# Question about stick-burning



## docash (May 5, 2012)

Ok, first sorry if this is in the wrong forum--

I just put a down payment on a new Lang 36 hybrid smoker/grill and have never tried stick-burning before so I have a couple of really basic questions.  First, I did read the Stickburning 101 section and that helped but I need a couple of more in-depth answers. 

I live in Southern Arizona where wood is not easy to come by, nor is it cheap.  I've found a couple of places where I can get dried wood (primarily mesquite and pecan) but due to the price, I want to make sure that I do this the right way.  From what I've researched, it doesn't appear that I am going to want to do my smoking with 100% mesquite due to it's strong, bitter smoke.  In my electric smoker I always used about 2/3 to 3/4 hickory + the remainder mesquite and got good flavor with that. 

First, I read somewhere that placing firebrick in the bottom of the firebox is a good way to conserve heat (and therefore use less wood).  Does anyone have experience doing this, or is it a waste of money?

Secondly (and you Lang users feel free to chime in).  Does the firebox have a built in grate to allow the ashes to drop down?  It appears from some of his videos it does.  Going back to question #1, if there is a grate is there enough clearance to allow the firebrick underneath it, or does that cause air circulation problems with your fire? 

Third (and this is the biggest question I actually had), how many of you are using wood chunks to start your fire versus splits? I can get chunks of wood relatively cheaply if that's what I need to start my fire--but if it makes more sense just to go out and get more splits I would save more if I just bought it all at once.  This is why I mentioned the mesquite before--would it make more sense to just buy some mesquite chunks and throw them in periodically, or even start the coal bed with mesquite chunks and then add in the pecan splits?

Finally, for anyone that owns a Lang 36--his website says the firebox is 17"x17".  What is the size of split you use?  I've read about the diameter of a beer can is a good reference, but what about length.  The place I can get the firewood has it in 18-22" lengths--is that too large to fit (diagonally) in the firebox.  I can get it special cut down for an additional fee, but it's pretty pricey to do that (about $50 extra).  Any ideas on how long I should have it cut (if I need to)?

Thanks for your help.


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## alblancher (May 5, 2012)

Docash said:


> Ok, first sorry if this is in the wrong forum--
> 
> I just put a down payment on a new Lang 36 hybrid smoker/grill and have never tried stick-burning before so I have a couple of really basic questions.  First, I did read the Stickburning 101 section and that helped but I need a couple of more in-depth answers.
> 
> ...


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## docash (May 5, 2012)

Thanks for the info Alblancher, but I'm a little confused (sorry, I've never actually attempted stick-burning before).  You said the mesquite and the hickory are the flavoring, but I can start the fire with either the firewood or the charcoal.  Charcoal would certainly be a lot cheaper (not a lot of trees in my part of Arizona).  At what point does the "flavoring" get added.  If I understand it, you want to start by getting a good bed of coals going using whatever, and then when you are ready to add the meat you add the splits one or two logs at a time to keep temperature.  This is where the flavoring comes in, correct?

Also you mentioned you started your fire with charcoal.  Are you using lump charcoal, or wood chunks? 

Finally, you also said you use a lot of pecan--as I mentioned this is going to be (along with mesquite) the easiest thing for me to find (I may be able to get access to a very small amount of oak, but to have it readily available it will be over 100 miles away).  It will definitely be the cheapest wood for me to use as well because of the access.  Is there a big enough difference in the heat that it produces that I should go out of my way to really try and get the oak, or should I just learn on pecan?

Thanks again for helping out a newbie!


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## oldschoolbbq (May 22, 2012)

Docash , take a look at this :  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/search.php?search=Wood+Burning+101

May help ya...


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