Wood chunks. Yes or no?

[Finster]

PBC users..
Talk to me about wood chunks. Who uses them, who doesn't?
I always use a couple chunks of fruit wood mixed with a couple of hickory, or oak, over top of Cowboy briquettes. Thinking of doing a cook with just the briquettes to see if I notice a difference...
Chunks, or no chunks. What's your preference?

[Panhead John]

I always use wood chunks, 90% of the time hickory, 10% of the time mesquite. Occasionally both.

[Finster]

@Panhead John

In fairness, I didn't add the PBC part to my post until after you, and a couple others, had responded.
I thought posting in the PBC forum would be enough to make it understood that's what I was asking about 🤷‍♂️
Evidently not 😆
I guess with so few posts in the Bronco forum, you guys need to wander into other forums for attention 🤪

[Panhead John]

Funny! 😂 …….I rarely look at what channel something’s posted under first, as do most people. I just read the title of the post. The channel is way at the top in small letters, the post title is what grabs your attention. Please try and refrain from making this type of gaffe again sir, Thank You. 🤣

[valvoline10fan]

if you get a chance try some red oak chunks the smell is amazing like this website is !

[hoovarmin]

It all depends on what I'm cooking, really. I use them for long slow cooks where I want smoke flavor but rarely ever for grilling. I never use them for chicken because I prefer the smoke from chicken fat to wood smoke and chicken can take on too much wood smoke in a hurry.

[hoovarmin]

Uncle Bob they are indeed, but when I use apple for chicken I go with chips or cut my chunk down to a sliver with a hatchet.

[Finster]

Ok @Uncle Bob
Now I'm gonna have that song stuck in my head all day.
😡😬😆

[hoovarmin]

Finster, that's the truth. I forgot to thank you Uncle Bob for insuring that every time I use apple with chicken again I'm going to hear Atlantic Star playing in my brain.

[RickyBobby]

I always use them when the chosen cooker of the day supports them. I always have bags of Cherry and Apple chunks on hand. Usually also hickory or oak.

[rlozinak]

I never use chunks if I am just grilling, but if I am smoking something then I always use chunks. I never use them in the pellet pooper. Only on the Weber 22 or when I had the WSM.

[Dadof3Illinois]

Like others have said, it just depends if I want a smoky flavor or not. It also depends on what I’m cooking on too. My typical goto’s are nut woods for beef and fruit for chicken and pork. But overall yea I use chunks.

[Donw]

Same here but I don’t mix various classes of wood together. Hickory, mesquite and the like will overpower any fruit wood smoke. Save the fruit woods for foods which they pair well with and don’t overpower them with the stronger hickory and the like smoke.

[Old Glory]

I use chunks when smoking low and slow; buried in the charcoal in my BGE or WSCG for ribs, butt, and brisket.

Sometimes on a reverse sear tri-tip, vortex wings, or whole chicken I'll use a chunk to add some smoke.

Never just grilling.

Oak and hickory for beef. Fruit wood and maple for pork and chicken.

[Jfrosty27]

I toss a chunk on when I use the Vortex for chicken. Usually apple, occasionally hickory. That's it really. Otherwise, I'm cooking in the pellet and cooker so no added wood.

[mcook2201]

Yes. For most all cooks I use some wood chunks or splits. If I use the gasser (very rare) I don't. Primarily use hickory, apple and pecan. I prefer to have a little smokey flavor when grilling.

[Northern lights smoke]

Pecan, plum, apple and cherry and some oak. Plum will give the darkest smoke ring.

[Finster]

First I've heard of using plum.
Love cherry for the color it adds to ribs..

[Northern lights smoke]

Finster plum gives a darker pronounced smoke ring, think of cherry except dark like the color of a dark juicy plum, it's more of a maroon.

[radiodome21]

I always use them in my WSM. Right now I have 4 chunks on there for another stab at pulled beef. 3 apple and 1 hickory.

[Finster]

Thanks all.

I edited my original post, as I was mainly interested in PBC use with chunks...
I've always used them, but the PBC site instruction videos never mentions them. 🤷‍♂️

[mrichie1229]

I use wood chunks in my PBC. I usually take out a few briquets to account for the wood when I fill the basket. I use hickory or apple depending upon what I'm cooking. Depending on how things go, I may add more wood or briquets during the cook.

[MBMorgan]

Tried chips in foil smoke pouches for a while (thinking I'd switch to chunks) ... but eventually found it all unnecessary in the PBC. IMHO, of course ... ...

[cashelton]

In the PBC, I always use chunks. I've started putting 1 or 2 chunks in the chimney with charcoal when lighting to make sure at least a couple of chunks get lit.

[Finster]

Interesting trick. Does it help with cleaner smoke at outset?