FOOD NEWS
Soaking Wood Chips For Grilling Isn't As Handy As We Thought
By Molly Wilson
Over the years, grilling experts have claimed that soaking wood chips is necessary to stop them from burning up too quickly and will help increase the amount of smoke they produce.
However, according to the experimentation from the team at AmazingRibs.com, soaking wood chips for even 24 hours showed that very little water was being absorbed.
Soaked wood chips actually negatively affect the grilling process by slowing the cooking time, upsetting the grill's temperature, and reducing the flavor imparted from the grill.
The wood chips themselves won't rise above 212 degrees Fahrenheit until all the moisture has evaporated, which can take between 30 minutes and an hour.
If the wood chips aren't getting up to temperature while the moisture evaporates, the meat will be sitting in the smoker at the wrong temperature for this extra time.
Instead of dark gray smoke, you need thin, blue smoke for a rich flavor. Because soaked wood chips start by giving off steam, they'll take longer to reach this ideal smoke type.