BBQ Wood and Fuel
Wood is the soul of barbecue. The fuel you burn sets the temperature, and the smoke it makes sets the flavor. Here is how to choose smoking woods, what form to buy them in, and how charcoal fits in.
Hardwoods, not softwoods
Barbecue is cooked with hardwoods: woods from broadleaf trees such as oak, hickory and fruit trees. Resinous softwoods such as pine, fir, spruce and cedar are generally avoided for smoking because their resins and sap make harsh, sooty smoke. Never burn wood that is painted, stained, pressure-treated, or from pallets or construction scraps, which may contain chemicals.
Seasoned wood
Fresh-cut ("green") wood is full of water. It is hard to light, burns cool and makes heavy, white, acrid smoke. Seasoned wood has been dried, usually for many months, until it burns cleanly. Seasoned splits are lighter, often show cracks on the ends, and sound hollow when two are knocked together. Store wood off the ground and under cover, with airflow.
Popular smoking woods
| Wood | Flavor | Common uses |
|---|---|---|
| Hickory | Strong, savory, bacon-like | Pork, ribs, brisket; Kansas City and Southern styles |
| Oak (including post oak) | Medium, clean, steady | Brisket and beef; central Texas |
| Pecan | Like a mellower hickory, slightly nutty | Pork, poultry, beef |
| Mesquite | Very strong, earthy | Beef, quick grilling; West Texas |
| Apple | Mild, sweet, fruity | Pork, poultry |
| Cherry | Mild, sweet; deepens color | Pork, poultry, beef |
| Maple | Mild, slightly sweet | Pork, poultry |
| Peach, pear, plum | Mild, fruity | Pork, poultry |
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service mentions hickory, apple and maple as woods that give satisfying smoke flavor. Blends are common: hickory with cherry for ribs, oak with a little hickory for brisket. Strong woods such as mesquite and hickory can overpower long cooks if the fire smolders; mild fruitwoods are forgiving.
Forms of wood
- Splits (logs): the main fuel in offset smokers and pits. They provide heat and smoke together.
- Chunks: fist-sized pieces added to charcoal in kamados, drums, kettles and water smokers. They smolder slowly for lasting smoke.
- Chips: small pieces for short cooks, gas grills and electric smokers. They burn quickly.
- Pellets: compressed sawdust for pellet smokers. Use food-grade cooking pellets, not heating pellets. See pellet smokers.
To soak or not to soak
Some recipes, including FSIS guidance for charcoal smokers, suggest soaking chips in water to prevent flare-ups. Many pitmasters skip soaking chunks and splits, because wet wood has to steam dry before it smokes. If you use chips in a hot fire, soaking slows their burning; for chunks and splits, dry seasoned wood gives the cleanest smoke.
Charcoal
Lump charcoal
Lump is hardwood that has been burned in a low-oxygen environment until only carbon remains, in irregular pieces. It lights quickly, burns hot, and leaves little ash. It is the preferred fuel for kamados. See kamado smokers.
Briquettes
Briquettes are made of charcoal and other materials pressed into uniform shapes. They burn at a steady, predictable rate, which makes them popular in kettles, drums and water smokers. They produce more ash than lump. FSIS advises letting charcoal get red hot with gray ash before cooking. Avoid "instant-light" briquettes for smoking unless they have fully burned to gray, since the lighter fluid needs to burn off.
Lighting the fire
- A chimney starter lights charcoal with newspaper or a fire starter cube and no lighter fluid.
- FSIS advises using only approved fire starters, never gasoline or paint thinner.
- Let the coals ash over before adding wood or meat.
Clean smoke
Whatever you burn, aim for thin, pale blue or nearly invisible smoke. Thick, white, billowing smoke usually means the fire is starved of air or the wood is damp, and it can make food bitter. Give the fire air, keep it small and hot, and add wood that has been pre-warmed if you can.
Matching wood to style
- Texas: post oak for brisket; mesquite in West Texas.
- Kansas City: hickory.
- Carolina: hardwood coals, often oak and hickory.
- Memphis: hickory, often with charcoal.
Safety
Store wood and charcoal away from the house and from heat sources, keep them dry, and dispose of ash only after it is completely cold, in a metal container. Never burn charcoal or wood indoors or in a garage; it produces carbon monoxide.
Related: smokers compared, gear, glossary.
How much wood?
It depends on your smoker, the weather and the length of the cook. An offset burns through splits steadily for the whole cook; a kamado may need only a few chunks buried in its charcoal. Always have more than you think you will need, especially for overnight cooks and whole hogs. Running out of fuel mid-cook is one of the most common barbecue mistakes.
Sources
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