# Chips, chunks or both



## grampyskids (Sep 29, 2009)

Newbie wants to know about chips vs chunks. I have a Brinkman Propane Water Smoker. I have been buying chips, but can I use a combination of both to make my smoking wood last longer?


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## fire it up (Sep 29, 2009)

You could use chunks, just make sure they don't burst into flames on you, be sure to keep away from too high of heat.


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## ddave (Sep 30, 2009)

Depends on how much room you have I imagine.  If you have room for chunks then go for it.  As FireItUp just keep them far away enough from the direct heat so they smolder but do not burst into flames.

Sometimes that is easier said than done. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Dave


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## tndawg (Sep 30, 2009)

I tried chunks tonight for the first time with mixed results. I thought I read somewhere on here that someone else with a similar smoker as me just used dry chunks. So that's what I started with. After about 30 minutes, I had to pull them out. The smoke was ROLLING out of every available crack in the smoker. So I replaced them with soaked chunks that I had put in water "just in case". Those ran for about an hour and started doing the same thing. 

I had my wood pan as low toward the flame as possible, so I think that was the problem. My plan is to raise the wood pan to the highest level and try again. Luckily, I am a stubborn arse mule and will keep at this until everything turns out the way I want it!!!!


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## ddave (Sep 30, 2009)

You're on the right track.  Adjust the wood's proximity to the heat source to get just the right amount of smoke.  Hopefully you have enough room to work with.

On my propane fired SnP sometimes this is the right position for the wood . . .



sometimes I have to move it farther away from the flame.



Keep working at it and you'll get it.

Dave


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## richoso1 (Sep 30, 2009)

I started out with chips, then chips and chunks, now I only use chunks along with RO lump.


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## partner in swine (Sep 30, 2009)

I'm a nOOB myself to this forum, but I have a little trick I use on my bullet which is very scarce on space. I take my chips and soak them in water overnight, then double wrap them in heavy duty foil. Stab an air hole about 1 inch in diameter in the top of the newly formed chip brick, then lay it right on top of my hot coals. This never blazes up, smokes like Cheech and Chong and is changeable during cooking with a handy pair of tongs.


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## mballi3011 (Sep 30, 2009)

I have used chunks and chips to me I use a gasser smoker and I get better results with chips but I'm not giving up on chunks yet.But you will be fine using chunks


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## hungryjohn (Oct 1, 2009)

I use a couple of chunks, surrounded by a couple of handfuls of chips.

The chips get going quicker, and then the chunks kick in to keep the TBS coming.

Usually use two different kinds of wood, dry. Last smoke was a turkey breast, with hickory chips, apple chunks. To my taste, much better than the hickory alone (a bit strong for turkey) or apple.


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## chisoxjim (Oct 1, 2009)

thats the method I have been using lately for my GOSM gasser,  so far so good.


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