When Using Wood Chunks why not pre heat?

[Gary]

I have just got my shipment of Somkinlischious Wood and will be smoking a couple of small pork tenderloins, about 1 to 1.5 lbs each, tomorrow. As I look at the chunks, as small as they are, I am wondering if I should pre heat My SM 1 to help get the wood smoking before I put the meat in which I am figuring will take about 1.5 hours at 250 and am afraid that if I don't I won't get much smoke. Any advice would be appreciated.

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[DivotMaker]

I get great smoke on tenderloins all the time, starting with cold smoker/cold meat.  Your smoker starts generating smoke in around 10 minutes; it the meat is in the mid-30's on temp, it will barely be to room temp when the smoke starts.  Cold meat absorbs smoke best.  Once meat gets about 140, it stops absorbing and the smoke builds up on the surface, which leads to over-smoke.  Your tenderloins will be plenty smoky, even if they only take 1.5 hrs.

[smokeasaurus]

When running a stick-burner I pre-heat my logs so they will burst into flames and burn clean but these Electric Smokers smolder the wood because the environment is oxygen starved, so just toss em in and you will be fine.

[elkins20]

Hey Gary, +1 one on the other posts. IMO I would drop your temp. to say 225 or 235 and cook to an internal temp. of 150 on the loins. One other thing you can do is for the first 45 min. set your box temp. to 140 then move it up to 225 or 235. This will give you plenty of smoke flavor. Good luck on your loins.

[smokeasaurus]

It is very easy to over-smoke on these types of smokers..they are very efficient....gotta start off on the lite-side on the wood and then adjust more or less on your next cook.............

[SuperDave]

I get myself in trouble because I go by eye ever once in a while.  Gary, you will get plenty of smoke. 

[Gary]

This Smokindelicious Worked like a charm!

Put two pork tenderloins weighing a total of 2.28 lbss in at about 1626. Outdoor temp was
83, inside Box Temp with Auber permanent mount was 84, and meat temp was 54. I used one
piece of Somkindelicious Cherry.

Kind of held the lid up because of size so I wrapped some aluminum foil around the top of
the smoke box. I made the mistake of taking a shower at about 40 minutes in and when I came
out the meat was about 154 and the box temp was  about 210. Total elapsed time was 1 hour and 14 minutes.

You guys were right on the money as far as the smoke goes. The moisture content of the Cherry
when I got it was about 17.9. Donna suggested that I don't soak it and that I start with one piece
of wood for a short smoke. I was figuring 1.5 to 2 hours, but it didn't work out that way. The
smoke was comming out in about 14 minutes  and smoked all the way through with about half 
or more of the block still smoldering in the smoke box.

Waiting for daughter and son in law to come  back. I will write a comment about taste and then post this rascal.  I did sneak a small taste however, and it was delicious, but we'll wait and
see what the rest think at dinner.

(3 Hrs later) They loved it. Interestingly, no one used BBQ Sauce.

Thanks again guys.

[DivotMaker]

Sounds like a success story, Gary!!