5 Mistakes To Avoid When Using Wood Smoking Chunks And Chips

1.Choosing the wrong type of wood

 If you use a smoker, check whether you can use both wood chunks and wood chips there. Some of the smokers are designed for wood chips only.
Next, you should know which types of wood cannot be used. These are such trees as fir, cedar, pine, cyprus, no treated or painted wood.
Cherry, apple, alder, oak, beech, ash, hickory, and mesquite are widely used and safe for smoking and grilling.
To balance the taste combine sweeter ingredients with a hardwood like oak, beech, or hickory. Fruity wood will not be suitable in such case.

2. Adding too much wood

This a common mistake and it can lead to a bitter and unpleasant taste of your food.

Start with 6-8 ounces of wood and add more only when the wood reduced to ⅓ its size. If you are using wood chunks it will be roughly one wood chunk for every hour of smoking.

3. Too much smoke 

There is no need to add more wood to the smoker or grill when you do not see smoke. The best smoke is barely visible with a blue tint. You should still smell the aroma of wood as it burns. If the smoke smells bad, the food you cook will also have a bad taste.

4. Opening the lid when there is no need

Proper oxygen flow has a great impact on how your grilled or smoked food will taste. Stop peeking while smoking when there is no such need as the heat escapes each time you open the lid.

5. Choosing the wrong moisture level of the wood

For smoking and grilling with the direct or indirect method, the ideal moisture level will be 15-25% since this wood will last longer. Too dry wood, less than 10% is more suitable for campfire cooking as it creates much heat and burns faster.