soaking wood in water to smoke with

[rbinms33]

That just goes to show....you learn something new each day. I'm not even going to show my ignorance at what I thought preburning was. What you're talking about doing is building a fire and shoveling the coals into the smoker, right? Kinda like you do charcoal with the charcoal chimney. But would you still need to put wood (or preheated wood) on top of that to get the smoke effect?

 

[BBQchef33]

That just goes to show....you learn something new each day. I'm not even going to show my ignorance at what I thought preburning was. What you're talking about doing is building a fire and shoveling the coals into the smoker, right? Kinda like you do charcoal with the charcoal chimney. But would you still need to put wood (or preheated wood) on top of that to get the smoke effect?

MY philosphy here, and it may be wrong, buts its mine...

Preburned wood, either down to coals, or throughly burning logs is all ya need. Although some of us use "smoking" and "BBQ'ing" interchangably, I consider smoke cooking something different from what we do. We're not looking for smoke, we're looking for clear, clean sweet blue, which ya get from coals and burning logs. So adding wood for smoke is unnecessary. You'll get smoke flavor from using plain lump or kingsford without even adding chunks, it just not so dominant. What I found with doing the 2 fire/preburn approach besides it being alot of extra work, for minimal return is that the smoke flavor is more dominent. Most likly because its a 100% wood cook as opposed to my normal way of mixing some lump in occasionally to keep a good coalbed going. I guess my equivalent version of the preburn wood is the occasionaly chimney of fully lit lump I throw in, but its alot easier to fire that up with trhe turkey fryer burner than keep 2 fires going.


.02 for the day.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

I'll pull this one back up to the top of the pile for anyone of the more recent brothers to add their $.02.

This is a great serious discussion on soaking versus non soaking.

PS, where the hell is John?

 

[Solidkick]

I might as well chime in...........

If I'm using chunks in the Bandera, I do not soak the chunks.

If I'm using chips in the Bandera, which is very rarely, but I'm using direct heat for grilling, I do soak the chips.

If I'm using chunks or chips in the Meco Electric, I soak the chunks or chips to avoid from immediate ignition. There is no way to preheat the wood when using the electric smoker. The Meco turns out damn fine Q, it just takes longer.

I would soak mesquite chips for 24 hours and keep throwing the stuff on all through the smoke.

And that's why I do not use mesquite, to me it tastes like soot.

Anyone got a quarter?

 

[parrothead]

Anyone got a quarter?

2 fingers?

 

[brdbbq]

If I'm using chunks or chips in the Meco Electric, I soak the chunks or chips to avoid from immediate ignition. There is no way to preheat the wood when using the electric smoker. The Meco turns out damn fine Q, it just takes longer

Same for my gas unit but it's quicker not longer

 

[BigAl]

I might as well chime in...........

If I'm using chunks in the Bandera, I do not soak the chunks.

If I'm using chips in the Bandera, which is very rarely, but I'm using direct heat for grilling, I do soak the chips.

Same here, Solid.

25-30 years of soaking Hickory chips and small limbs trimed from yard trees(used some green, if out of dry) in MO on my old Charboril with Kingsford. Many great meals with no complaints. Direct heat for grilling and off set heat over water pan for big turkeys on rotissery.

 

[skolek]

Well let me throw something into the mix...

When using whole logs or splits, do you wash them? For example I've used logs/splits that are plain outright dirty, with dirt, or fungus, or mold, etc... i usually soak the whole logs or splits for a few hours, i.e. 4 hours at least, then use a grill brush to clean them up real good, rinse, then throw them on the fire.

I could not see using some of the logs I have seen, without washing them first.

In all actuality, I don't think you could soak whole logs or even splits for that matter long enough for them to really pick up too much moisture. After all we are working with mostly hardwoods here, right? So how much water can they really soak up?

Now here's another question: What about the bark? I've heard in some places that the bark should be removed, some say don't bother, what about the groups opinion?

Thanks,
Scott

P.S. If I can talk the wife into it, I think I'll be heading to the BBQ contest in Cambridge, MN.

 

[BigAl]

MUD on your log? Wash sounds like a good idea. Bark, if it comes off easy, take it off, if not, preheat log with bark closest to heat source, grab your favorite beverage, after log is heated, put it in with the bark down on the hottest part of the fire and get another beverage, enjoy your day and the q when it's done.

Good luck with the wife! :wink: :roll:

 

[Jorge]

P.S. If I can talk the wife into it, I think I'll be heading to the BBQ contest in Cambridge, MN.

Any chance they have a craft fair in conjunction? Or one within driving distance the same day? Craft fairs are a salvation my brothers! Encourage your better halves! A craft fair is good for 18 holes, a football game, a hand wash and wax of your vehicle (beverages included), and so much more. Can I get an Amen?!

 

[kcquer]

2 fingers?

Rarely anymore, it generally comes compacted.

And that's why I do not use mesquite, to me it tastes like soot.

Couldn't agree more, but I've been wrong about woods before so now that I know a bit better how to burn the stuff than I used too, I have been planning to give it another try, probably for a brisket cook. Texas Mod

we are working with mostly hardwoods here, right? So how much water can they really soak up?

If properly seasoned, a lot of water. That said wet wood is different than green wood. Green wood is seasoned over a period of time, wet wood will dry out in a day or two. Mark in St Louis seems to be quite knowledgeable about the particulars on wood. Hopefully he'll weigh in and clear up my mud. If you want to know exactly how much water it'll soak up, weigh a stick dry, soak it and weigh it again. Water weighs about 8 1/3 lbs per gallon, a little math and you'll know exactly. The amount will vary with the desity of the wood. Red oak is quite porous and will suck up a lot, an extremely dense wood like sugar maple probably not as much.

 

[brdbbq]

hand wash

What about a hand job :?: Amen

 

[ckkphoto]

I'll make it .10

Have been toying with the idea of breburning, but don't see the need for it really.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Preburning is a technique that I reserve for cooking brisket over mesquite. Mesquite can taste nasty if the burn isn't clean, and pre-burning and tranferring hot coals to the firebox results in extremely even temps and clean smoke. It is also a HELL of a lot of work. Tastes wonderful to do a brisket this way, but frankly I don't usually want to work that hard. Occaisionally one of my freinds with dump a pickup load of mesquite on me, and I just have to make do.

 

[racer_81]

hand wash

What about a hand job :?: Amen

Amen.

 

[Bigdog]

P.S. If I can talk the wife into it, I think I'll be heading to the BBQ contest in Cambridge, MN.

Any chance they have a craft fair in conjunction? Or one within driving distance the same day? Craft fairs are a salvation my brothers! Encourage your better halves! A craft fair is good for 18 holes, a football game, a hand wash and wax of your vehicle (beverages included), and so much more. Can I get an Amen?!

Jorge, you are a smart man-you have learned the Distraction Mod. 8)

 

[Jorge]

hand wash

What about a hand job :?: Amen

That's after the craft fair. But only if I show interest in the crap purchased to sit in the kitchn window.

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

Hell, you could UPGRADE that if you offer to pay for some of her window sill crap!