Often the size of the wood you can use is dictated by your smoker.
| Smoker | Wood Chips or Chunks or Both |
|---|---|
| Weber Kettle Grill | Both |
| Weber Smokey Mountain | Both |
| Kamado Grills | Both |
| Charcoal Drum Smokers | Both |
| Electric Smokers | Wood chips |
| Gas Grills | Wood chips via a smoker tube or smoker box |
| Vertical Gas Smoker | Wood chips (it’s possible to use chunks in some of these smokers) |
| Pellet Smoker | Pellets and wood chips via a smoker tube or smoker box. Sometimes chunks*. |
*Some pellet smokers like the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro have added places for you to add wood chunks near the firebox.
Similarly Pitts & Spitts have a smoke cage for adding wood chunks.
It’s Mainly About How Long they Can Generate Smoke
Depending on the size of the wood chunk, they can smolder for several hours where-as wood chips will smolder for 45-60 minutes at most.
Meaning, what you’re cooking matters:
Wood chips are typically reserved for shorter cooks:
- Fish
- Poultry
Longer cooks work better with wood chunks, so:
- Brisket
- Beef ribs
- Pork butt
- Pork ribs
Some people like to add a few wood chips when they’re charcoal grilling too – just to give a kiss of smoke.
In an article I tested how long wood chips “smoke” for – it’s roughly 45-60 minutes.
You also don’t need to soak them, that’s a complete and utter waste of time.
I can tell you from experience, most wood chunks will last 60+ minutes.
When they stop generating smoke, add a new one.
For Practical Purposes is there Any Other Differences?
Nope; Wood is wood.
Whatever species you buy can be sold as chips, chunks, and splits.
