"Smokinlicious.com" wood

[DivotMaker]

Scott,

Even though you may not see smoke streaming out of the blow hole, if you do open the door, you'll see it filled with thin blue smoke.  I know, for you glass-door smokers, not being able to see what's going on inside is a big adjustment, but it's easy to overcome, and well-worth it!

It's as simple as this:  Load the meat, wood and water pan, set the program and close the door.  X-numbers of hours later, great BBQ.  Once you understand this, and trust your smoker is doing what it's designed to do, the happier you will be!

As far as the hot spots - I avoid them.  The wood will smolder in the other locations, and combust in the hot spots.

[id2nv2nj2ca]

Scott,

Even though you may not see smoke streaming out of the blow hole, if you do open the door, you'll see it filled with thin blue smoke.  I know, for you glass-door smokers, not being able to see what's going on inside is a big adjustment, but it's easy to overcome, and well-worth it!

It's as simple as this:  Load the meat, wood and water pan, set the program and close the door.  X-numbers of hours later, great BBQ.  Once you understand this, and trust your smoker is doing what it's designed to do, the happier you will be!

As far as the hot spots - I avoid them.  The wood will smolder in the other locations, and combust in the hot spots.

Sounds good, thank you.  I will be doing the hot spot test a little later this afternoon, early evening to see where to load the wood.  One more question, use foil in the smoke box to put the chunks on or no?

Thanks again for everything.

[DivotMaker]

Scott, I don't think a little foil in the bottom of the smoke box hurts, at all.  The key to preventing combustion of wood is to restrict the airflow.  I've done that, and it works. 

[Limey]

Scott, I leave my chip screen in the smoke box all the time even when using chunks, which is mostly. Never had a problem with combustion. If you have a chip screen you might like to try this.

[id2nv2nj2ca]

Scott, I don't think a little foil in the bottom of the smoke box hurts, at all.  The key to preventing combustion of wood is to restrict the airflow.  I've done that, and it works.

Thanks. Here is a photo from my experiment last night. Guess I should put my chunk in the upper right when I smoke again since the one on the upper left doesn't look like it hardly smoldered at all and the ones on the bottom caught fire.

[id2nv2nj2ca]

Scott, I leave my chip screen in the smoke box all the time even when using chunks, which is mostly. Never had a problem with combustion. If you have a chip screen you might like to try this.

Thanks for the tip, but as pathetic and embarrassing as it sounds, the chip screen just isn't in my budget right now.  I think I may pick up the rib rack first.  Thanks again.

[Walt]

Don't waste your money on the rib rack. I only use it for massive smokes when space is @ a premium. The ribs cook better laying flat.

[DivotMaker]

Don't waste your money on the rib rack. I only use it for massive smokes when space is @ a premium. The ribs cook better laying flat.

+1!  Bone-side down, flat on the shelf.  Best ribs ever!

[NDKoze]

The rib racks could be useful for those with the #1/#2 that need to be able to fit more meat in their smoker. But with your #4, I wouldn't think you would ever need a rib rack.

It certainly looks like you found your hot spots.

They "can" be useful in certain situations. For example, I use my hot spot when doing a low temp smoke (under <180) where you may have trouble keeping smoke going at lower temps.

[Glock_21]

I learned tonight that wood is not wood, there is a difference.  I've been using the bagged wood from various stores.  A week or so ago I ordered a box of hickory/cherry from Smokinlicious.  I used the Smokinlicious wood for the first time today.  I now know how wood should act in the SI smokers.  There was very little ash in the box when I cleaned things up and nothing seemed "sooty".  I doubt I will ever use anything else in my SI.

[SconnieQ]

I second that!

[id2nv2nj2ca]

4.4 oz of hickory, 2 hours at 225°, then bumped up to 250 for another 1 1/2 hours and this is what the wood chunk looked like. My patience is about to run out. Some folks have said to line about 3/4 of the smoke box with tin foil. Some have said not to, especially with "good" wood. Some have said to make a boat, some not to. Some have said to wrap in foil and poke holes in it, some say not to. But the overall consensus was to avoid the "hot spots" I thought I had discovered last week or the week before.

For what it's worth, I HATE being a whiner or complainer, but appreciate very much ALL the help and suggestions offered so far. I have to smoke  at least 4 butts for a graduation party on Saturday and my confidence level, though it worked before on butts and ribs, is low again, because I am NOT getting consistent results with the smoking part. I resolved, as suggested repeatedly not to worry about the color of the smoke, but now, the only smoke I've gotten the last two smokes of tri tips and the experiment again last night is the smoke created from the heating of the "leftovers" in the smoker.

Thanks again, everyone. Next?  While you're still willing to help.

[NDKoze]

So, have you totally abandoned the foil in the last test? I see a little foil on the outside of the right side of the box and not sure what that is all about.


It definitely appears that the chunk didn't get the heat like it should have. It seems odd, because it is pretty close to the spot where the chunk was turned to ash in your previous post.


I think I would try to move your wood closer to the hot spots. I would also split your chunks into 2 ounce pieces.


The massive area of the 4D is kind of a different animal compared to the #1-#3 models, so I see how this can be frustrating trying to find where to place your wood chunks. From what I have read, it seems like your aren't having any issues getting the smoker up to the desired smoking temperature, so the element being bad seems unlikely.


For long smokes like a butt I have usually split my Smokinlicious chunks in half to yield roughly 1.5-2.0 ounce chunks. I then have one of my 3 2 ounce chunks on the hotspot and the other 2 chunks toward the middle of my smoker where there is more average heat.


Just a suggestion, but I have attached a picture of where I think I would try placing three 2 ounce chunks for your next smoke.

[id2nv2nj2ca]

So, have you totally abandoned the foil in the last test? I see a little foil on the outside of the right side of the box and not sure what that is all about.


It definitely appears that the chunk didn't get the heat like it should have. It seems odd, because it is pretty close to the spot where the chunk was turned to ash in your previous post.


I think I would try to move your wood closer to the hot spots. I would also split your chunks into 2 ounce pieces.


The massive area of the 4D is kind of a different animal compared to the #1-#3 models, so I see how this can be frustrating trying to find where to place your wood chunks. From what I have read, it seems like your aren't having any issues getting the smoker up to the desired smoking temperature, so the element being bad seems unlikely.


For long smokes like a butt I have usually split my Smokinlicious chunks in half to yield roughly 1.5-2.0 ounce chunks. I then have one of my 3 2 ounce chunks on the hotspot and the other 2 chunks toward the middle of my smoker where there is more average heat.


Just a suggestion, but I have attached a picture of where I think I would try placing three 2 ounce chunks for your next smoke.

Thank you, Gregg.  The foil you could see is the foil on the bottom of the smoker, under the smoke box and heating element.

Funny you mention splitting the wood into smaller chunks as I ordered a little hatchet off of Amazon yesterday that will be here tomorrow just for that purpose.  My only concern is, the smaller the chunk - the more likely for it to catch fire, no?.  This is like the Navy, it's an adventure.

I took that piece of hickory that didn't smoke at all last night over the hot spot in the front right this morning.  It started really smoking, looking like it caught fire.  As I would expect a dry piece of wood to do.  I shut off the smoker and let it cool off to the point where I could open the smoke box and found two areas of the chunk that obviously caught fire on two of the corners, but the rest of it was charred and smoking pretty good, I guess.  It probably would have worked just fine.

Just before seeing this post, I took the smallest chunk of wood I could find in my box of Smokinlicious wood (a piece of wild cherry) and have it in now to see what it will do.  Unfortunately, it's not in one of the three places you highlighted, but I hope it works.

Thanks for the help.

[NDKoze]

Cut into 2 ounce chunks are still pretty good sized chunks. If you have any that are 2.0-2.5, I wouldn't cut them. But some many are close to four ounces per chunk, so I use my hatchet and a hammer to split them.

You'll find what works for you.