{"id":10771,"date":"2023-01-26T14:42:07","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T14:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/?p=10771"},"modified":"2023-09-27T07:10:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T07:10:35","slug":"how-often-to-add-wood-chips-to-electric-smoker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmastercentral.com\/how-often-to-add-wood-chips-to-electric-smoker\/","title":{"rendered":"How Often to Add Wood Chips to Electric Smoker? 4 Things to Consider"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most seasoned pitmasters recommend adding wood chips every 30 minutes to 1 hour<\/strong>, but this will depend on several factors. It depends on your smoker model, whether you want a mild or strong smokey flavor, the type of meat, and the cooking duration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a professional pitmaster, I\u2019ve spent my life honing barbecue tips and techniques<\/a> I use. Over the years, I have used plenty of smokers. In my experience, using wood chips in an electric smoker is a forgiving, hands-off technique that gives excellent results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I will cover what to consider when adding wood chips to your electric smoker, and the best way to use wood chips in your smoker. I will also explain how your electric smoker uses chips.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What to Consider When Adding Wood Chips to Your Electric Smoker?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Several factors greatly impact how often to add wood chips. They include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Smoker Model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Smokers are not designed the same way. They come in different sizes to suit diverse needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Masterbuilt 30-inch<\/a> smoker, for example, will hold \u00bd cup of wood chips at a time. You\u2019ll need to refill the chips when they burn out. Chips on this model are fed into the side of the smoker. It\u2019s a great piece of equipment but it has a rather small chip tray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some smokers have such huge wood chip boxes that produce a steady continuous smoke for up to 7 hours without needing to be refilled. A great example is the No products found.<\/span> electric smoker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some smokers are designed to produce more smoke than others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Smokey Do You Like Your Meat?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just as smoker models are different, so are our flavor palettes. So how much smoke flavor do you want on your meat? Some people like a smoky kick on their smoked meat, while others prefer a more subtle smoke flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some pit bosses think electric smokers produce inferior smoke compared to charcoal, pellet, or kamado grills. <\/strong>There is no live fire – just a heating coil. You won\u2019t get the same smoky flavor that other grills crank out.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Big is the Meat You\u2019re Cooking?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Large foods and small foods will require different amounts of wood chips because they take different amounts of time to cook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding wood chips to your smoker regularly ensures that the meat smokes evenly and that the flavor of the smoke penetrates the meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large foods like brisket will take longer to cook. This will require more wood chips for the flavor to penetrate the meat fibers. Small foods, like fish, will require fewer wood chips.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Smoking Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The amount of time your meat will stay on the smoker is another determining factor. It goes hand-in-hand with adding more chips. The longer you smoke something, the more wood chips you\u2019ll need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you expect to spend 6 hours smoking your meat, you will obviously use more wood chips than a 2-hour-long barbecue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Much Wood Does My Smoker Use?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For an accurate answer, perform a dry run and keep notes<\/strong>. If it is brand new, start by seasoning your smoker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Season your smoker by running it for 3 hours or so. Add some wood chips for the last 45 minutes. Turn off the heat. Congrats, you have seasoned your smoker!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the dry run, add wood chips to the chip tray and record how long it produces smoke. When the smoke stops, check the chip tray. Is it empty? If so, that\u2019s how often you\u2019ll need to refill your smoker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if your smoker produces an hour of smoke per batch of wood chips, you’ll need to refill it once when smoking for 2 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Use Wood Chips in An Electric Smoker?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Use wood chips to infuse your food with a kiss of wood smoke. If you\u2019re trying to make authentic barbeque, you\u2019ll want to add wood chips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can cook meat in your electric smoker without any wood chips. It is fitted with a heating element that cooks the food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, there are two main reasons why barbecue warriors use wood chips in an electric smoker. They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Smokey Flavor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, wood chips will produce smoke. This smoke flavors the meat.<\/strong> (It doesn\u2019t have to be meat. All kinds of foods can benefit from a kick of smoke flavor.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood chips create a thick white smoke in the smoking chamber that penetrates the meat fibers, giving it a unique taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Versatility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Using wood chips adds versatility to dishes since there are many smoking wood chips to choose from. They include mesquite, hickory, pecan, maple, apple, peach, and oak, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than that, you can experiment by mixing different flavors of woods like apple and oak or peach and pecan until you find the perfect blend that tickles your fancy.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Adding<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Which is the Best Way to Use Wood Chips in An Electric Smoker?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Depending on your model, there are 3 ways to add wood chips: using the wood chip tray, a foil pouch, or a smoker box.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can employ any of these 3 methods of adding wood chips depending on your smoker design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using a Wood Chip Tray<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most electric grill models come with an in-built wood chip tray. It is the easiest way to introduce wood flavor into your barbecue because it is straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To use your chip tray, follow these simple steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n