Smoke Wood Question

[LarryR]

What do most use for smoke wood in their KK's? Chunks similar to what Smokinlicious puts out or not as "processed" pieces such as one might buy at a firewood shop?

I've used Smokinlicious' products and their great, but I don't like paying the shipping so I've turned to buying my woods from The Woodshed in Orange, CA, it's near our corporate offices so when I go in pick-up a couple of bags. However, it's more "raw" than say a Smokinlicious type product. Think of firewood cut down to fit into smaller smokes complete with bark.

Just curious what others are using and what is recommended.

[cruzmisl]

I used to use chips but they burn up too fast. I have since switched to chunks from Lowe's or wherever and discard the bark on the chunks that have it. Trouble with that is you only get hickory chunks-not much variety. On the plus side it's cheap.

[Syzygies]

I buy 40# bags of wood chunks from the Lazzari factory store in San Francisco.

If I had to pick two woods, they'd be Apple and Hickory.

We have perhaps seven kinds of smoking wood in the garage, and seven kinds of salt around the house, but truth be told, we'd be entirely content with bulk sea salt, and Apple wood.

[LarryR]

Picture

I buy Cherry, Red Oak, Apple, Pecan, Hickory and French Oak Wine Barrel Staves from him so I'm good on types of wood. I'm more curious in the form people are using.

Below is a click-able image for comparison. On the left a piece of apple from The Woodshed, on the right Smokinlicious chunks. Does one work better than the other in the KK? Ignore the size difference as I'd split the piece of apple in 1/2 for a KK cook.

[cruzmisl]

Honestly I don't think it matters.

[bryan]

I use the drop wood from my fruit and pecan trees. Every thing is cut into 3" pieces and debarked. Have not had any problems yet.

Have been looking at the Smoke Daddy mentioned here earlier.

A board of any flavor would equal a lot of saw dust. Has anyone any experience with the Smoke Daddy?

Dennis might be talked into adding another hole below the fire.

[Firemonkey]

I use whatever I can get my hands on. Most of what I have are chunks, mostly smaller fist sized pieces, but have used chips when I was in a bind. Like others have said, the chips burn up fast. so I use a bunch of them wrapped as tight as I can in foil when I have to go that route.

I got 100# mixed pecan, cherry, apple, grape, and persimmon) from Chigger Creek the last time I was in Central Missouri and carried it home as my 2 allowed pieces of baggage on the airplane. I got a few interesting looks/comments from the skycaps when I handed them two packages made up of cardboard boxes taped together, weighing in at 49# each (weighed at the shop so i wouldnt get hit with the fee for overweight bags).

I also have the bags of hickory chunks from WalMart, and those tunks are BIG fist sized pieces.

With all of that wood, my favorite is the peach limbs that I get when my neighbor trims the tree that is growing too close to his house. I will use all of that, the smallest of the twigs I break into 10 inch lengths and bundle up into about 4 inch "logs" and wrap them in foil. One log gives just the right blue smoke for a roasted chicken. The bigger stuff, thumb diameter or bigger I cut up in 3-4" lengths. I use it whole, I dont bother removing the bark.

[LarryR]

Wood is wood

What I'm gathering is I'm over thinking it and the KK works well on what I've been using and have access too.

I have a buddy who picked-up some peach wood for me, can't wait to try it.

BTW, if you're in Orange County I can highly recommend The Woodshed for smoke wood as well as firewood.

[Firemonkey]

Dennis might be talked into adding another hole below the fire.

That gives me an idea. We know there is a ton of heat below the basket when roasting or doing higher temps on the new KK firebox. So much that hot cooks have been charring a few knobs, and they are on the outside of the door.

I wonder how well it would work if I put a few pieces of smoke wood on the floor of the cooker, using the front door as an access point? Maybe I can get the same "refined smoke" that a smoke pot is supposed to produce since the wood will likely smolder more, and the smoke will flow through the coals on the way up? At the very least I should be able to get good smoke without the flames you can get if you just toss the wood on top of hot coals.

Hmm...might be able to make some lemonade!~

[cruzmisl]

Have been looking at the Smoke Daddy mentioned here earlier.

A board of any flavor would equal a lot of saw dust. Has anyone any experience with the Smoke Daddy?

Dennis might be talked into adding another hole below the fire.

You could probably bore a hole in the rear gas door for the Smoke Daddy.

[Conodo12]

FM - You are on the right track! When I had my Stumps, the coals falling down through the grate and onto the "smoke tray" was the ONLY recommended way to get smoke into the Stumps cooking chamber. Stumps Smokers are "gravity fed". That is, you fill a tall narrow chamber - call it 7" x 7" square opening and it is about 48" deep. You light the lump from the bottom (like when using the gas lighter option on the KK) and the small burning coals fall onto the waiting chunks of smoke wood in the "smoke tray". Same principle should work on the KK!

[smokykensbbq]

I throw a log of apple wood on and call it quits. At 225 degrees the wood just smolders on the fire and produces smoke from beginning to end.