wood doesn't burn completely

[MarkF]

Cooked 30 LBS of ribs in my #3 yesterday. Cooked a 235 for 6 hours. I put 5 ox of wood in it. When cook was done, i noticed that there was no ash and the wood thad not burned too much and ribs were not very smokey.

Anyone else experience this?

Mark

 

[Grampy]

Mark, did the wood that remained look like a piece of charcoal? If so, then that is normal.

 

[swthorpe]

+1 ... this is what I normally see as well.  No worries.

 

[DivotMaker]

What kind of wood was it, Mark, and where did you get it?

 

[SuperDave]

As I experiment with each smoke, I've come to the conclusion that wood placement is very important.  In my particular case, the back of my wood box leaves the coal type chunks where as the middle fully consumes the wood.  Try different placement with each and every smoke to discover where your cold and hot spots are.

 

[gmannel]

By following other suggestions and combining the various ideas I get a perfect burn w/ only ash left w/ the oak blocks sent w/ my smoker:
-enlarged drain hole from 3/8 to 1/2" (much improved bark too)
-propped front of smoke box up w a 1" nut
-foiled over front of smoke box
- all wood just back of 1/2 way all right next to each other

Before I did this the blocks were black but not ash

 

[DivotMaker]

Good tip, George! 

 

[MarkF]

Looked like charcoal with little to no ash.
Wood was weber brand pecan chunks and was evenly spaced the length of the smoke box.

I decided to ask because when I use my #2, I usually end up with mostly ash.

I tested the temp on both the 2 and the 3, both set to 250. The #2 swung between 235 and 265. The 3 swings 225 and 257.

I have always felt my 2 cooks hotter than the 3....

Best guess is the 3 is working normally.

Mark