too quickly.  I have learned some things from reading this line of discussion on soaking or no soaking.  I am going to try some dry chunks and a peice of crushed charcoal in my wood box.  I have an upright BBQ Gear smoker I bought at Lowe's a few years ago.  It is propane and the biggest problem I have is controlling the heat.  It has a tendency to get too hot.  I can't leave it alone too long or it will creep on up to around 300 F.  I generally smoke my ribs and butts about 5-6 hrs, so it isn't much of a problem to check on the temp every hour or so.  I try to keep the smoke going for at least half of my cooking time and it works out pretty good most of the time.  I really appreciate all the input from you more seasoned smokers and I hope to become as good at it as y'all are.


Great, can't wait to hear how the experiment goes!


----------



## steve k

I think you're going to find your smoking times going up, but your results getting better.  Personally, I can't do ribs or butts in less than 9 -12 hours, which means I do them overnight. I use an electric smoker from Cabelas. Dry chips or chunks in an O2 free, perforated container will produce smoke anywhere over 130 degrees, so you don't need to have that chip box too near the flame.  With a propane smoker, I imagine a chip box on a rack a couple of inches above the flame would do the trick.  I think 300 F is way to high to smoke.


----------



## flash

Steve K said:


> I think you're going to find your smoking times going up, but your results getting better.  Personally, I can't do ribs or butts in less than 9 -12 hours, which means I do them overnight. I use an electric smoker from Cabelas. Dry chips or chunks in an O2 free, perforated container will produce smoke anywhere over 130 degrees, so you don't need to have that chip box too near the flame.  With a propane smoker, I imagine a chip box on a rack a couple of inches above the flame would do the trick.  I think 300 F is way to high to smoke.




 300º is too high, unless doing chicken. Might want to find out what PSI that regulator is. I had the reverse problem, heat too low. Found me an adjustable one to 10 psi. I can now reach up to almost 350º.


----------



## brisket master

I HAVE GOOD LUCK SOAKING WOOD CHUNS FOR AT LEAST 24 HRS THEN WITHIN THE FIRST 30 MIN OF SMOKING THE MEAT I WILL ADD A FEW CHUNKS NOT SOAKED IT HAS GAVE ME THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS   SOAKED AND NOT SOAKED


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## redclaymud

My comment was: 

Bluto tells it best so far.  Dry wood smokes almost immediately.  Wet wood smokes later.  What you get from wet wood initially is a steam burn off and a later smoke.  Seems reasonable.  .
 


teesquare said:


> Thanks redclaymud!
> 
> Just one more thought-
> 
> All "wet wood" is not created equal. By that - I mean that green wood ( again, I believe that it can be an ally or an aggravation if you do not understand HOW to use it
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ) has moisture distributed throughout, and wood that was dry ( aged, seasoned or cured...whatever term you prefer to use) cannot physically re-adsorb moisture at the cellular level that green wood has in it. We can soak all we want - but on average - with chunks, you MAY get up to 1/4'' of penetration.
> 
> This may be why so many here have different opinions of what is better.... The tendency by some may be to lump wet wood all together with green wood.
> 
> T


My experience with wet wood is in aged firewood that has sat outside a couple years under the weather or salvaged logs from the river that are deeply wet but will burn once dried enough.  Try tossing a wet log of either of these into a fireplace and it will smolder and produce smoke but it will not burn. 

One of the benefits of living alongside a mountain river, besides increased flood insurance, is the abundance of trees that flow down during the rainy season.  Once the flood waters go down to rock level again, my son and I snag a few of the smaller trees and pull them ashore to dry.   Toward dry season/mid summer I'm usually out there ankle deep and cutting off parts of the larger trees that remain.  I've never had to purchase firewood in the 10 years I've lived in this house.  Mother nature delivers it almost to my door.

Anyway, as far as soaked wood chips goes,  to totally get the wood wet enough requires more than a few hours.  I'm thinking, more like a few weeks, and who wants that stagnant pot sitting on their patio that long without changing the water daily?

I believe we can all agree soaking wood chips is optional and if it does show a benefit in the smoke, the improvement is slight. 

_I'm still of the belief that dry wood smokes almost immediately.  Wet wood smokes later.  What you get from wet wood initially is a steam burn off and a later smoke.  Seems reasonable.  ._


----------



## james parker

Oh, I know that 300 is way too high to smoke.  I was just saying that my smoker would creep up that high if I didn't watch it.  I like to try to keep it around 225.  How does one go about checking the psi on the regulator.  My wood tray is not more than 2 inches above the burner.  Do I need to try to raise it up?


----------



## bluto

Try installling an in-line needle valve or replace your entire propane line with one of these:  http://tinyurl.com/6verzue
It will give you much more control of your temps.


----------



## outashellsagain

i say soaking chips only slows the smoke,i have tried both ways myself and see no noticable results.use a good heavyduty smokepan wether its chunks or chips and you should be good.


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## billy boy

I wonder is it because of the lower temperatures in the smoker?  I know that there seems to be alot of places that say to soak the wood before placing in the BBQ.  I know that the unsoaked wood in the smoker box on the BBQ smokes and then ignites burning off.


----------



## backsmokin

With my old homemade smoke I never soaked the wood. Generally used wood chunks, built up a small coal bed and added to the edges. When things started to flame, I'd just damp it down. I've tried using a smoker box with the gas grill and the only difference between soaking and not soaking was the amount of time it took before the wood ignited. Steam (not smoke) until the wood dried then flame. After that I used foil packets and fine pin holes. Soaked I got steam then smoke, dry I got smoke. Best results ended up being with a dry chunk wrapped in foil with six or so stabs with the point of a knife. Decent smoke, if it flared a spray water bottle took care of it.

With the new electric smoker, directions said soak so I have. Still get steam until the chips dry, then I get the smoke so I'm going to quit soaking and be able to place the dry chips around the element better. If I need moisture, there are better ways to add it.


----------



## smokerator

My homemade electra-smoker doent like soaked wood either,I get better results using it dry


----------



## smoker dude

This case boils down to a case of Wet's v. Dry's just like the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act. As we all learned there is no cut and dried solution. Pun intended.

I have been smoking on a basic Brinkmann "Smoke n Grill" for 30+ years and am still learning every day so what follows are methods based on the observations accumulated over that time. This is not Gospel!

My main goal is to infuse whatever I am smoking w/ the flavor of the wood which is best imparted by producing as much smoke as possible. I also need to regulate the temp. of the smoker, generally adhering to the ideal of Low and Slow. Soaking wood sticks approx. 4"x1" in water in (4) 18 gal. Rubbermaid containers for as long as possible (min. 2 weeks) and changed out regularly makes this possible. The initial hot temp of the coal bed is moderated by the soaked wood. For long smoke projects (over 5 hrs) temps will decline but can be corrected w/ the addition of dry wood along w/ a few briquets so for my purpose a COMBINATION of wet and dry wood meets my goal . Flare-ups are controlled by the addition of soaked wood.

My observations indicate that even the most waterlogged sticks I use produce smoke (not just steam) within 5 min. of placement on the coal bed.

Soaked wood imparts at least as much smoke flavor as dry. I'm no chemistry major but I'm pretty sure smoke is that part of the wood emitted due to a failure to reach a temperature sufficient to achieve a flame so the more smoke the more smokey flavor.

Soaking wood in anything other than water to achieve the infusion of another flavor beside the wood is inefficient. If you want, say, a hint of lager flavor utilize the juice pan and allow the smoke and steam to mix and caress the object of your smoking affection. Lager is best consumed orally as is vodka, bourbon etc. My juice pan contains water and sliced pieces of fruit (apples,oranges, pineapples etc.) so I am smoking and steaming w/ what amounts to a fruit stew. Does it make a difference? Your guess is as good as mine. Will it make it taste horrible? I doubt it and it might help so what the heck! To help you think about it drink some vodka or other beverage of your choice.

If you smoke on a regular basis cultivate a relationship w/ somebody who cuts down trees who will then deliver smoking wood to you and repay that person with samples of your handiwork. I cannot remember the last time I paid cash money for smoking wood.

Remember....any day spent with your smoker is a good day!

If you ever have a chance go to Lexington Ky. and check out the smoke house Henry Clay built on his estate (Ashland). Lucky S.O.B.


----------



## blowingsmoke

It really depends on the cooker / smoker you are using and the end result you are trying to achieve I use LUMP hardwood charcoal to smoke some times and sometimes I use a combo of lump and wood Iv been cooking on the same smoker for 15 years and still learning ,if you want an easy way to do this ,I dont think you will find it no matter what you cook on or with its an art to get it done right and watching that cooker is part of it ,a remote temp gauge is a good tool to have .Ihave never used a propane smoker or an electric one so I cant give an opinion about them and soaking your wood is merely delaying the smoke effect also most of your pro bbqers dont soak the wood before using it .


----------



## shamong9

I like to soak the wood and mix with some dry wood and place it in the feeder. I have been using this method  for over two years. By the time the dry wood is used up the soaked wood is just coming on. I use an electric smoker MES30. I hope this may be of  help some one.


----------



## sflcowboy78

It depends what I am doing with the wood as to if I soak it or not. When grilling over high heat and I want a little bit of smoke flavor I will soak my chips. When smoking meats I use dry chunks or whole logs. I control my temps and burn times by adjusting the air flow to the fire box. I have also learned over the years that you will find what works best for you, so if your BBQ tastes good to you then you must be doing something right.


----------



## choctaw

*Sounds like you got the right combination Ice. I have dry wood or old wood that is not suitable for flavoring with, I use this for starting fires and building coals. Most of my wood is not fresh cut from a standing tree, but i do leave it in logs that my tractor can handle and cut off them at cooking time, it,s not green but not dry either. My cherry takes some curing time because it is so rich in sap and is overwhelming if not aged a bit. *


----------



## oilrobb

Thats right...charcoal I soak my chip and electric i just put them in the pan


----------



## redclaymud

MasterCraft recommends "pre-soak wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes. - Applies to models 20070211 and 20070311 ONLY", so it doesn't apply to most units. 

I think what we have learned in this discussion is there is a preference that many smokers swear by and it's nothing more than a preference and just a single step in their total BBQ process..  Something that might get someone a half point over the edge in a state competition where every minute attention to detail counts, or something they feel makes their bbq offering a bit tastier.   

Be the wood soaked or dry, the smoke will come when it's ready to come.  Moisture will steam before wood begins to smoke.  Elvis is not dead but living in retirement in Canada.  His impersonators are true body clones that he commissioned from his own DNA.  I only know this because I dated his wife in a previous life.

Wet or dry seems like a win/no win argument.  It's all a mater of preference and a step in the process.  Nothing more and nothing less.

Thanks for listening,

Ron


----------



## billy boy

18th Amendment and the Volstead Act?  For the slightly under educated could you have used a hyper link?   LOL


----------



## redclaymud

Try this:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volstead_Act

Neither the Volstead Act or the 18th Amendment were good for home BBQing since they basically delayed the development of the BBQers favorite accessory, the red plastic cup.  I can't imagine sitting back and relaxing while the blue smoke rises without my faithful red cup, half filled with some manner of refreshment.

It says, "Here's to a job well done."  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	




 


Billy Boy said:


> 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act?  For the slightly under educated could you have used a hyper link?   LOL


----------



## drift0714

Well after reading all the posts on this page it seems that its about split about fifty fifty. I wonder if local humidity has anything to do with it? we are in he high desert with only six percent humidity so I tend to soak my chips most of the time for that added moisture. Any thoughts on this?


----------



## hiroller173

“Modernist Cuisine” suggests that ‘cuers in the Southwest do their business in the evenings or at night, as low humidity during the day is detrimental to the development of the pellicle – the surface layer of the meat that absorbs the smoke flavor.  Abundant humidity is an important component of smoking quality.  70-80% inside the smoker is ideal.

Also, according to the authors, the best temperature for smoking wood is 750F.  They state that lower temperatures generate acids and acrid flavors and aromas.  At 750F, you have to be careful not to let the wood burst into flame.  It’s not quite as simple as it sounds, because choking the heat by reducing the airflow will reduce the generation of desirable aromatics such as vanillin and enrich the carcinogens.  As they put it, “Just as there is an art to controlling the heat of a grill, it takes special skill to manage  smoldering fire so that it produces the most fragrant and healthful smoke.”

BTW, they’re definitely on the side of not soaking the wood, as the reduced temperatures of wet (including green) wood lowers the temperature below optimal.


----------



## sflcowboy78

hiroller173 said:


> the best temperature for smoking wood is 750F.


I am assuming that they are measuring the temps of the embers and not the cooking chamber. I just hope other people can assume the same thing otherwise I think we will see a lot of hockey pucks. Lol just saying.


----------



## redclaymud

hiroller173 said:


> “Modernist Cuisine” suggests that ‘cuers in the Southwest do their business in the evenings or at night, as low humidity during the day is detrimental to the development of the pellicle – the surface layer of the meat that absorbs the smoke flavor.  Abundant humidity is an important component of smoking quality.  70-80% inside the smoker is ideal.
> 
> Also, according to the authors, the best temperature for smoking wood is 750F.  They state that lower temperatures generate acids and acrid flavors and aromas.  At 750F, you have to be careful not to let the wood burst into flame.  It’s not quite as simple as it sounds, because choking the heat by reducing the airflow will reduce the generation of desirable aromatics such as vanillin and enrich the carcinogens.  As they put it, “Just as there is an art to controlling the heat of a grill, it takes special skill to manage  smoldering fire so that it produces the most fragrant and healthful smoke.”
> 
> BTW, they’re definitely on the side of not soaking the wood, as the reduced temperatures of wet (including green) wood lowers the temperature below optimal.


Now that's another county heard from.  Where have you been hiroller173?  Just when we think we are ending this conversation you throw another log in the fire.


----------



## smoker dude

Forgive me for the 18th amendment and Volstead act mention w/o including any explanation. I confess that I do not know what a hyper link is or how to post one. I thought my references to booze and wets v drys were sufficient inferences to identify the amendment and act referenced. A previous reply talked about liquid refreshment which inspired the Prohibition theme along with those who favor soaking (wets) and those who dp not (drys) which were the descriptions used to identify the opposing sides in that debate. Yet another attempt at humor falls flat!

Speaking of liquid refreshment, a hard and fast rule I have imposed on myself is to refrain from adult beverage consumption until the end of the smoke session is near, say 3-4 hours prior to breaking down the smoker. And until the session is over the consumption must be at moderate levels. Once everything is put away however, give me 2 red cups!  Most of what I smoke is consumed by others and I feel I owe them my full, sober attention.


----------



## teesquare

Backsmokin....

Well said - logical, an even scientific approach.....Well done! I cook by the philosophy of adding moisture to the meat in a number of different ways - but I do not like to use artifically wet wood. It isn't just steam - it is wet soot that collects on the meat. Not good.

T


----------



## teesquare

Smoker Dude said:


> Forgive me for the 18th amendment and Volstead act mention w/o including any explanation. I confess that I do not know what a hyper link is or how to post one. I thought my references to booze and wets v drys were sufficient inferences to identify the amendment and act referenced. A previous reply talked about liquid refreshment which inspired the Prohibition theme along with those who favor soaking (wets) and those who dp not (drys) which were the descriptions used to identify the opposing sides in that debate. Yet another attempt at humor falls flat!
> 
> Speaking of liquid refreshment, a hard and fast rule I have imposed on myself is to refrain from adult beverage consumption until the end of the smoke session is near, say 3-4 hours prior to breaking down the smoker. And until the session is over the consumption must be at moderate levels. Once everything is put away however, give me 2 red cups!  Most of what I smoke is consumed by others and I feel I owe them my full, sober attention.


Ummmm.... o.k..........................Are we talkin' BBQ - or a 12 step program in  progress?


----------



## redclaymud

I'm done.  I'm convinced that either way is just another process in the creation of great bbq.  Neither is more right than the other is wrong, since it is a process we are allowed to disagree on and either way gets great results..

I've just fired up my smoker and started a chuckie.  Same way I did my last except no Q-View.  The only difference, this time I mustarded the beast, added rub, and then drizzled mustard and ketchup over the drapped fat.  Pretty to look at raw and I'm figuring all the mustard and ketchup flavors will be totally out of there come serving time.

Wooo whee.  I ran out of wood chips so I did a double dose of Todds amazing pellets, both in his tray and the wood chip tray.  Bad move.  People were stopping their vehicles outside my house to see if it was on fire.  Those pellets were asmokin and I have never had so much smoke coming out our the MES!   Looking through the glass door (which I just cleaned yesterday) you could see the smoke just wooshing around like a cyclone and the dang meat wasn't in there yet.. 

The strangest thing.  When I opened to door to insert the meat the fire went woosh and put itself out.  Now I'm not getting any smoke at all..  I just added more of Todds pellets to the wood chip tray.  We'll see if the smoke returns . . . and it is..  I did my standard low-tech adjustment and inserted a fork in the lower door to allow enough oxygen for the pellets to burn.

Ah, yes.  Much more manageable right now.  Todds tray came back to life and the chip tray with Todds pellets is producing a great smoke.   I don't think this is the recommended procedure.  I'm only using the chip tray with the pellets because I'm out of wood chips.  I'm getting a very good smoke the first hour.


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## alelover

Thought this to be interesting.
[h3]The Combustion Process of Burning Wood[/h3]
Wood heats up to approximately _212 [sup]o[/sup]F (100[sup] o[/sup]C)_ evaporating the moisture in it. There is no heating from the wood at this point
Wood solids starts to break down converting the fuel gases (_near 575 [sup]o[/sup]F, 300 [sup]o[/sup]C_)
From _575 [sup]o[/sup]F to 1100 [sup]o[/sup]F_ (_300 - 600[sup] o[/sup]C _) the main energy in the wood is released when fuel vapors containing _40% to 60% _of the energy burn
After burning fuel vapors and evaporated the moisture, only charcoal remains burning at temperatures higher than 1100[sup]o[/sup] F
From http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d_372.html

This interesting too.

http://www.heartheat.com/flameworksOLD/index_WoodComb.htm


----------



## choctaw

*This is a lot like talking religion: everyone has their own interpretation of what it all means. The same cook can move from one grill to another and his whole strategy changes. I have my old reliable "big trailer smoker" and am building a new trailer unit. They are like day and night as far as wood goes. Basically the same design but one likes damp wood , the other doesn't care. The big unit will burn a wet mule if that's what you have to fuel it with. The new unit does best with drier woods. Then again, it depends on whether you are cooking long and slow or toasting buns. Just keep the fire burning and you will find your happy spot. *


----------



## redclaymud

Thankfully, we're only blowing smoke and not burning heretics.  It would be just my luck to get one full of piss and vinegar and he would stall at 160 for eternity.
 


choctaw said:


> *This is a lot like talking religion: everyone has their own interpretation of what it all means. The same cook can move from one grill to another and his whole strategy changes. I have my old reliable "big trailer smoker" and am building a new trailer unit. They are like day and night as far as wood goes. Basically the same design but one likes damp wood , the other doesn't care. The big unit will burn a wet mule if that's what you have to fuel it with. The new unit does best with drier woods. Then again, it depends on whether you are cooking long and slow or toasting buns. Just keep the fire burning and you will find your happy spot. *


----------



## smokin marty

I also soaked some sawdust in rum. It smelled nice while cooking, but didn't really make much difference to the taste of the meat, the overriding taste was the wood smoke. They sell Jack Daniels Soaked Pellets here, It has a bourbony smell, but didn't seem to translate into the meat. Still tasted good tho. I think i am gunna stick to drinking the rum while i watch it smoke.


----------



## steve k

alelover said:


> Thought this to be interesting.
> [h3]The Combustion Process of Burning Wood[/h3]
> Wood heats up to approximately _212 [sup]o[/sup]F (100[sup] o[/sup]C)_ evaporating the moisture in it. There is no heating from the wood at this point
> Wood solids starts to break down converting the fuel gases (_near 575 [sup]o[/sup]F, 300 [sup]o[/sup]C_)
> From _575 [sup]o[/sup]F to 1100 [sup]o[/sup]F_ (_300 - 600[sup] o[/sup]C _) the main energy in the wood is released when fuel vapors containing _40% to 60% _of the energy burn
> After burning fuel vapors and evaporated the moisture, only charcoal remains burning at temperatures higher than 1100[sup]o[/sup] F
> From http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-combustion-heat-d_372.html
> 
> This interesting too.
> 
> http://www.heartheat.com/flameworksOLD/index_WoodComb.htm




Cool.  I love people who possess this kind of knowledge.  From this process, I can see that my process involves not getting the wood temperature to the point where the remaining charcoal (carbon) burns, and keeping O2 out of the chips retards the complete combustion of the wood.  I am always left with black charcoal, rather than white, powdery ash.  That's when I know my keilbasa or what ever I'm smoking will taste and look the best. In my mind, soaking the chips just retards the process and makes the color of the meat less pleasing or professional looking.  I do not know of any professional sausage makers who soak their chips, and, after trying both over the years, it does matter. Done properly, dry chips in a closed container with only holes  to let the smoke out and no O2 in,  gives me better flavor and color.


----------



## ncyedneck

Well I am new and wanting to learn more about this. It makes sence to me that soaked chips or wood would in deed create a better smoke flavor. The dry wood can make fast smoke but burn up alot quicker.I want smoke to last longer so I think I will start out and try to soaked wood first.  But that does not mean it will be the right move. But ready to learn.


----------



## inkjunkie

On our BGE we use chunks. As long as the rest of the wood is just smoldering and I have the absolute minimum air flow the chunks don't flare if dry. If I put the chunks in wet, soaked over night or longer, it takes quite a while for them to smoke. I have always thought that if you want a smokey fire you limit the air flow, not use wet wood...


----------



## bbqdiguana118

When I started grilling Weber instructed to soak wood chips or chunks min 30 min if using for indirect cooking. I found this works if you are using them over charcoal and placing them over the hot coals.

I have recently found when using the snake method of charcoal in my weber that if I place a few dry chunks over the unlit coals as the snake progresses the chunks smoke quite nicely. I've done more than a few pork butts with good results.

However I've found that with the chips all of which were purchased at the local home center to need a soak or they burn up over a few minutes with hot coals. The chunks didn't seem to matter unless they were on the small size. I usually have some of the chunk left over as hardwood charcoal for the next time as well.

Cheers,

    Chris


----------



## mcgyverism

I got my smoker going for the fist time on Sunday.  I had just built my smoker the last few months.

I got the FB going with some Maple I have, then added some oak.  When it got up to temperature, I added some Cherry logs.

The smell of the Cherry burning smelled just like my Dad smoking a pipe with Cherry tobacco years ago.  Brought back memories.

I did not soak any of my wood, but used the damper to cut the airflow, which smoldered the fire, producing lots of smoke.

I originally thought I would have a problem with not having enough smoke, because when I built my smoker, I cut the chimney hole to seen, and didn't have room to insert the chimney pipe down to the lower grate in the smoker.

It doesn't matter if your chimney is welded at the top, or inserted all the way to the bottom of your smoker.

I had tons of smoke pouring out my chimney.  Looked like a locomotive all day, and I smoked 2 Boston Butts.

Had 20 pounds of meat going for 10-11 hours, then 1.5 hours to cool down to pull.

This picture is 6 am, just getting going.













IMAG0761.jpg



__ mcgyverism
__ Jan 19, 2015


















IMAG0763.jpg



__ mcgyverism
__ Jan 19, 2015


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## jflsr

I never liked soaking wood either. To me, it is like using green wood, it produces a "Green" smoky taste to the meats. I have learned that wrapping the wood chunks or small limb pieces in about four wraps of heavy duty foil, seal it tight, then poke 2-4 10 to 12 penny nail size holes in the top of the foil packet works very well, and when the wood is finished producing smoke, the rest usually turns to charcoal for the next BBQ. May not work for everyone, but to me this produces the next best smoke after an actual fire made with good wood.


----------



## smoke n brew

I no longer soak my wood chips, or chunks whichever I have on hand. I use a pie tin covered in tin foil with a hole opposite the burner side, that way I can slide the "chip pan" on or off the burner as needed to generate the exact amount of smoke I want. I have a MB 40 propane smoker, and when the smoking stops, all I have left is good charcoal to be used for something else. I have only done two mods to my smoker, one is the pie tin chip pan, and the other is using a 13x9x2" baking pan as a water pan. I did not not modify the factory water pan rack. By using the pie tin and the larger water pan, I have gone as long as 2 hours before needing a refill of either one.


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## romy6

Soak em if you got em !!!!!


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## ultralow787

mcgyverism,

Nice looking offset smoker! I'd love to see more photos of the details of the build if you care to share?

Oops sorry! I just found the other thread with all the build details! Very nice work!


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## cliffcarter

Back on topic, here's a little experiment I did a couple of years ago-

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/what-does-soaking-wood-chunks-really-do


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## chismoker1

I always soak my chips for 20 minutes, quick pat dry then into the smoker. I do not soak bigger stuff. 
So far I've had the deepest smoke rings I've seen, accompanied with smokey smokey flavor. I add wood/water ever hour on the nose. I also use the "woody water" in my smoker.


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## rigundog

HI Marc,

What type of fish do you smoke and how do you determine it is done.

I'm always go back and forth with smoking fish. Never smoked them for 3 hours, mostly 8-12 hours.


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## mcgyverism

I don't think you need to soak any wood if you are using an Off-Set smoker.

Originally I was going to build a Reverse flow, thinking I needed that for the extra smoke.

Then I made the mistake in the placement of my chimney stack, which prevented me from inserting it near the bottom grate. (Only inserted 4 inches)

I'm a Newbie here, but what I've found from only using my smoker twice now, is it's all in the Damper.

Once I got the fire up to temperature, I threw in some Cherry logs, closed the damper to within a 1/2 - 1 Inch opening, and it smoked all day.

HEAVY Smoke!  I would check the internal temperature inside the smoker every half hour to make sure I had it near 250.

A couple of times I had to open the damper for maybe 1-2 minut2, to get the temp back up, and the logs inside would roar to life, then close the damper again for a few hours until I needed another log.  Once my fire was going, I only used 8 small cherry logs, 4" in circ.  Those lasted all day, on a bed of maple/oak coals.


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## beeboy

I always build my fire with dry wood. Get a great bed of coals & put the wet/soaked wood on top of that to generate smoke. More dry wood later to keep the fire going, more soaked wood later to keep the smoke going. I thought that's the way everybody did it.


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## chef jimmyj

Soaking Chips has some limited value when using them on Charcoal like in a Weber Kettle or BGE, to add some flavor for a short smoke but wet wood does nothing but delay the smoke, until they dry out, in an Electric or Gas Smoker. In any smoker that will be used for a long cook, over 1-2 hours, the goal is small amounts of light Thin Blue Smoke for a long time. Tons of white smoke over a long time will give a bitter flavor. To get long TBS with Charcoal, dry chips or chunks in a foil pouch with a few pencil size holes does the job nicely. Or for even more control and long TBS the A-MAZE-N  AMNTS pellet fired tube smoke generator is a great choice...http://www.amazenproducts.com/ ...JJ


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## beeboy

Thank you, Chef JimmyJ! I never knew that. This is why I joined the forum though. I am not a seasoned smoker by no means so I appreciate the thoughts of those who are. Thanks again CJJ!


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## bocaboy

It's an old wives tale that you should soak wood before using it for smoking. I have a 25-year old Big Green Egg and a newer Smokin-It #2 electric smoker. I _never_ soak the wood and get great smoke flavor on all of my food.

I've found the trick with both types of cooking is not to over-do it with smoke. Remember that meat, chicken and fish absorb the most smoke when they're raw. Once they start to cook and the fiber starts to tighten up, less and less smoke flavor makes it through. You do end up with a nice layer of creosote if you use too much wood, and that ruin the flavor of whatever you're cooking.

Even for a long smoke (brisket or pork butt), be careful of using too much wood. Remember that the bulk of the flavor is created at the beginning of the cook, not the end. That's why so many chefs start cooking low-and-slow on the BBQ of choice, and finish cooking in an oven.

Happy smoking!


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## slewfoot

Thanks for the post and the thread. As a newbie to smoking I have read pro's and con's to soaking the wood. I do believe I will not try this. Or at least not until I have a lot of experience under my belt.


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## migbait

I got a new gasser and will fire it up this weekend. I used soaking with my electric and it worked okay. 

QUESTION: Has anyone ever tried soaking chips in apple juice & water? If so, what percent to each other?


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## gary s

I don't soak, but it I did    Water     

Gary


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## dumasbro2

Chunks no, chips for the kettle, yes. Do what works for you.


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## smokerdaddyo

Only 1 piece of wood that I soak, but it doesn't get to the smoker after that ..... :yahoo:


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