# HELP NEEDED.Cold Smoking Ques: Which woods? & green or dry chips?



## munsterfan (Mar 12, 2016)

We live in Portugal. There are NO single species chips to buy here.  We are ready to smoke: garlic, salt and chili

*1st QUESTION:*

We don't know which trees and herbs would be good, sweet smoking wood or herbs. 

*Trees order of their abundance:*

Carob
Almond
Olive
Orange and Lemon
Fig
Persimmon
Vine, grapes
*Wild Herbs*

Thyme (acres and acres)
Rosemary many kilometers of hedges
Bay laurel (Yes it's a tree but we can only get the leaves)
*2nd QUESTION:*  To cold smoke something at 50C/60C how many kilos (lbs) of chips would be used on average for say...1-hour? We just don't have a clue. I realize that different woods burn/smolder at different rates etc....I'm just look for a ball-park answer.

*3rd QUESTION*: Must the tree branches that we gather for chipping be tinder dry before smoking? or is semi-green OK?

*FINAL QUESTION*  Do we 'soak' the chips before smoking? If yes; then in water or beer or wine (LOTS of cheap tasty wine here)?


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## foamheart (Mar 12, 2016)

Ok, grapes, definately out. Well I tried wild grapes as a kid in a campfire, they are just too porous.

I like nut trees as a whole, I tend to hang back from citrus tree because they seem to have excessive resin. I assume if your allowed them to season long enough they'd be good.

I have some beautiful rubbed olive wood, I brought back from Portugal years ago. It certainly looks hard enough. I took the train from Spain to Porta for a wine ferria> I am sure I butchered the spelling of that and I appoligize..

Your herbs look fine, I like bay but its seldom used in rubs. I assume because its so hard and crumbly. Rosemary and thyme are great. but be careful with your herbs they can get much too strong pretty quick.

Don't get locked in on chips, you can break the twigs and small branches off dead wood and it works great. get a metal box or can and set in the coals, drop some twigs and small branches in. Or You can roll 'em up in a piece of alumium foil. you are wanting to reduce the amount of available air while still maintaining enough to smoulder.

Do you know a carpenter? Sawdust from a good hard wood works excellent. make sure its free of any resins or stains and oils.Lay a line of dust in tin foil and roll it up, light it and place it down in the end of the smoker where it will get oxygen but not a lot of heat.

Listen I remember the wine, its so good I don't remember nearly most of it that I drank. LOL You can try if you like, but most here feel that wetting is only delaying the smoke. BTW old wine casks make great smoke.

Hope that helps.

I really enjoyed your country. I was young, I was a sailor, really nice people. And the statute of limitations has run out!


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## daveomak (Mar 12, 2016)

Cold smoking is usually done from 10-20 Deg. C....  You don't want to cook stuff when cold smoking....   Generally you want the smoke to penetrate the food....  no cooking......  Cooking can be done at a later time....


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## mr t 59874 (Mar 12, 2016)

Welcome to the forum. You are getting good advice from above. Perhaps you will find the following helpful also.

New to smoking or have a new smoker? -- "How to optimize your smoke"

Understanding Smoke Management - updated 12/08/14

Have fun,

T


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## dave17a (Mar 15, 2016)

Mr T 59874 said:


> Welcome to the forum. You are getting good advice from above. Perhaps you will find the following helpful also.
> 
> New to smoking or have a new smoker? -- "How to optimize your smoke"
> 
> ...


Ditto


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## munsterfan (Mar 16, 2016)

Thank you very much for your comments I'll look at the links right now.


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