3.5D Wood Questions

[ken h]

I have a 3.5D digital wifi which is my first electric smoker.  I know there is going to be learning curve.  I have been researching this forum for information to get me up to speed.  One thing I have picked up is that apparently these smokers are pretty picky about wood.  I am planning on smoking a pork butt.  The only wood I have on hand is from a big box store.  I don't have time to order and receive any wood from any of the recommended providers.  Any tips for using wood from big box stores? 

Im in the Austin, TX area.  Anybody in the area reading this know of anyplace to get preferred wood locally? 

Another thing I have picked up but would like to confirm is that the 3.5 smokers require more wood than the #1 or #2 models.  Is there a good rule of thumb as to how much?  i.e.- perhaps double the recommended amount for #1 & #2 models?  Any suggestions on how much big box store wood to use for a pork butt?

Separate but related, I have seen references to aluminum boats for wood.  Can someone please clarify exactly what that is?  My perception is that wood chunks are placed in foil but not completely covered up by the foil.  Is that correct? 

 

[Lonzinomaker]

I use big box store wood. I made two trays out of aluminum flashing that is about full width of the burn box and 1/3 of the length length. Put the wood in tray and I don't get combustion, always ending up with charcoal. I use them with chips in low temp smokes for jerky and salmon. I'm sure somebody with a metal brake could make a nicer tray, but I only have a pair of vice grips and tin snips. I did try the pellet screen, but prefer using the trays for less combustion.

 

[barelfly]

Yes, you are correct on what a foil boat is. I’ve used it many times for chips when smoking lower temps. I’ve also learned placing wood in between the holes of the box helps with smoking. I use to place over and seemed to get ash and not so when placing this way.

I have a 3D model, but I use various amounts of wood based on what I’m smoking. 8oz is the most I’ve used for a brisket and it wasn’t overwhelmed with smoke flavor. It could use more smoke flavor actually.

 

[LarryD]

One thing I have picked up is that apparently these smokers are pretty picky about wood.  I am planning on smoking a pork butt.  The only wood I have on hand is from a big box store.  I don't have time to order and receive any wood from any of the recommended providers.  Any tips for using wood from big box stores? 

Meh... don't worry about it too much.  I use junk box store (home depot and ace hardware) wood in my #2 and it works just fine.  I put down a thick piece of foil in the bottom of the smoke box and poked smaller holes in it than the ones in the box.  I never have my wood ignite and it smokes/smells great.  I've had no problems with the quality of anything I smoke with this wood.

Another thing I have picked up but would like to confirm is that the 3.5 smokers require more wood than the #1 or #2 models.  Is there a good rule of thumb as to how much?  i.e.- perhaps double the recommended amount for #1 & #2 models?  Any suggestions on how much big box store wood to use for a pork butt?

There's no need to use more wood due to the smoker model/size...  it fills the volume of the smoker, smokes the food, and then comes out the smoke hole.  The volume difference of the smoker is insignificant in the overall scheme of things.

I like a pretty strong smoke flavor, so I probably use more wood than what some do.  If you consider the definition of a 'chunk' of wood to be the size of an old toy alphabet block then I'll use 4-5 blocks when I do butts.  (I always do butts in pairs because that's how I buy them and then just vac seal and freeze most of it for future consumption.)

Separate but related, I have seen references to aluminum boats for wood.  Can someone please clarify exactly what that is?  My perception is that wood chunks are placed in foil but not completely covered up by the foil.  Is that correct?

You have the right idea... though I find it much easier to just foil the bottom of the smoke box as described above and it achieves the same effect.  You're just limiting the oxygen flow to/around the wood so that it won't combust.  The boats you'd probably throw out every time whereas I rarely change the foil doing it my way.

 

[tomd8]

I've been using chunks (from a seasoned cherry tree), chips (box store) and pellets that I have left from another smoker (box store) and the smoke and flavor is fine.  I do like the idea of a tray instead of a foil package for the the wood.

 

[ken h]

Thanks to everyone for all the feedback.  I currently have 7# bone in pork butt in the pit positioned towards the top of the pit.  Its probably on the second rack level from the top IIRC.  Im using a combined total of 7 oz. hickory and cherry in a 50/50 ratio in a foil boat.  Water pan is in place next to the wood box.  Foil in the bottom of the pit and on top of the wood box.  The smoker was puffing like a freight when I started but gradually tapered off to a light smoke after a couple of hours.  Currently I see little, if any, smoke.  I will eventually spritz the butt periodically with some apple juice but haven't started that process yet.  I hope all goes well.  Thanks again for all the tips and feedback!

 

[Walt]

No need to spritz. Leave it alone until done. The smoker maintains a very moist environment. Opening the door, generally, is counterproductive.

 

[ken h]

No need to spritz. Leave it alone until done. The smoker maintains a very moist environment. Opening the door, generally, is counterproductive.

10-4 on the spritzing Walt.  Thanks for the info. 

 

[barelfly]

I smoked some bacon last night with chips and a few chunks that I picked up from a bbq spot I visit when I travel to Denver. I have used the chips in the smoker before but not these chunks. I did a lower temp cook at 175 so still need to try a 225 cook but they didn’t combust, so it has me thinking for future purchases rather than the smokinlicious that I’ve purchased the last two years. But the wood is good!

 

[ken h]

Just a follow up to the pork butt I smoked.  It turned out OK.  I would give it a 5 out of 10.  It took 14 hours to complete the 7# butt.  I smoked at 225 but cranked it up to 250 once it got past the stall for the last 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get it done as it was getting late and I needed to hit the rack.  The butt didn't have as much smoke flavor as I had hoped for in spite of the fact that smoke was coming out of the vent like smoke from a 1900's locomotive for the first couple of hours.  Apparently the big box store wood I have is not that good. The 7 oz. of chunks in the foil boat were mostly ash with some small pieces left behind as well.  I also didn't get as much flavor out of the rub I applied as I would have liked.  The rub I mixed up is over 2 years old and until recently I haven't been using it.  I think it may be time to mix up a new batch with some fresh ingredients.  And Walt was right about not spritzing with juice, I only spritzed the meat one time but that was before I saw his message about not doing that so that was the only time it was done.  The butt was plenty moist. 

Thanks again to everyone for all the tips and advice.

 

[azbohunter]

Just a follow up to the pork butt I smoked.  It turned out OK.  I would give it a 5 out of 10.  It took 14 hours to complete the 7# butt.  I smoked at 225 but cranked it up to 250 once it got past the stall for the last 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get it done as it was getting late and I needed to hit the rack.  The butt didn't have as much smoke flavor as I had hoped for in spite of the fact that smoke was coming out of the vent like smoke from a 1900's locomotive for the first couple of hours.  Apparently the big box store wood I have is not that good. The 7 oz. of chunks in the foil boat were mostly ash with some small pieces left behind as well.  I also didn't get as much flavor out of the rub I applied as I would have liked.  The rub I mixed up is over 2 years old and until recently I haven't been using it.  I think it may be time to mix up a new batch with some fresh ingredients.  And Walt was right about not spritzing with juice, I only spritzed the meat one time but that was before I saw his message about not doing that so that was the only time it was done.  The butt was plenty moist. 

Thanks again to everyone for all the tips and advice.

I'm thinking that if you had smoke "like a 1900's locomotive for the first couple of hours" and you had mostly ash, that you probably had combustion of your wood at the beginning. I usually want up with just a black chunk of wood like charcoal, others with more experience might offer better input.

 

[LarryD]

The 7 oz. of chunks in the foil boat were mostly ash with some small pieces left behind as well.

It sounds like your wood caught on fire and burned up which would explain the light smoke flavor and the quantity of smoke you described.  What you should end up with is black charcoal pieces of wood that are essentially the same size/shape as what you put in and with little to no ash at all.

 

[ken h]

I'm thinking that if you had smoke "like a 1900's locomotive for the first couple of hours" and you had mostly ash, that you probably had combustion of your wood at the beginning. I usually want up with just a black chunk of wood like charcoal, others with more experience might offer better input.

Point taken.  Since Im new electric smokers in general and SI smokers in particular I don't really know what to expect.  I didn't know if the amount of smoke I was seeing was normal or not.  Based on feedback in this thread as well as other threads in this forum I am learning more about combustion and that very well may have occurred.  As for only having ash and some small pieces of wood left after 14 hours, with the wood that close to the heating element I guess having nothing but ash after 14 hours didn't seem out of the ordinary to me but OTOH I don't know what is ordinary.  Im on a learning curve about what is normal and what isn't so I appreciate all the comments to get me headed in the right direction. 

The 7 oz. of chunks in the foil boat were mostly ash with some small pieces left behind as well.

It sounds like your wood caught on fire and burned up which would explain the light smoke flavor and the quantity of smoke you described.  What you should end up with is black charcoal pieces of wood that are essentially the same size/shape as what you put in and with little to no ash at all.

Again, point well taken and I appreciate the feedback.  Your comment about having charcoal pieces about the same size as what they were when they went in makes sense when I think about it compared to my experiences with my Weber SMC.  The wood chunks in the Weber would still be about the same size at the end of the smoke as what they were when they went in and they were sitting directly on charcoal. 

 

[Jimeo]

I’ve had combustion with designer yuppie wood as well so don’t count on that solving the problem Ken.  After a lot of trial and error I’ve settled on Larry’s method of lining the wood box with foil.  I also leave the chip screen in all the time, this has all but eliminated combustion.  On longer smokes like butt and brisket I usually run @200 degrees the first hour before dialing up the temp.  Take some time to figure out what works best for your unit and you’ll be good to go! 

 

[ken h]

I’ve had combustion with designer yuppie wood as well so don’t count on that solving the problem Ken.  After a lot of trial and error I’ve settled on Larry’s method of lining the wood box with foil.  I also leave the chip screen in all the time, this has all but eliminated combustion.  On longer smokes like butt and brisket I usually run @200 degrees the first hour before dialing up the temp.  Take some time to figure out what works best for your unit and you’ll be good to go!

Jim- thanks for the info.  I am going to do some test burns to evaluate the wood box in my 3.5D.  Based on what I have read there is no one solution that can be equally applied to a particular model.  Im going to do some burns with and without foil in the woodbox and place wood chunks in the box equally spaced the length of the box to try and determine hot spot locations.  Im going to be very curious to see if I get ash, burnt chunks or a combination thereof.  Based on what I have read in the forums as well as some of the feedback I have gotten Im a little confused about what should be left behind in the woodbox after a smoke.  Some say chunks only, some say chunks and some ash is OK.  The only definitive thing I have ascertained is that if you have nothing but ash left then there has probably been combustion.  If I can get any hotspots identified then I want to do some more testing with chunks placed to avoid any identified hotspots to see if I still get a lot of smoke during the first couple of hours like I just experienced in the first smoke I just completed.  I will be glad when I get this sorted out.  Coming from a Weber SMC cooking on the SI will be a piece of cake if I can get it dialed in. 

 

[Jimeo]

I’ll cast my vote for the chunk of charcoal after a smoke, my experience is ash equals combustion.

 

[LarryD]

Combustion requires fuel (wood), heat (element), and oxygen...  You could change the wood and possibly cut down on the combustion, but the reality is you want it to smoke and and wood that starts smoking is at risk of combustion if it's hot enough and has enough oxygen.  You can ramp up the heat over time as suggested by Jim to try to prevent the combustion.  Once the smoker is full of smoke it will have less oxygen and the heat can go up some more.  Finally, you can restrict airflow/oxygen to the wood which is what the foil does.  The best way to do that is to restrict the access inside the smoke box by reducing the number and size of holes through which oxygen can be introduced.

On a side note, here's a shot of some of my wood after a smoke from a some time ago...

 

[Walt]

This has been an interesting  topic over the years. Animated opinions as to the outcome are abundant.  I really have not had an issue that, I felt, reflected poorly on the final product. I leave the chip screen all the time.  Early on, I saw it puffing once or twice but haven't seen it in years.  Big believers in the fancy wood abound. I have not drank the cool aid. I have a great source for free pecan & fruit wood but I also use big bo store bought chips regularly with great success. Much of this depends on personality & generally how anal retentive one is. Try it setup various ways and come to your own conclusion.

 

[ken h]

This has been an interesting  topic over the years. Animated opinions as to the outcome are abundant.  I really have not had an issue that, I felt, reflected poorly on the final product. I leave the chip screen all the time.  Early on, I saw it puffing once or twice but haven't seen it in years.  Big believers in the fancy wood abound. I have not drank the cool aid. I have a great source for free pecan & fruit wood but I also use big bo store bought chips regularly with great success. Much of this depends on personality & generally how anal retentive one is. Try it setup various ways and come to your own conclusion.

Walt, thank for your perspective on this.  I am about to embark on setting up my SI in various ways to sort out what is going to work for me. There was a learning curve when I got my Weber SMC years ago and there's a learning curve with the SI.  I got the Weber figured out and Im sure I will get the SI figure out as well, especially with all the great advice and support on this forum.