Adding wood...

So on my last smoke I tried out the BBQr's delight cast iron smoke pot with some of their "smoke stix" in it. I could tell a slight difference in the smoke.

If I were add a large chunk of hickory to the pot instead of pellets or the smoke stix, would that large chunk of wood smolder/smoke?

I want to use the pot to contain any ash... but will it burn the chunk of wood through the cast iron?



would chips be better than a chunk?