Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Propane vs Electric smoker?

I've read conflicting info on whether you need to soak your wood chips in water or not?

No, don't do that.

The old school thought was soak the wood if you're going to drop the wood chunks directly on charcoal. Burning dry wood does not create much smoke. But it is simple enough to move the wood chunks off the heat to smoke without rapidly burning.

I have a master built elec, unless they are insulated, they are a push in cold weather.

I like pellets much better than chips. They smoke great and last longer.

I always soak my chunks and chips overnight. You risk burning dry ones instead of smoldering them. I use a mix so the chips get smoke going early and the chunks (fist sized) smolder longer. I get an hour to 90 minutes of smoke that starts almost immediately. That's all I need or want but if I wanted more smoke flavor I could always drop in a couple more chunks.

We have lots of a orchards here where I can go beg a couple of trimmed apple, pear, cherry, peach, or apricot limbs. I like them about two inches in diameter, which I saw into three- to four-inch lengths. I keep them for six months to a year before using them so they aren't green. In a pinch, I can always buy a bag of chunks. That's how I get mesquite when I use that - which is only rarely because it's pretty intense.

Thanks for all the great input.

That's the model I have and it works well.

Soaked chips just take longer to smoke.

A lot of what people fancy as smoke is actually steam.


Why would you want punky shìtty smoke?

It's all some can afford.

I’ve never soaked the wood chips.

Dry chips and chunks are fine - if you want a campfire under your meat. Personally, I believe flames are not a good idea. I soak mine.

You are delaying the oxidation necessary for smoke production.

If you have to use water to control heat and thus...flames...you have poor air control.


Get that fire to skunk and smolder with oxygen....not dihydrogen monoxide.

Agree 100%. Steam and smoke are obviously not the same thing.

I won't argue, but based on almost four decades of experience, I'll keep doing what I believe in. Results speak for themselves.

You have also said that you have an absolutely disgusting sense of what good food is.

Or what might even classify as "edible".

LOL

Go gettem JC.

If ya can't get 'fire clams ta realize they shouldn't throw water on their fire, when they're tryin ta cook, there's no hope.

Jim, I have NEVER said such a thing.

I have routinely read your posts where you have chronicled some of terrible things you have eaten over the years.


I don't remember them right off hand.....but I guarantee that you have eaten some horrible things over the years.