My First Turkey Breast in my SI#2

[swthorpe]

I have tried soaking wood from time to time, but I doubt it really works.  I suspect you would have to soak the wood for a long time to get any real moisture into the wood itself.  The dampness on the outside of the wood will probably not avoid the belch, but would likely delay it until the moisture evaporates.   I threw away my dry wood, but it wasn't that much.  If you have a lot of wood remaining, then you might want to try soaking to see if it helps.   The other option is to wrap the foil a bit higher on the wood to lower the airflow impact on the wood, but when the wood gets hot, it will probably catch fire!   The other option that you might want to try is foil and ramping up the temp.  Set the smoker for about 80F and let it cycle through one time (ie, the lights goes out) and then raise the temp to your desired level.

[CUTiger80]

I have 4 bags of chunks (about $40 worth) and I hate to throw it away.
I have ramped up the temp on previous rib smokes (although I went to 150 for about 30 minutes and then on up to 235), but several on here stated rather emphatically that it was unnecessary.  I don't mind spending a little extra time doing that if I can prolong the smoke and eliminate the belch.
I have thought about experimenting with several options (without food in the smoker) to see what may work the best.  I think within an hour or so (or until the smoker reaches its set temp) I would have a good idea of how it is going to behave for each experiment/method.
I wonder if insulating the wood chunk from the metal portion of the smoker box with one of those ceramic tiles like you put in a gas grill would have any effect?  It should slow down the transfer of heat.
I am just anal enough to spend a Sunday afternoon watching football and experimenting with smoking options to determine if one method works better than another.

[NDKoze]

Personally, I haven't really bought into the foil method yet. I tried it once and it didn't work for me. Although in my case it was for a low temp jerky smoke. The my smoking temp of 160 was too low to get any smoke out of my foiled wood boats and one of them was even chips. Based in this experience, I would only use the foil method for regular 225+ degree smokes.

I still do the ramp up method with no foil and do not really have any belch problems.

I run at 140-150 for about 45 minutes, and then increase to my desired temp and don't really have any belch issues anymore.

For me, the foil boat is just more hassle. I love going out to smell the smoke anyhow. So, I don't mind the walk to the smoker to bump up the temp after 45 minutes.

[swthorpe]

Sounds like you have a lot of wood to support multiple experiments!   I would be interested in hearing about the insulated wood box approach.  I have also tried wrapping the wood completely in foil and punching little BB sized holes in the foil; you might try that as well.   I am thinking of trying the ramp method again.  Let us know how your experiments turn out!

[DivotMaker]

Ravel, I would order some better wood.  Also, wrap your foil tight around the bottom and sides of the chunk; yours looked pretty loose.  The idea is to keep the air from the bottom and sides (where the intense heat is).  The only way you'll probably ever get the Weber chunks to not combust is to wrap them completely in foil, with a couple of holes in the top.

Check out fruitawood.com and mainegrillingwoods.com - great wood.

Tight foil on the bottom of good wood and you'll never get the belch again! 

As for the brining - Yes, a simple salt water brine accomplishes the same thing.  I, personally, can tell a big difference in the meat that has also been infused with different flavors, like garlic, onion, rosemary, citrus, etc...  It's all a personal preference, though.  Maybe I missed it, but what brine recipe did you use?

[Pork Belly]

I do not, foil ramp or worry. I haven't had a negative result yet. But you should buy or cut some better wood.

[CUTiger80]

Tony,
The foil is actually wrapped tight to the bottom & sides.  I think that the excess foil left after wrapping that is sticking up makes it look loose.  I'm going to experiment this weekend with wrapping completely in foil with some holes.
I will also check out the web sites that you suggested.
The brine that I used is in my initial post and it is a combination of yours and Ed's.  I left out the Rosemary (my wife thought that she had some but actually did not) and I added crushed bay leaves and parsley flakes.  Have you ever tried substituting a white wine for the juice in your recipe?  I saw that someone else posted that and it intrigued me.
Back on the wood, I have access to hickory, pecan, apple and peach trees.  I could easily cut a few limbs and make my own chunks.  Do you know how long to let the wood dry?  Is it ok to use cut lengths of a 1" diameter limb or does it need to be larger pieces that are split?
Thanks again for your help.

[DivotMaker]

Ravel, if the foil was tight, it's your wood.  No problem with cutting your own, but it takes several months (or more) for it to cure enough to smoke.  I'm sure you know to never use "green" wood.  I would cut some of those branches, and store them in a garage or somewhere with good airflow around them.  Leave them to season, and order some good wood for the interim. 

I haven't tried white wine in a brine, but have thought it might be good.  Give it a try and let us know what you think!