Basic Wood Questions

Visilor--

1. If you're getting a Cookshack, don't soak the wood. Simply toss in a few ounces dry. The smoker works wonders.

2. I've reused half burnt wood, and I've not obtained good results. Once I used 3 chunks, one new, two half burnt, and my smoke flavor was very light. As Tom told me (I'm sure you've seen his posts), I was essentially using briquettes, not smoking. Unless only minimally charred, use new wood. Why risk not getting good results for the sake of a chunk of wood.

3. I use chunks for all smokes.

Hope this helps.

Actually, if you've had a piece of wood in for a whole smoke and it was only minimally charred, you had a clunker. Don't reuse it.

Enjoy that smoker.

1. Yes.

2. Maybe.

3. Not necessarily.

Oh, I'll be you want me to explain

Using wet wood is a Method of creating more gray smoke, as the wood burns inpurely. Well, that gray smoke is gray for a reason and I don't like the flavor it gives off. It's just a way of creating an inpure burn.

You can reuse it, but as you're going with a couple of chunks, the cost isn't worth it to "save" any, I'd go with new wood

Chips will burn faster. I use them for lower temp smokes (like cold smoking). The length of the smoke doesn't change when I use chunks. I'll use chunks for 4 hour rib cooks but use chips or sawdust for a cold smoke (say 100 to 140)