Probably a dumb question about smoking

[namtrag]

I have been throwing a few apple wood chips on my coals these first few cooks.  I am pretty sure they are catching on fire, as white smoke comes out the lid vent for a little while afterwards.  I am pretty sure that's not supposed to be how to do it! lol

Should I soak the pieces first, put them in an aluminum foil tent with holes poked in it, or just not worry about it

[LightningBoldtz]

Foil packets will help increase the longevity of the smoke, chips alone burn off pretty fast.  Personally, I prefer chunk wood.  With chips soaking helps, I think, you don't need to soak chunk wood.

[Troy]

With chips, you should soak and/or put them in a foil pouch.

I find that chunks are easier to use and produce better smoke.

[Cookingmama]

When I first got the bug.....I went nuts and bought wayyyy too many chips.  Learned that HD foil folded up in a sort of elongated packet with holes punched on each side works best.  I never soak.

[1911Ron]

I would put your wood chunks on the unlit portion of your charcoal, that way the wood heats up and when the fire gets to it it will put out sweet blue! Oh and FYI soaking wood does no good it only makes the wood damp and it will smolder until it dries out then starts to smoke.

If you ever watch some one run a stick burner they will place their wood on top of the firebox to heat it up, when it is time for more wood it will burn nice and clean.

[namtrag]

Thanks, everyone!

I only got chips because there were no apple chunks available and I really wanted to cook that day! (It was the first weekend where I had a chance to finally cook on charcoal)

Anyway, I will try the foil trick until I get a chance to buy some wood chunks.  Luckily it's a pretty small package of chips. 

I also need to get some oak and/or hickory to use with beef, as all I have now are those apple chips, so I definitely will get chunks next time!

Ron, I have been using my two charcoal baskets, so I don't have any unlit charcoal.  I am getting more confident though, so I may try doing the snake method and when I do, I will try your trick!

[1buckie]

Pre-heat....






or you can just stick a chunk or two right in the basket along with the charcoal.....it's fuel, just looks a little different than charcoal......

[mirkwood]

The way I use chunks when using my baskets is to pick the right size chunk for the basket, a 2x3 inch piece per basket
works really well and I toss it in before I dump my fully ashed over briq's, then I put the lid on till my meat is ready to
go on in indirect heat so the smoke has a chance to work it's magic.

[namtrag]

I have a performer, mirkwood, so I typically fire up the coals in the baskets with my propane lighter.  I am thinking I could put a chunk in each basket before I dump the unlit charcoal in, and just make sure it is where the flames from the burner do not reach.  Then it would gradually catch as the coals got to it.

Would that work, guys?

[wyd]

For me I load m baskets up with charcoal and let it sit a few minutes to get m grill up to temp.  I then add what ever I'm going to grill.  They I drop a small chunk of wood in each basket on top the lit coals and quickly close the lid.  Seems to have worked ok for me.