How To Use Wood Chips With A Charcoal Grill - Barbecue FAQ

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Just toss 5-10 wood chips on the lit coals and close the lid. The wood will smolder and produce thin blue smoke.

When the smoke stops, add more.

But They Catch on Fire, Should I Soak Them?

No.

The idea behind soaking the wood is to prevent them from catching on fire and combusting.

I’ve personally tested this and concluded that it doesn’t hold water – I mean that literally and metaphorically – especially if you soak for 30 mins.

Regardless of your beliefs, what will happen is that the water will vaporize and then the wood chips will smolder.

BUT if you open the lid at any time, you now have the same potential for combustion as you did if you just put them on the fire from the get go.

Take some aluminum foil and put some wood chips in the middle.

Either crumple it around and leave an opening or make a foil packet and poke some holes in it.

Put that on the lit charcoal and close the lid.

OR buy a smoke device like a pellet tube, smoke box or a smoker maze.

The only issue with these devices is the smoke tends to be more “bitter” tasting as apposed to wood smoldering over a hot fire.