Skip to main content

First off I admit to being a total newbie so go easy on me please. The wife just bought me a Masterbuilt 30" and I'm pretty excited to get going. I would have preferred a CS but oh well, you get what you get. My first questions are about the wood. She bought a variety of bags of wood chips. Should I be using wood chips or should I be using something else? Do I soak or not soak the wood chips? If I do not soak do the wood chips burn faster and need replacing more? Do I line the bottom of the wood chip holder or the bottom of the smoker? Thanks for your help!
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I started off soaking the wood since everything I read up to that point said it should be done that way. It wasn't until I got here that I started seeing advice against soaking the wood, and so I tried it dry and the smoke lasted just as long. So I've used dry wood since then.

I always used chips until I upgraded from my Masterbuilt smoker to my Cookshack - I still use chips since I have quite a few bags to use up. But the chunks have their place:
when doing long, overnight cooks, the chunks last longer.
For short cooks, such as ribs or turkey, the chips are fine.
Soaking is bad advice from the smoker manufacturers.

Why?

It makes the wood smolder, not burn. That white smoke you see is because of input burn and carries the impurities.

Clear/blue smoke is preferred.

Creosote taste comes from oversmoking, too much white smoke.

Try it without soaking. You might have to burn more, but that's okay.

KEY is how does it taste to you. Do go by how much smoke you see or don't see. Go by taste.

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×