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User Guidelines and Instructions => Guide to Smoking Times, Temps, Woods => Topic started by: Truckman225 on January 06, 2016, 11:39:31 PM

Title: Wood size question
Post by: Truckman225 on January 06, 2016, 11:39:31 PM
Hi, I'm new to using this type of smoker. Very impressed with the build quality of my #1. My question is about shorter smokes say 2-3 hours. If using 1-2 ozs of wood do I leave it in the full block or break it into several pieces to get more surface area exposed to heat and I would think generating more smoke? Thanks for your input, I'm sure I will have more questions as I go.
Title: Re: Wood size question
Post by: NDKoze on January 06, 2016, 11:56:47 PM
I might cut a two ounce piece in half. But I don't think I would bother cutting a 1 ounce piece down any.
Title: Re: Wood size question
Post by: SuperDave on January 07, 2016, 09:29:19 AM
Doesn't really matter whether the smoke is 2 hours or 20 hours, the smoke is usually done well before 2 hours no matter what the size of the chunk.  Personally, I vary my chunk sizes only because I want some to start smoking sooner and the larger pieces to start later, thus lasting longer.
Title: Re: Wood size question
Post by: Truckman225 on January 07, 2016, 07:57:21 PM
Thanks for your help guys.
Title: Re: Wood size question
Post by: DivotMaker on January 07, 2016, 08:18:28 PM
Size matters...  Unless you're trying to get wood smoking at a very low temp, keep it big.
Title: Re: Wood size question
Post by: rpindianajones on August 07, 2017, 08:25:09 PM
Hi all,
I didn't see any other spot to post this so I am putting this here.  I am a newbie so still learning.  The amount of wood for a particular smoke is still rather elusive to me.  The weight is critical to getting a good smoke.  I was getting tired of bringing my wood chunks to the kitchen scale to sort through them to get the size I wanted.  I also didn't like taking the scale to the wood.   I purchased a small scale from Harbor Freight that I am dedicating just to the wood.  It is called a pocket scale. I have mixed feelings about Harbor Freight stuff, but his little guy seems very nice.  It weighs up to just over one pound.  Which is way more than we will ever need for a smoke.  Because of the low weight limit, it has tremendous resolution.  It shows three decimals on ounces.  The accuracy seems spot on.  The regular price is $9.99.  Using one of the readily available 20% off coupons made it about $8.00.  So far it seems to work great.  It is small, about the size of a stack of index cards.  Perfect for chunks of wood.  I am just going to stick it in a ziploc bag and keep it with my wood. The only thing I don't care for is that it defaults to grams.  a press of the mode button switches it to ounces.  You have to do this every time.  No real issue, just a very minor annoyance.
I am really starting to love this smoking thing.
Title: Re: Wood size question
Post by: gregbooras on August 07, 2017, 09:43:00 PM
Hey Ron,
The important thing here is to use a scale. With this smoker, less wood is better!
Best Greg
Title: Re: Wood size question
Post by: LarryD on August 09, 2017, 02:26:44 PM
Ron... I use this same scale for my coffee.  I actually measure in grams, so the default is nice for me.  It's not a perfectly precise scale, but it's close enough and gets the job done and costs almost nothing.

I'm actually surprised to hear it stated so frequently and emphatically that the wood weight is so very important.  I measured for the first several smokes and then quit and just eyeball it.  Everything comes out great so I'm either good or lucky.  ;)
Title: Re: Wood size question
Post by: Walt on August 09, 2017, 04:27:13 PM
I haven't weighed wood in years. Like Dave indicated above, I use a combination if chips, slivers & chunks for most smokes, in an attempt to achieve the maximum smoke exposure. Chips & slivers for the shorter smokes.