Hi,

This is my first time smoking on the WSM. I bought a 12lbs enhanced turkey and just put it on 30 minutes ago (12:30 eastern). I am using apple wood chunks purchased from Amazon (Chigger Creek I believe)and put 3 pieces on right before I put the turkey on the top grate. I just checked to see how things were going and it appears all 3 chunks are completely toast. I touched one with a pair of channel locks and it crumbled apart into 4 pieces or so. Is this supposed to happen? My expectations were that it should last for hours. I didn't soak them but most on here that I have read say not to. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Jude

Hello Jude, How big were the wood chunks? Tennisball size or smaller? Its quite normal for wood chunks to burn quickly. I think that with poultry, its better to err on the side of caution and not add to much smoke for your first turkey.

Hi Tim, the chunks were a little bit bigger than 1/2 of a tennis ball. I didn't add any more so we'll see how this goes. Thanks for the help.

smallish pieces will burn in about 30 minutes or so. i see no reason to use three pieces at once. use one and when smoke dies down add another. if they are to big i found that i had to turn the chunk over to continue smoking.

Thanks, George. I like the idea of adding wood over time instead of all at once. At least on a high heat smoke. The turkey is done and looks great. I took pics but it might be a bit before I can post them.

Oh yeah, was bummed about the excess fuel still left in the WSM so I threw 2 rock hens on there with a chunk of cherry. This is way too much fun!

Your last comment hit me....

quote:

At least on a high heat smoke

If you are cooking at high heat, then you have to expect your wood to burn fast. Typically I have found on 300f+ cooks, you smoke wood will often combust rather then "smoke". This still imparts flavour, but it will be consumed much fast.

In hindsight it makes complete sense. I guess I am so used to my electric smoker humming along at 225-250 via coil that seeing the wood completely burnt surprised me. The turkey turned out great so all is good.

Hello Jude
I have found and read that right in the beging about an hour is when the wood does it job. So after that it doesn't matter. Puting more wood in as it cooks will make temp jump up and down.(thats what I found). I do the same thing about three nice size piece of wood in at the start and just let it cook. I do agree with Tim on the poultry because I did over smoked a chicken one time. So less is better than more.

Here's what I've been told and found with wood.

1 if you continue to add wood you get more smoke flavor (but the smoke ring stops at 145' internal temp).

2 If you add the right amount early thats all you need. Smoke particles land on the meat and penetrate enough for really good smokey flavor.

3 If your pieces are to large, you won't get all the smoke out of them (this is just my opinion). When I use pieces that are to big(thick) they won't smoke well. The wood seems to turn into charcoal or similar. If I make them small chunks (about the size of 2 thumbs thick and around) they do what they should.

the smoke ring has nothing to do with smoke and taste. its just a chemical reaction in meat when cooked at certain temps.

i have had heavy dark smoke rings cooking things in the oven when there is no possibility of wood smoke. i have had smoked meats on my wsm that have had nearly no smoke ring and been so smokey it was almost over powering to me.

it doesnt take a lot of smoke to get a nice smoke flavour. your fuel source be it briquettes or lump will add smoke flavor on its own. adding smoke wood willl drift that flavor in one direction or another depending on the wood used. i like to think of the smoke wood more as a steering device than a sole means of adding smoke.