Smokinlicious® Smoking Wood Tips: Recent Episodes
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A workable size chip for the pellet smoker hopper
Since our start as a company in 2005, we’ve heard this question asked more times than we can count. Is there any way to use wood chips with my pellet smoker?
The equipment manufacturer protection response is, No. But, as with any thought of a new potential sales market, many manufacturers wanted a means of saying “yes”.
Leading the WayYears ago, there were attempts to integrate hardwood sawdust in the pellet hopper. Thinking that sawdust is so fine it would never cause an equipment breakdown, many pellet owners used this method. In the end, it never gained legs due to no change in overall flavor.
It wasn’t until recently that one grill/smoker manufacturer wanted to step into the pellet smoker market. You might say, that’s nothing new but this was a different effort. Instead of just making a piece of equipment, this manufacturer tested the affect of combing pellets and wood chips on the equipment. He found it worked!
Did We Follow?We include a database on our site called, Match Your Cooker that allows for product match to be made to hundreds of equipment brands on the market. There are all types of equipment listed: ceramic cookers, kettle grills, electric grill/smokers, offset smoker, commercial-grade brands, bullet smokers, etc. One group of equipment that we don’t include and won’t plan to include is pellet smokers.
The reason is simple. The majority of pellet grills and smokers instructions clearly state to only use pellets. There is an unspoken understanding that if you go against this instruction, you will void any warranty.
Minuto® Chip OptionSmokinLicious® prides itself on helping others navigate the wood cooking world. For this reason, we can state that using our Minuto® Wood Chips in sizing #4 IS an option for pellet smokers. The key is in the mix between the pellets and wood chips. There are many suggestions for using equal parts of each but we feel it is more important to always blend a larger percentage of pellets to chips. The hopper is designed for the compressed wood pieces that are called pellets. Wood chips are not compressed. The other key factor is to only use wood chips that are sifted or screened into one concise size. Remember, pellets are uniform. The wood chips must mimic this uniformity.
This could finally be the first modification in using a pellet smoker for increased smoke flavor. It’s a great time to experiment. A great time to share your findings with others who love the ease of use of the pellet smoker but want just a bit more for the flavor outcome.
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Smoked Bourbon Cranberry Cocktail
Cocktail smoker kits have become the new rage! You may have had your first smoked cocktail at a craft bar and became hooked. That led to finding an easy-to-use home kit for crafting your own smoked cocktails. But, what about the cocktail smoker wood chips? If they don’t come with your kit, how do you know what size chip to purchase?
Cocktail Smoker Wood Chipshttps://smokinlicious.com/product/minuto-wood-chips/
Cocktail smoker wood chips have one distinct difference from general barbeque wood chips. They are much smaller. Because the purpose is to generate a cold smoking environment to flavor the cocktail of choice, these wood chips need to produce a quick burst of flavor. Most home cocktail kits contain the wood chip fuel source but don’t indicate the actual size of the chip.
Let’s educate you on micro wood chip sizing.
The Higher the Number, the Smaller the ChipAt SmokinLicious®, we follow the European standard for sizing micro wood chips. Since these chips were originally designed for biomass usage (biofuel), the screening or separation process to select sizes was crucial. For cocktail smoking, this point is less needed.
What is important when smoking cocktails is to use a fuel wood chip that fits in the burn chamber and ignites quickly. Trapping the smoke vapor from the smoker wood chips allows the flavor to transfer to your cocktail of choice.
Although cocktail smoker kits have different features, they all require a smoker wood chip to generate smoke. Some kits may include a small amount of the chip product while others don’t. SmokinLicious® has found that most of these kits work best with our Minuto® Wood Chip sizing, specifically, chip size #6 or #8. These numbers reference millimeter sizing of the chip. So, a #8 is smaller than the #6.
With a smaller size, ignition is quick allowing for the smoke to generate and be trapped. Within seconds, you’ll be sitting with a fresh smoked cocktail!
Brands and ModelsI’m sure we don’t know all the brands and models of Cocktail Smoker Kits out there but this is a short list of those that work with the Minuto® Wood Chips:
- Breville Polyscience The Smoking Gun Pro
- Crafthouse by Fortessa Cocktail Smoking Box
- MITBAK Smoking Gun with Dome Lid
- Oklahoma Joe’s Cocktail Smoking Box
- Homia Smoking Gun Wood Smoke Infuser
- Aged and Charred Smoke Top Lid Cocktail Smoker Kit
- TMKEFFC Portable Smoking Gun
Cheers to finding the perfect cocktail smoker kit!
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The perfect fit of wood chunks in the Camp Chef Smoke Box
We frequently take phone calls and emails from people who don’t find their purchased equipment on our Match Your Cooker listing. As you can imagine, it can be a challenge to know every brand and model available of grilling equipment. But, our goal is always to find the perfect fit of wood to grill.
Recently, Steve W. of Bartlett, IL, passed along information on his newly purchased grill – the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro
Dial In the Amount of SmokeHere’s the cool thing about this particular grill. The smoker box was designed to accommodate pellets, charcoal, wood chunks or wood chips. You can even use a combination of fuel products! Pretty awesome! The manufacturer’s design was specific to allow for more control of smoke flavor. This point is fascinating to me. I’ve listened to owners tell me they love the convenience of a pellet grill but hate the low smoke flavor. Or, that electric grills don’t allow for enough smoke production before the wood chips burn up.
Similar to the introduction of the hybrid grill, I put the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro in a similar category. It allows for variation in flavor and heat level (cooking technique) which is what a hybrid is all about.
A Little Goes a Long WayWith Steve’s help, the Camp Chef smoker box works best with just a few of our Double Filet Wood Chunk cuts. Steve indicated that if these are small pieces, a total of 3 pieces works perfectly! He can even add a bit a charcoal for extra great flavor. Our suggestion when ordering wood – just put a note in the special instruction section that you want smaller pieces of wood. We are always thrilled to customize when we can.
Make the Most of Your Grill InvestmentIn days gone by, everyone would own more than one grill to allow for flexibility with cooking style and flavor. However, we find that more people want to simplify their equipment and make one purchase that can offer more option. With the design of all inclusive grills like American Barbecue Systems, KBQ®, M Grills®, Char-Broil® Hybrid Grill and Medallion Series, and Coyote Gas Hybrid Grill, one quality purchase can do it all.
So, if your in the market for a new grill and want the versatility of various cooking techniques, consider a hybrid multi fuel option. Then find the perfect, forest grown wood product at SmokinLicious® to pair with it.
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We call 2023 the transition year! We’ve taken a look at our production and found more ways to bring you great hardwood. That includes improvements in our handling of our products.
We’ve added more hands-free packaging options for our wood chip product. We’ve improved our cutting process to our wood chunks, blocks and logs. And, we gave you a simple web design for quicker shopping. All adding up to bring you great hardwoods in 8 wood types of different products.
Great Information Is a Click Away!Best of all, we still offer great advise on cooking with wood. Whether your looking to grill or smoke a specific food, or need a solution to equipment issues, we have the answers! With our extensive recipe categories, you’ll find something for every occasion.
Reminder: Order Early for the HolidaysHave a grilling or smoking enthusiast? We have something for everyone and every type of equipment. Orders received generally have a quick turn around – most within 24 hours! Pus, shipping is included for all orders placed in the USA.
It’s great to reconnect. We look forward to providing new content in 2024 and answering all your wood fired questions about North American hardwood.
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Often, you can correct the smoke level by adding an ingredient that was not included in the recipe.
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If you have been a follower of our blog, you’re likely aware that we often feature a Guest Blogger. It’s great to get other ideas on outdoor cooking, recipes, and tips on anything to do with cooking and the outdoors. Many of our blogs offer a sharing of cooking styles and cherished traditional family […]
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Our view of wood – it is not simply what produces vapor or being a smoke generator. It is THE ingredient that provides for colour, aroma, flavour and even texture to food. Just like the other ingredients used in your operation, you need peace of mind knowing that if questions arise, you can […]
The post FROM FOREST TO SMOKE GENERATOR: TRACEABILITY PROTECTS YOUR INVESTMENT appeared first on Smokinlicious® Smoking Wood Tips.
You started your food process by ensuring you were unique in the market. You tested and retested ingredients and procedures for the perfect smoking program. Did you think of everything? What about the wood you use with your friction logs? Friction Logs- How to Create Balance with Moisture and Wood Do you know hardwood needs […]
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There are many terms around the world to describe wood used for wood-fired cooking. We take for granted in America the use of the term barbecue. In fact, even that word has its spelling variations. BBQ, barbeque, barbecue are just a few that relate to this style of cooking. Grilling is NOT barbecue! […]
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Smoking and wood-fired cooking are a passion for many. You invested in a quality piece of equipment. Shopped for the best ingredients. Dedicated time to watching videos and reading articles on smoking. Sourced hardwood that claims to be for smoking. But do you know for sure? So Many Terms Food labeling over the […]
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Have you grown tired of the limited choices in friction logs? Are you questioning why the colour, texture and/or flavour of your food products is not meeting your expectations? You found the solution right here, in SmokinLicious® Friction Logs! Why Are We Different? Because we customize! That’s right! We can customize the sizing of the […]
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Prevent Shrinkage to Grilled Hot Dogs–There is nothing more frustrating than getting your family and friends all excited for a good hot dog barbecue only to have great disappointment when the dogs come off the grill. There they are. All shrunk and shriveled that it would take a least two hot dogs to fill a […]
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It is obvious that a return to a “normal” work environment is not likely soon. You may be one of the blessed who has decided you do not want to return to an office but rather continue the joys and challenges of working, educating, entertainment and sleeping from home. To manage all these needs, meal […]
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Mike is part of the Content Marketing team and enjoys applying market insights to provide valuable content on all things real estate. Mike’s dream home would be mid-century modern style near the water. As days get warmer and summer approaches we’re all looking for more ways to spend time outside. Whether it be biking, running, […]
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Our three ways of smoking Boston Butt offers great wood smoke flavor!
3 METHODS OF SMOKING BOSTON BUTT Click To Tweet
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This certainly is a clear example of how anyone can produce authentic barbecue on the equipment they have even if it’s not a traditional smoker.
3 Methods of Smoking Boston Butt-
It should come as no surprise that majority of grill owners invest in a gas grill for their outdoor cooking with over 80% of these owners investing in multiple accessories for that grill. Often, many of these grill owners will venture to make an additional purchase of a second type of grill like a charcoal or pellet grill/smoker, in order to be able to cook more barbecue or smoked food options.
My intent is to demonstrate to you that you can produce authentic flavors, colors, textures, and aromas of favorite barbecue proteins with a variety of equipment, all outfitted with hardwood for the authentic wood flavoring.
I’ll be taking Boston butt to a traditional gas grill, a kettle charcoal grill, and a convection-style grill to demonstrate just how easy it is to cook this popular animal protein while giving you a bit of education on how these units are different when hardwood is incorporated.
Set Up Similarities and Differences for Smoking Boston Butt When it comes to setting up the grills for smoking, there are some obvious differences. First, let me name the equipment brands I’ve included and the intended set up of each for cooking and smoking the Boston Butt cuts, all of which approximate 8 lbs.
Our Boston Butt (s) on the Stok Gas Grill with accompanying Smoker boxes
The Stôk Quattro 4-Burner Grill: If you are not familiar with this grill, it is equipped with an insert system to allow you to use a standard grilling grate, a griddle, grill basket, vegetable tray, pizza stone, Dutch oven, Wok, and other inserts that easily pop in and out of the cast iron grates. Despite this feature, you can do traditional smoking using wood chunks without the need for the smoker/infuser insert.
Whenever I smoke on a traditional gas grill, I always set up a two-zone cooking method. This means, on my 4-burner Stôk, I will ignite just two of the burners on one side. You can either place wood chunks directly on the heat shields of the unit or use a metal smoker box. My Boston butt will cook on the unlit side of the grill with a metal smoker box containing 3 wood chunks on the hot side. I’ve also included a second smoker box to make it easier to swap out the first when the wood becomes completed charred. My temperature is 225°F for the actual cooking.
Our Boston Butt on the Orion Cooker with Minuto® wood chips in the inner ring
Orion Cooker: This is an outdoor convection unit that uses briquets for the heat and Minuto® Wood Chips placed around the drip/water pan for the wood flavoring. This unit will be the fastest to cook the Boston Butt, with an anticipated timing of 4-1/2 hours total. This is a direct cooking method that uses the radiated heat of the stainless-steel body to trap and circulate the heat for faster cooking time.
There is no ability to replenish the wood chips with this unit due to the high heat level. About 15 lbs. of briquet and 4 ounces of Orion Custom Wood Chips is all that is needed to smoke, plus some water in the water/drip pan for a moist outcome.
Our Boston Butt on the Weber® kettle Grill with double filet wood chunks
Weber® Kettle 22” Charcoal Grill: Likely one of the most popular charcoal grills, the Weber® kettle provides for the opportunity to cook with charcoal and hardwood. I’ll be setting up my grill using a two-zone method; charcoal/wood on half the fire area and the meat placed on the indirect side.
Due to the length of time Boston butt takes to cook, you likely will need to replenish the charcoal for maintenance of heat level. I prefer to maintain a temperature around 250° F.
For similarities: both the Weber® and the Stôk grill were set up with a two-zone cooking method. Both included use of the SmokinLicious® double filet wood chunk. The length of cooking time between the charcoal unit and the gas unit are very similar, taking close to 10 hours.
For differences: temperature maintenance is easier with the gas and convection units. The charcoal unit requires much more supervision to ensure that the fuel (charcoal) is replenished prior to the temperature of the grill decreasing significantly. You are also able to check on the meat’s coloring and evenness of cooking with the charcoal and gas units while the convection unit is generally left alone until closer to the recommended cooking times. Though you can check on the doneness of the meat at any point with the convection unit, generally there is no need to do anything but wait.
Regarding cooking variations, let’s discuss color, bark formation, moisture of the meat.
Barbecue By All Methods With all four of the Boston Butt (s) prepared in the same manner – excess fat trimmed to ¼-inch or less, a dry rub applied on all sides, and marinated for 24 hours – this is a fair comparison of how each grilling and smoking method produces the barbecue results commonly looked for.
Bark: Without question, bark or the outer crust that develops from exposure to a lower temperature, long cook time, and smoke vapor infusion was greatest on the Boston butt cooked on the Weber® Kettle 22” Charcoal Grill. The gas grill produces the least amount of bark which is dominate on the outer edges and top surface.
Color: The darkest coloring to the bark and the most obvious smoke ring was on the meat cooked on the charcoal grill. The Orion Cooker produced a brown hue to the meat’s exterior while the meat cooked on the gas grill retained a red hue that was indicative of the dry rub color. Charcoal grills will produce a black hued coloring due to two combustible materials: charcoal or charred wood and hardwood.
Moisture: The meat that produced the greatest amount of rendered juice was from the charcoal cooking method. Second, the convection grill method followed by the gas grill. However, the greatest internal moisture level was obtained from the indirect cooking method on the gas grill, followed by the charcoal method and lastly the convection method.
Final Notes: What we’ve set out to accomplish with this multi cook segment is to prove that no matter what equipment you have, you can produce authentic flavor, aroma and texture to Boston butt. This can be invaluable for those times when you may not have a lot of time to supervise the smoker or grill but still want authentic barbecue. Or, when you must make a lot of meat meaning you must use all the equipment options you have available.
All four Boston Butt (s) one done on charcoal with the Weber, another in the Orion with wood chips and two on the gas grill with wood chunks- the coloring is not much different!
From a taste perspective, our sampling group indicated that the strongest smoked flavor was from the charcoal unit, followed by the convection grill and lastly, the gas grill. Keep this information in mind when you’re cooking for others, as boldness of the smoke flavor can be controlled not only by the amount of time exposed to the smoke vapor, but also with the equipment used for the cooking and the amount and type of hardwood used in the process.
This certainly is a clear example of how anyone can produce authentic barbecue on the equipment they have even if it’s not a traditional smoker.
Making you an informed consumer through valuable articles like this one. Leave us a comment and follow us or subscribe for more great recipes, techniques, tips, and the science behind the flavor. That’s SmokinLicious®.
SmokinLicious® Products used in these techniques: Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet Wood Chips- Minuto®
More related reading on smoking Boston Butt & other Grilling tips and technique see our directory on previous blogs!
More blogs you may enjoy: -Charwood Grilled Salmon Fillets for a Hint of Smoky Flavor -GRILLED LAMB -GIVE ME THAT BEEF BRISKET! -ROSEMARY INFUSED SMOKED BEEF SHANKS FROM THE GRILL
Dr. Smoke- We used three different methods for smoking Boston Butt! All turned out fabulous & tasty!
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