Frequently Asked Questions » Smoking

We've compiled a list of commonly asked questions for you to peruse - if you've had a question nagging you about the following topics, we hope you'll find it here. If you've haven't found what you're looking here, you can ask on the BBQ Forums.

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Q: Even though I follow the directions that came with my smoke box, I don't seem to be getting the desired effect when trying to use wood chips for flavor in my gas grill. Am I stupid, or what?

A: What. Here's the deal: it seems most smoke boxes and commercially packaged wood chips come with instructions to soak the chips in water for about 30 minutes before placing them in the smoke box. The theory behind this is the wood chips will put out more smoke and burn longer. The reality behind this is most foods are nearly finished cooking before the wet chips begin to burn, resulting in not much smoke flavor being imparted into the food. There are two approaches to take, depending on what you are grilling. One is to mix equal parts dry and wet chips together. This works best for chicken, ribs, roasts or anything that will be cooking for more than 20 minutes. The dry chips get things going right away, while the wet ones give you the legs to go the distance, adding more moisturized smoke during the longer cooking times. For grilling steaks, fish or anything that will be on the grill a relatively short amount of time, use dry chips only in the smoke box. This will maximize the smoke flavor acquired by the food during the short amount of time it is on the grill.