When to add Wood & How Much?

[skora]

Hi All,

I'm new to smoking and to the forum. I've got a question
as to when and how much wood to add. I'm planning on using
lump coal for fuel source and hickory for smoke. Now from what
I've read I believe that I should add about 3 - 4 chunks of wood
at the beginning process. My question is do I keep adding wood
thru out the entire smoking process, and if so at what entravals.
I don't want to over power the smoke flavor. How do you know
when you have to much smoke?

Thanks
Any help would be appreciated!

[Woodman]

SKORA, Welcome to the madness. You ask a good question. Some suggested reading would be www.bbqdan.com go to the FAQ section and browse the info. Do you have a bullet smoker, or an offset pit? If it is the former, chunks are the way to go. If it is the latter, you ought to try cooking with all wood fire. It is the best way to get the feel of cooking with fire. (That is why they (I) call me "Woodman.") On the question of "How much smoke flavor is enough?" Well, that is a question of personal taste. Personally, I have never had "too much" smoke taste and , I suspect that those who have, are actualy tasting bitter creosote from "bad "smoke rather than "too much" smoke. That is a whole other story, best answered later if'n you are using an offset. The bottom line is, you really only need to keep smoke on your meat for the first oh, 50% of your cooking time or so. Once the cut heats up and begins forming a bark (crunchy skin) it really doesn't take up much more smoke flavor.
I was in North Carolina recently at a BBQ place and I walked around back to talk to the guys feeding the wood into the pit. Their method was to put the meat in the oven the night before, the timer kicked on the electric heat at about 5:00 am. They didn't even start putting smoke on it until about 10:00 am. The Q wasn't very smokey , but it was good (if ya like pork.) It didn't really even have a smoke ring. Play around with it. Bottom line is, you probably won't ruin any meat,(unless you follow Texana's advice on cookin chickins!) :wink

[skora]

Thanks Woodman

I'll be using an offset smoker. I've already have the hickory
chunks. I don't know if I can get any logs by tomorrow. If I
can't get any logs do you have any other suggestions for the
chunks. I'm still afraid of too much smoke, but I'll take your
word on it. Should I keep adding 3-4 chunks about every 1/2-1
hour?

Thanks For Your Help!

[Woodman]

Sounds like a good plan to me. I'm not sure if you should soak them or not because I don't use this method in my offset. In my bullet, I soak the wood because I don't actually want it to flame. I don't think you are in danger of oversmoking with chunks no matter how you do it though. Like I said, just quit adding wood about halfway through. You also may want to try mellower woods like apple or maple. Hickory is quite strong. Anyone else?

[redneck cooker]

We'll Im inclined to think with a big woodpile you need to add wood until she tells you it's enough :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Buckeye]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

[Big Rob]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :idea:

[Smooth Operator]

I have one of those New Braunfels Smokers and what I do is I initially get my pit up to 230 degrees (because when you open the lid to put brisket in, it will lose heat in a hurry). I keep my stack all the way open through the entire smoking process so that there is no time for "stale smoke" to sit on the meat and there is little chance of the wood going out.
The next part is kinda cheating I guess and probably wastes BTU's from the wood to some extent........but here goes...
I use a very small propane fire to keep additional logs going (they usually do not fully catch on fire but sometimes do)
Next, I put in about (2) 6"-8" logs (about 3"-4" in diameter) about every 30 minutes.....OR, when the temp on the smoker gets down to 200 f.
I like to start my brisket in the early morning around 4 or 5 so that I am finished by about 10:00pm. I take my brisket out of the pit at noon to wrap in already prepared foil and dump in 2 cups of homemade bbq sauce, and then stick it back in the pit.
At roughly 14-16 hours of cooking the brisket at 200-215 degrees (about 10:00 pm) I take the brisket out and place in a ice chest just big enough to hold the brisket.......and then I finish whatever beer I have remaining and go to bed.
Next day, I eat the brisket........usually it is still somewhat warm, but may require sticking it in the oven (foil and all) on a cookie tray or Pyrex container.

[Fred]

Smoke em if ya got em. 8)

While it may not help the meat flavor to have a more intence smoke, I like to see it smoke. So I say if they haven't called the fire department at least once ...keep adding. :wink:

ps. it's all about temp control

[Big Rob]

Set a rubber tire on fire in your driveway and watch that bad boy smoke........Now, duplicate that same smoke volume with your pit........


Puff the Magic Dragon Baby !!!!!

[farmboy]

I really don't think burning a tire will be to good on the meat, let a lone for the taste Yuck. Colin

[redneck cooker]

I 100% with ya'll, Fred and BR Fill'er full and let it smoke& smoke& smoke!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D Puff daddy puff :P :P :P