Has anyone used many small pieces of wood to smoke instead of a single larger one? I use about 2.5oz apple to smoke ribs at 250F. Does it make much difference if you use many smaller vs one larger piece?
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
For the most part, I just use the chunks as is and I get my hickory from Cookshack. If I want 6 ounces, I start weighing the wood looking for a couple of 3 ounce pieces. If I find a couple of 4 oz, then I split one in half to get the 6 oz I want. I have found though, early on that small pieces don't last long and thus the smoke doesn't last long. And I don't like opening the smoker for any reason till the food is nearly done.
In my SM066, for very short smokes, like salmon (around 80 - 90 minutes) I use small (1 - 1 1/2 oz) pieces to get more smoke on quickly. For meat, similarly I'll use smaller pieces for smaller cuts of meat, trying to get more smoke before IT gets to 140. Seems to work for me.
I use chunks for my overnight cooks, and chips for my short cooks.