What is the major difference in all wood smokers and charcoal/wood chunk smokers?

Bamabuzzard

Bamabuzzard

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I keep reading that "stuck burners rule" and how all wood smokers/cookers are the best. So my question is how? What is the major difference to the end product that an all wood smoker produces that the smoker that uses charcoal with the ability to add wood chunks?
 
"stick burners" don't rule all the time, it's whatever you cook on at the time!

I use everything, Pellet Poopers, WSM, and sometimes a UDS(well once, need to borrow it again)!
 
Wow, that is a really loaded question. I've done a lot of both, and I'd have to say that if I was blindfolded, it would be hard for me to tell the difference if they both were done right. I guess the best analogy would be to take two chefs, one cooking with a conventional oven and one cooking with a convection oven, and then having them compete. The oven type isn't going to separate the two chefs, it's going to be their cooking skills.

They each have their advantages and disadvantages. While personally I prefer the taste of BBQ on a stick burner, I've mainly used charcoal and wood chunks lately because I'm getting lazy and don't want to tend a fire every 15 minutes. If you know what you are doing, you can produce good que on anything.
 
Saiko said:
Wow, that is a really loaded question. I've done a lot of both, and I'd have to say that if I was blindfolded, it would be hard for me to tell the difference if they both were done right. I guess the best analogy would be to take two chefs, one cooking with a conventional oven and one cooking with a convection oven, and then having them compete. The oven type isn't going to separate the two chefs, it's going to be their cooking skills.

They each have their advantages and disadvantages. While personally I prefer the taste of BBQ on a stick burner, I've mainly used charcoal and wood chunks lately because I'm getting lazy and don't want to tend a fire every 15 minutes. If you know what you are doing, you can produce good que on anything.
Click to expand...


All things being equal other than the smokers. Is there that much of a difference to the end product between a stick burner and other smokers?
 
Bamabuzzard said:
All things being equal other than the smokers. Is there that much of a difference to the end product between a stick burner and other smokers?
Click to expand...

My personal opinion is no. An "average" cook on a stick burner is not going to out perform a "good" cook on a charcoal smoker. Walk around any BBQ competition and you'll see plenty of both.
 
I am sure both are art forms. I have not mastered either. Heck, I dont even own my smoker yet!! I will tell you that I have produced very good Q'ue on a ( GASP ) gas grill !! I am very eager to learn how to use a smoker for some quality Q'ue. My concern with using it as a stick burner is the food being, as you read about so often, over smoked. I am going to attempt my first smokes with lump and hardwood, but would really like to learn how to use just, "sticks"!
I am reall interested to see how this thread unfolds
 
Bamabuzzard said:
I keep reading that "stuck burners rule" and how all wood smokers/cookers are the best. So my question is how? What is the major difference to the end product that an all wood smoker produces that the smoker that uses charcoal with the ability to add wood chunks?
Click to expand...

The end product is probably pretty close if you are skilled at both cookers. What really differentiates wood burners from coal burners to me is the smell while cooking. I truly love the smell of hardwood smoke, especially when combined with the fragrance of cooking meats. I don't much care for the smell of charcoal, and the more chemicals they contain the worse it is. My neighbors hate it when I burn charcoal but they love it when I burn wood.

Increasingly, I am focusing on cooking for large groups of people in a festive situation. In those situations, you want a big showy rig which smells GOOD and pulls people in. Can't be smelling like Kingsford.

seattlepitboss
 
i've smoked on charcoal. gas, and in a stick burner and imop the stick burner produces the best flavor that i like but takes a lot more effort to produce the same product other smokers have to offer. :p:p
 
I always thought the only difference was the size of the pit. I've had both, a smaller pit that worked better with charcoal and a few chunks, and a larger pit that uses sticks. Once I got the hang of the larger pit... I put out the same tasty BBQ.
 
Sgtcomp0311 said:
I am sure both are art forms. I have not mastered either. Heck, I dont even own my smoker yet!! I will tell you that I have produced very good Q'ue on a ( GASP ) gas grill !! I am very eager to learn how to use a smoker for some quality Q'ue. My concern with using it as a stick burner is the food being, as you read about so often, over smoked. I am going to attempt my first smokes with lump and hardwood, but would really like to learn how to use just, "sticks"!
I am reall interested to see how this thread unfolds
Click to expand...
preheating your sticks on the firebox helps w/ that issue.they burst into flames when added in the firebox.
you can also preburn wood & just add the coals.
 
blues_n_cues said:
you can also preburn wood & just add the coals.
Click to expand...

Isn't that more or less lump charcoal?

seattlepitboss said:
What really differentiates wood burners from coal burners to me is the smell while cooking. I truly love the smell of hardwood smoke, especially when combined with the fragrance of cooking meats. I don't much care for the smell of charcoal, and the more chemicals they contain the worse it is. My neighbors hate it when I burn charcoal but they love it when I burn wood.
Click to expand...

Seriously, what's the difference between all natural lump and wood?
 
KC_Bobby said:
Isn't that more or less lump charcoal?



Seriously, what's the difference between all natural lump and wood?
Click to expand...

Respectufully, flavor! Hardwood under two years old adds more flavor.
You ever notice how fruitwood does not have the same flavor/smell after two years.

There is a reason some teams use green fruitwood in their cookers i.e ole hickory cookers, Mike Mills etc.
 
blues_n_cues said:
preheating your sticks on the firebox helps w/ that issue.they burst into flames when added in the firebox.
you can also preburn wood & just add the coals.
Click to expand...

With respect: this is totally unnecessary, a big hassel and even dangerous (especially if your short-term memory is as bad as mine). I have yet to see any evidence to support the theory of preheating sticks.
 
big brother smoke said:
Respectufully, flavor! Hardwood under two years old adds more flavor.
Click to expand...

Well, yeah I add chunks in with my lump. But the lump I buy is 100% natural wood that's been carbonized. Hell, most of the charcoal looks like logs.

Oh, and my question is meant as an honest question - not a smartass remark. (not that I think BBS's reply was smartass - just looking for more info) I really don't understand the difference between the sticks and all natural lump other then one has been carbonized and the other hasn't - yet.
 
KC_Bobby said:
Well, yeah I add chunks in with my lump. But the lump I buy is 100% natural wood that's been carbonized. Hell, most of the charcoal looks like logs.

Oh, and my question is meant as an honest question - not a smartass remark. (not that I think BBS's reply was smartass - just looking for more info) I really don't understand the difference between the sticks and all natural lump other then one has been carbonized and the other hasn't - yet.
Click to expand...

I might be wrong, but this is my guess or my reasoning behind it....by adding sticks that have yet to be carbonized is where you get a different flavor than what you will get from wood that is already carbonized like in lump. So there is a difference. But by adding sticks that aren't pre-heated can give you some nasty smoke that you don't want as mentioned before.
 
Bamabuzzard said:
I keep reading that "stuck burners rule" and how all wood smokers/cookers are the best. So my question is how? What is the major difference to the end product that an all wood smoker produces that the smoker that uses charcoal with the ability to add wood chunks?
Click to expand...

Pit Magic comes from the Pit Master...not the pit! :p IMHO...:biggrin:
 
KC_Bobby said:
Well, yeah I add chunks in with my lump. But the lump I buy is 100% natural wood that's been carbonized. Hell, most of the charcoal looks like logs.

Oh, and my question is meant as an honest question - not a smartass remark. (not that I think BBS's reply was smartass - just looking for more info) I really don't understand the difference between the sticks and all natural lump other then one has been carbonized and the other hasn't - yet.
Click to expand...

Bobby,

The best way I can describe it, is for you to use straight mesquite in a cooker and lump mesquite in a different cooker. Do you think the meat will taste exactly the same?

I use mesquite lump often and will not use straight mesquite as I do not enjoy the flavor.

BBS
 
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