the technique of adding wood chips over a charcoal fire for flavor

Adding grill wood chips to charcoal brings added flavor to any cooking category

HOW TO USE CHARCOAL WITH WOOD IN COOKING Click To Tweet

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The questions are quite frequent: “Since (the equipment) uses lump charcoal, do you need to add wood for smoke flavor?” “Do wood chips or chunks work best if they are needed or desired?” “Generally, how much lump charcoal does equipment use for 10 hours of smoke?”

Learn Adding Charcoal with Wood

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Eastern Alder tree growing in our meadow provides a light smoky taste to food when used for cooking. Perfect for fish and light tasting fare.

Eastern Alder wood for a light smoke wood flavor

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE- EASTERN ALDER!

As we highlight another hardwood from our offerings, we need to start by pointing out that we are referring to Eastern Alder not the better known Western Alder or Red Alder of the west coast. Eastern Alder is part of the Birch family, with the scientific name of Alnus but the common names for the varieties found in the Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania regions of Eastern Alder (Smooth Alder), White Alder, Red Alder.

Alder is a relatively soft hardwood of medium density. It is most commonly used with fish but I think I need to stress here that really any cooking hardwood can be used with any food item at the discretion of the cook. Many factors play in to how a hardwood reveals itself during the cooking event: rub ingredients, brine ingredients, quality of the meat/poultry/fish, freshness of the food item, style of cooking (over the coals, in the coals, indirect heat, etc.) and most importantly, oxygen flow which feeds the combustion of the wood. Alder provides a neutral coloring to the outer skin of foods which is why it is a favorite for fish. Would this be a first choice for say a steak or other beef item? No, but I certainly like to use it for lots of other things like fruit, vegetables, cheese dishes, and of course, fish.

For cooking, you can expect Alder to perform as follows:

Heat Level: Medium – 17.6MBTU

Fuel Efficiency: Fair

Ease of Lighting: Good

Ideal Uses: Cold Smoking/Poaching/Grilling/Stove Top Smoking

When you’re looking for something on the lighter menu of woods, keep Alder in mind, and explore its lighter heat level and versatility for the more delicate items of cooking.

 

Additional information:

-THE SAFE BET!

-BEYOND PRICING: THE TOP THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PURCHASING COOKING WOOD

-KIWIFRUIT GETS SMOKY

Purchase products:

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®

Wood Chunks- Double and Single Filet

Dr Smoke- "Eastern Alder is a very versatile wood for all foods."

Dr Smoke- “Eastern Alder is a very versatile wood for all foods.”

The sign is the entrance to the precious forest- allegheny national forest which includes 513,175 acres or 801.8 square acres and includes the allegheny reservoir natural habitat

The precious forest, source of forest grown hardwoods, covers 513,175 acres (801.8 square miles) and includes the Allegheny Reservoir Natural Habitat.

FOREST GROWN HARDWOODS

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It is likely when you have your heart set on some wood-fired cooked foods that you give little attention to the wood that will be required for that cooking event. You may have seen wood smoker chips or chunks available in your local box store and decided that you can always pick those up last minute, to be assured your plans aren’t foiled. Or, you simply plan to go with charcoal chips without considering that this product is made from wood as well. Is the product made from something less than forest grown hardwoods? Smokinlicious® uses only forest grown hardwoods in the production of our entire line of cooking and smoking woods!

STOP and ponder this for a moment – Do you realize where exactly those wood products come from?

Unless you are in a direct county of involvement, you likely have not realized the invasions that are occurring readily to our forests, woodlots, and home landscapes.

To date, here are some of the diseases and infestations we are battling in the USA’s Precious Forest regions:

  • Emerald Ash Borer
  • Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
  • Whitebark Pine Beatle
  • Beech Bark Disease
  • Dutch Elm Disease
  • Butternut Canker
  • Asian Longhorn Beetle
  • Dogwood Anthracnose
  • Gypsy Moth
  • Balsam Woolly Adelgid
  • Laurel Wilt disease
  • Sirex Wood Wasp
  • Sudden Oak Death
  • Polyphagous & Kuroshio Shot Hole Borer affecting sycamores, willows, oaks, maples (including Boxelder), and commercial avocado trees.

EVERY state in the US has battled imported forest pests with the hardest hit being New York State followed closely by MA, WI, IL, VA, MI, NJ, OH, and CA. Every decade, 25 new insect pests are established in the US which can lead for potential decimate of an entire tree species in just decades.

So why if you are a lover of BBQ smoking chips or BBQ wood chunks (smoking using wood chunks or woodchips) or other wood-fired foods, should issues with bugs be of concern? Because cooking by fire is the oldest known cooking method for humankind. Right now, you may simply enjoy 3 benefits of trees: for shade, for beauty (viewing), and for a flavor to foods cooked on your grill/smoker.

But there are many other benefits to forest grown hardwoods:

  • Decrease atmospheric carbon by capturing and storing CO2
  • Improve air quality by filtering pollutants and releasing oxygen
  • Reduce stormwater runoff and pollutants entering local water bodies
  • Increase property values by 3-7%

The pollutant removal alone that trees are responsible for provides a human health benefit worth $6.8 billion per year! Trees keep us alive!

As of December 2016, NYS DEC has detected an increased prevalence of Oak Wilt in the state which has no known treatment to contain and kill this fungus. Oak is one of the most popular hardwoods for wood-fired cooking methods.

Please, take the time to source wood for cooking from reputable sources and follow the laws in place in your specific state to ensure we can limit the spread of these pests and diseases, and continue to enjoy the oldest method of cooking: by fire!

related reading on this subject

related reading on this subject!

Additional reading:

-ARE FRUITWOOD TREES LIKE THE APPLE “SNOW WHITE” BIT INTO?

-TO BARK OR NOT

-SHOULD YOU GRILL WITH MOLDY WOODS?

Purchase Products:

Wood Chips-Grande Sapore®

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

 

Dr.Smoke- "Appreciate the precious forest as our renewable resource and source for forest grown hardwoods for cooking and smoking."

Dr.Smoke- “Appreciate the precious forest as our renewable resource and source for forest grown hardwoods for cooking and smoking.”

Our drawing of the typical offset smoker, which come in a variety of sizes! Study our Smokers list

Our drawing of the typical offset food smokers, which come in a variety of sizes! Study our “Match Your Cooker” list for wood use.

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For those that have followed us for years, you know we are proud that almost from the start of our Company, we were committed to providing a guide for equipment to cooking wood product match. We refer to our guide affectionately as “Match Your Cooker”.

In this article, we are covering our recommendations for smoker equipment; these are cookers that are dedicated for use as a smoker, usually hot smoking at that. As there are always new equipment lines and models released, our plan is to provide regular updates. We also encourage you to send us a message when you don’t see a manufacturer or model listed so we can add this to our listing.

For now, we introduce you to our wood master’s guide to SmokinLicious® cooking woods for specific smokers.

Barrel Smoker Logs for Food Smokers

Smokinlicious Full cut log

The following Smokers list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Barrel Smoker Log/ Full Cut Log:

BBQ Pits By Klose model: Commercial Indoor & Outdoor Pits; Mobile Cookers and Catering Rigs

Bubba Grills models: T3 Steam, 250 Gallon R, 250 Gallon Ribbox, 500 Gallon R, Hog/Shoulder Box, Custom Grills

Cookers and Grills.com model: Mobile Units, Hog Cookers, Pig Roasters

Horizon Smokers model: Trailer Smokers

Jambo Pits model: J-3 and J-5 Models

Kingfisher Kooker’s model: Commercial Rotisserie Cookers, Commercial Grill

Lang BBQ Smokers model: Competitive and Commercial Smokers

M Grills model: M1, M36, M48

Meadow Creek® BBQ model: Barbecue Smoker and Barbecue Smoker Trailer

Myron Mixon Smokers models: H2O Water Smoker, Gravity Feeds, H2O Rotisserie Water Smoker, Trailers

Ole Hickory Pits model: Convecture™ Tri Ovens

Peoria Cookers model: Mobile Units

Southern Pride BBQ Pits & Smokers model: Gas and Mobile Smokers

¼ Cut Wood Logs for Food Smokers

Image of our quarter cut log

The following Smokers list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® ¼ Cut Wood Log:

American Barbecue Systems model: “The Judge”, “The Smokehouse 6042”

Backwoods Smoker: “The Gladiator”

BBQ Pits By Klose: Combination Smokers and Grills

Karubecue model KBQ C-60 BBQ Smoker Pit

Lang BBQ Smokers model: Competitive and Commercial Smokers

Ole Hickory Pits model: Convecture™ Tri Ovens

Pitmaker model: BBQ Edge Smoker

The Good-One Smokers model: The Pitboss

Tucker Cooker Co.

 

Unfileted Wood Blocks for Food Smokers

image of the SmokinLicious® Block!

The following Smoker list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Unfileted Wood Block:

BBQ Pits By Klose: Combination Smokers and Grills

Big Poppa® Smokers models: cabinet smokers

Bubba Grills models: Super Cooker, Deck Grills, Custom Grills

Cookers and Grills.com model: Mobile Units, Hog Cookers, Pig Roasters, Backyard Chef & Patio Smoker Grills

Meadow Creek® BBQ

Pitmaker model: Hitman 48, Short Sniper, Long Rifle Sniper, Magnum Sniper Smoker

The Good-One Smokers model: The Open Range, The Heritage, The Marshall, The Pitboss

Tucker Cooker Co.

Yoder Smokers

Single Filet Wood Chunks for Food Smokers

SmokinLicious® Single Filet wood chunk

The following Smokers list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Single Filet Wood Chunks:

American Barbecue Systems model: “All Star”, “The Pit-Boss”, “The Bar-Be-Cube”

Backwoods Smoker model: “Party”, “G2 Party”, “The Fatboy”, “G2 Fatboy”, “The Pro Junior”, “The Piglet”, “Piglet Plus”, “The Competition Hog”, “The Pro-Competition Hog”, “The Whole Hog”

Big Poppa® Smokers models: all drum smokers

Bubba Grills models: Deck Grills

Char-Broil model: Highland Offset Smoker, Longhorn Offset Smoker, Longhorn Reverse Flow Offset Smoker

Cookers and Grills.com model: Charcoal/Wood Smoker Grills

Pitmaker models: Hitman 20×32, Custom Smokers

Smoke Hollow Charcoal/Gas Grill

Stump’s Smoker models: The Baby, The XL Baby, The Junior, The Classic, The Stretch, The Monster, Platinum 4, Platinum 6, Reverse Flow models

The Good-One Smokers model: The Patio Jr.

Double Filet Wood Chunks for Food Smokers

SmokinLicious® Double Filet Wood Chunk

The following Smokers list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Double Filet Wood Chunks:

American Barbecue Systems model: “All Star”, “The Pit-Boss”, “The Bar-Be-Cube”

Backwoods Smoker model: “Chubby 3400”, “Chubby”, “G2 Chubby”

Best Choice Products model: 43” Outdoor Vertical Smoker

Brinkman models: Trailmaster 57” Vertical Smoker, Roadmaster, All-In-One Gas & Charcoal Smoker, Grill & Fryer, Smoke ‘N Pit

Broil King model: Smoke Offset, Smoke Grill, Smoke Vertical

Cabela’s 7 in 1 Cooker/Smoker

Char-Broil model: Vertical Charcoal, American Gourmet Offset Smokers, Offset Smokers, Bullet Smokers, Silver Smoker

Char-Griller Grills & Smokers models: Smokin’ Champ™ 1624 Charcoal Grill, Smokin’ Outlaw 3724 Charcoal Grill, Smokin’ Pro™ E1224, Competition Pro™ 8125 Charcoal Grill, Texas Trio

Cookshack model: SmartSmoker Commercial Smoker & Smoker Oven, Smokette Electric Smokers, SuperSmoker Electric Smoker, AmeriQue Electric Smoker

Cuisinart model: COS-244 Vertical 36” Propane Smoker, COS-118 Vertical 18” Charcoal Smoker

Dyna-Glo models: DG01176BDC-D Off-Set Smoker, DGX7080BDC-D 36” Vertical Smoker, Signature Series Vertical Smoker, DGX376BCS-D Compact Charcoal Bullet Smoker

Masterbuilt models: 7 in 1 Smoker and Grill, Dual Fuel Smoker

Master Forge Charcoal Smoker/Griller

Meco (Americana) Charcoal Combo Water Smoker

Pitmaker model: BBQ Safe Smoker

Red Box Smoker

Smokin-It®

Southern Country Models: 2 in 1 Water Smoker and Charcoal Grill, 5025 Stainless Steel Charcoal Water Smoker

Stump’s Smoker models: The Mini Stumpster, The Stumpster

Texas Pit Crafters models: PM 500S BI, PM 500U BI, PM 500 U S/S BI, PM 535U BI Smoker, PM 550S BI, PM 550 Smoker with Enclosed Front Load Firebox, PM 550 Upright Smoker/Pit with Enclosed Firebox

 

Grande Sapore® Wood Chips for Food Smokers

SmokinLicious® Grande Sapore® wood chips

The following Smokers list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Grande Sapore® Wood Chips:

Alto-Shaam model: Smoker Ovens

Broil King model: Smoke Offset, Smoke Grill, Smoke Vertical

Camp Chef model: Smoke Vault Smoker

Char-Broil model: Vertical Electric & Propane

Dyna-Glo model: DGU732BDE-D 30″ Digital Electric Smoker

Napoleon model: Apollo AS200K, Apollo AS300K

Pit Barrel®: any model

Minuto® Wood Chips for Food Smokers

The following Smokers list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Minuto® Wood Chips:

Alto-Shaam model: Smoker Ovens

Bastra

Camp Chef model: Smoke Vault Smoker

Char-Broil model: Vertical Electric Smokers, Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker, Analog Electric Smoker, Simple Smoker

Dyna-Glo model: DGU732BDE-D 30″ Digital Electric Smoker

Fessmann

Hakka Electric Stainless Steel BBQ Smoker

Kerres

Koch Smokehouse

Landmann model: 26” Smoky Mountain Electric Smoker

Smoke Hollow model: 44” Two Door Propane Gas Smoker, 38” Propane Gas Smoker

Smokehouse Products model: Little Chief Front Load Smoker

SmokinTex model: 1100 Pro Series Electric Smoker

 

Piccolo® Wood Chips for Food Smokers

SmokinLicious® Piccolo® wood chips

The following Smoker list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Piccolo® Wood Chips:

AFOS

Alto-Shaam model: Smoker Ovens

Arcos

Camp Chef model: Smoke Vault Smoker

Jugema

Koch Smokehouse

Lambda

Maurer-Atmos

Ness

Schroter

Spomasz Wroclaw

Vemag

Voss

Smokin’ Dust® for Food Smokers

Our smokin Dust products

The following Smokers list equipment/models would be suitable for the SmokinLicious® Smokin’ Dust®

Alto-Shaam model: Smoker Ovens

 

 

 

SmokinLicious® products used in this blog:

Smoker Logs

Wood Blocks

Wood Chunks- Double & Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®, Minuto®, Piccolo®

Smokin’ Dust

More Related reading on this subject- More Related reading on this subject of cooking & Grilling with wood

For related reading on food smokers and other wood-fired grilling equipment, check out these articles:

 

 

-“MATCH YOUR COOKER” – CERAMIC AND KAMADO GRILL: THE WOOD MASTER’S GUIDE

-WOOD BURNING PIZZA OVENS: THE WOOD MASTER’S GUIDE

-TEMPERATURE CONTROL IS ALL IN THE AIR FLOW

-THE WATER PAN EXPLAINED FOR GRILLING & SMOKING

 

Dr. Smoke- we provide the wood chip moisture readings on all our packages as guidance for the chef to gauge the amount of smoke output to their tasting needs.

Dr. Smoke- When it comes to the performance of your food smokers, we have a ton of helpful info that will make your unit work superbly to flavor food. Feel free to tap into our “Match Your Cooker” wood master’s guide on our website.

 

 

 

 

DON’T PUT CULINARY QUALITY WOOD LAST!

Case Notes: A restaurant is preparing to open in a new location and made the decision to invest in an Italian made pizza oven that has an option for wood-fired cooking. This equipment would take 6 months to manufacture and deliver to the USA, which gave the owners time to complete renovations on their new building in preparation for the free-standing oven’s installation. During that time, menu development and plating options were reviewed and decided upon.

The one planning need that was left to the last minute – locating the supplier for the cooking hardwood and determining appropriate sizing for the new equipment! WHY???

It always surprises me that restaurateurs are willing to spend $50,000 and up for commercial equipment that does a specific function or technique, yet they don’t spend the time before that purchase ensuring they can obtain the quality accessory needs to get every benefit from that investment.

Here’s the best part: often these equipment lines tote that they can do all sorts of functions including wood-fired cooking techniques. The truth – they aren’t really promoting that function of their equipment line! They simply want to sell you the equipment and have you use standard fuel options like electric and gas. How did I come to this conclusion? By the content of the user’s manual.

Many do not reference:

  • size of wood product needed for the equipment
  • how to light the product
  • how much of the product to use
  • where to locate a supplier of the cooking wood
  • pictorials of the steps to do the technique
  • provide a troubleshooting guide.

Do you really want to spend $50,000, $60,000, $100,000 and be left to fend for yourself with that investment?

Take the appropriate steps when considering additions to or replacements in your equipment line. Research not only the equipment but what is needed to do the smoke infusion technique with that equipment. Yes, wood chips are readily available even though there is a high level of variation between products. But other products are not so easy to find like wood pieces larger than wood chips but smaller than split firewood logs.

In addition, wood-fired techniques can also require additional “tools” to be available in the kitchen that may not have been standard inventory before.

Such things as:

  • fire retardant gloves
  • fire grade tools like long-handled tongs and a wood poker
  • a MAP canister/torch for lighting the fire
  • an infrared thermometer for reading temperatures within the cooking chamber
  • an ash receptacle.

Prioritize the needs of a wood-fired equipment addition by first reviewing the best option in equipment for your business’ need and second, assessing all the requirements of the wood to be successful in bringing this technique to your kitchen!

 

Dr. Smoke- only manufacturers Culinary Quality wood- Nothing else!!

Dr. Smoke- only manufacturers Culinary Quality wood- Nothing else!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Smokinlicious® wood Blocks are perfect for a J&R Equipment

Smokinlicious® wood Blocks are perfect for a J&R Equipment

A PERFECT MARRIAGE FOR J&R EQUIPMENT

One key factor that is often not considered when the decision is made to purchase commercial-grade equipment like J&R Equipment is the cooking wood product that the unit derives its flavor from. Don’t be fooled by the statement that “any wood will be fine”, as there IS a difference! In fact, only hardwood should be used as a cooking wood, never softwoods, but even some hardwoods are not ideal for wood-fired cooking and flavor. Some bark is toxic, other woods are too high in resin, and others don’t possess a balance of flavonoids to make them pleasant to the palate.

You take the time to research equipment before making that purchase, isn’t it time you give the same consideration to the cooking wood product you need?

Our video featured here highlights the study, testing, and care we take to ensure a perfect marriage of cooking wood to equipment. Get the full potential from your J&R Equipment investment by using only hardwoods DESIGNED for cooking! Be informed, don’t hesitate to ask questions, and find the best source for the investment you’ve made and will continue to make. Remember, the success you pine for in your menu is directly dependent on the skills of both your kitchen staff AND equipment.

 

THE BEECHWOOD PRODUCTS

Beechwood Hardwood

Smokinlicious® is pleased to announce that we have added an eighth hardwood species to our product line. Beech is now available in wood chips, double and single filet wood chunk, wood blocks and heartwood logs for purchase!

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Product Development @ the “Big Pig Jig”

(2006) While we attended the “Big Pig Jig” in Georgia we noticed a significant amount of competing teams using the firewood approach to cooking. The wood they were using for the smoking process was covered in bark! We discussed not only the health concerns but also the effect of the bitterness that bark imparts on the food. Some teams swore by its use as an added flavor additive to their cook product while others were very much unaware of the health concerns.

We all have allergies, no matter what part of the country we live in, the biggest contributor to this is the pollen from plants that are caught in the bark of the trees. This pollen is in the bark portion of the tree and will be released only during the burning process! Therefore this pollen will be either imparted into the foods that are being cooked or in the air. There are creatures of the world that use the bark of the tree for their home, which will be released only during the burning process. Likewise, they will have an effect on the taste! While all teams are looking for the edge to win! My team and I could not believe that the firewood approach was so widely used!

Present Day Update

It is hard to believe that we first attended the Big Pig Jig® barbecue competition in Vienna, GA back in 2006. An exclusive whole hog competition that originated in 1982, the competition grew to include 120 teams. Subsequently, competitive categories were added making it one of the largest competitions held on the east coast. Most importantly, though, that competition launched our product development!

What We Learned from The Big Pig Jig®

Our focus then was to determine exactly the product sizing that would serve the competitive enthusiast. Talking with nearly every team, looking at the current wood being used, and examining how the wood performed in the humid conditions of GA in Fall were goals. We wanted to know what made a person seek a certain wood.

What did our efforts produce?

First, the experience proved we needed to produce a bullet list. For example, why firewood is not ideal for smoking meats. Most everyone was using a split firewood or some sizing of firewood. And, bark was found on most of the woods.

Second, our product line began to take shape. Chunk sizes, log options, and saleable carton sizes all resulted from our observations.

The main result though, was on moisture. We studied just how wood could be stored to allow competitors from around the globe to have an ideal competitive hardwood.

In the end, the Big Pig Jig® was responsible for our success as a hardwood supplier. Our selling points of being bark free, made from heartwood, and offering an assortment of sizes resonated with many. However, the biggest incentive was our moisture information. Now, everyone had an edge to become a winning cooking even if the cooking was only happening at home.

Dr. Smoke image as he toured the event

Dr. Smoke image as he toured the event