How to Burn Wood for the Best Results in Your Barbecue 

That was awsome A.J. impression.

I just finished off 12 beers. Shitz hard to follow but least im trying.

Nice video sir. I would like to add there is this thing called steric hindrance which means if the surface you are depositing on is coated with large molecules of "dirty smoke" it will inhibit the penetration and deposition of the smaller molecules of the good smoke. This is due to the ligands, they literally block off the good smoke from reaching the surface. Considering we all strive for a beautiful smoke ring, keeping that small molecule AND keeping the surface of a high PH (do not use mustard) will attract and allow the myglobin to slowly degrade. I work as a process engineer in Atomic Layer Deposition. Which is so close the symetry of BBQ it isn't funny. We layer by hydroxalating the surface to allow the binding of elements from molecules, which is why we should spray our meat. These molecules are thermaly active and we will "blow off" the ligands. This builds the layers of what we want. Now since fat binds to different molecules within the smoke and water binds to a different molecule, both equally tasty we can build profiles that backyard just cannot accomplish without data. So essentially the spray is the blow off, and we invite more of the clean burn smoke to bind. So long story short, burning a clean fire will allow us to craft a deposit of smoke we want and this isn't subject to only one wood flavor. I have run many experiments that I can layer post oak, hickory, and finish with pecan and you can tast the layers. Nice video sir!

Hey, I just wanted you to know....I have learned just about everything I know about fire management and how to properly cook brisket and other stuff using an offset smoker. You should also know that yesterday I officially cooked the best brisket I've ever made. It was as good as any of the best restaurants around and left nothing to be desired. Could not be happier with the results. GREAT COACHING from your Channel. Thank you so much!!

I would like this video 5000 times if I could. I absolutely love this series!!!

Very informative video! Appreciate all the science, your channel keeps getting better and better.

15:32 Inside your mind - "Don't say pellet smoker, don't say pellet smoker - I don't want the backlash in the comments"

I love your videos. Breaking things down to a science makes great things even greater. Keep them coming!

This is an insane amount of useful information packed into one place. Usually you have to run around a read dozens of sources that mostly cover the same material, each one offering a few unique tidbits here and there. This is a crash course in stuff usually only available to experts that have filtered through all of those sources.

Love your videos, man. I’m just bought my first offset and went into it feeling super confident thanks for your videos. The ribs turned out great for a first run, excited to do more. Thanks!

This video was an absolute game changer for, I used to think a little white/grey smoke was a good sign and if it completely cleared out I was going too hot. Instead I find out I'm often not going hot enough, and the whole thing about the wood drying/storage is going to be super helpful this summer.

This is so informative. You are literally the goat to bbq. Ppl think bbq is easy, but there is science behind it. And you sir break down that science. So thank you for your informative videos

Jeremy. I have a similar background in the sciences and therefore deeply appreciate your thoughtful presentations on the various aspects of offset smoking meat. I'm new to the endeavor and find it quite fun as I so enjoy learning. However your videos are more than simply informative, they are quite entertaining even to the point of my LOL at your impersonations. Suits my humor perfectly. Thanks so much for dramatically shortening the learning curve for all of us. Paul Shults

Thank you so much! Very informative, your videos explain the scientific transformations required to put out "better" BBQ. I've recently subscribed and really appreciate your time and effort to explain "WHY" what we do affects the final product. Cheers boss.

Awesome stuff Jeremy. Thanks for sharing

You’re channel Is now one of my favorites and my go to for smoking , thanks

Thank you for such detailed content! I absolutely love this 😃

Thanx for the tip about the moisture meter. I will pick one up.

Great video. I knew the difference between kiln dried and natural, but the science behind it was explained well. Great job.

Wow! Great video. Thanks for breaking it down and keeping it simple.

Good info on the wood. I have an Oklahoma Joe vertical smoker and struggle with temps getting too hot. I have to choke down the intake and your comment about using "smaller" sticks for fire management should help me burn a more efficient fire. Thanks Jeremy

Please make more videos like this! I geek out on this kind of stuff.

You are dead on. I am an engineer and I have been working on a microprocessor controller for several offset smokers to control the temperature and air flow. I have used 4 to 8 probes in the cooker and the firebox and recorded data in a database and analyzed it through Excel and graphs. I have been able to achieve a temperature of + or - 5 degrees with a variable speed fan that is adjusted by the integral and the derivative of the data and found what your saying in this video to be exactly on target. I find that the controller makes the cooker more stable, consistent, efficient and provides notifications when the smoker needs some attention. Great video.

Another amazing video! Thank for taking the time out and educate Me! You are the Man!

Another great one, thanks, Jeremy.

This was awesome! Thank you for sharing this knowledge and I hope there are more of these videos to come!!!

Wow. Amazing Alex impression!

So glad I found your channel, you have fantastic content here. I made my first Brisket this past Sunday. It was good and better than any BBQ restaurant around me but I want to improve it. The bark had a good flavor initially but then had a tiny bit of aftertaste. I am pretty sure it has to do with "dirty" smoke. I don't have an offset smoker, so It's an additional challenge, but I am up to it. Ready to cook another brisket armed with the knowledge you are sharing with us. Thank you!

You're the man, Jeremy. Your videos are so wonderfully educational. My offset will be made before end of June, and that's when our covid restrictions are due to be lifted here in the UK. So guess how I'm going to be celebrating!

Great stuff!

Very informative video. Explained the concepts very well 👍

Great video, keep up the hard work!

I love these more technical videos. Awesome job.

Excellent video! Very informative but still funny. Keep it up!!!

Great info, as always. I’d also love to see a video about how to tell different species of wood. I sometimes have friends that offer me fire wood, but I’m not sure what kind it is, and I don’t know how to tell cut, split wood apart. Thanks! The no smoking in the hanger sign cracked me up!

Great information about wood for off-set BBQ.

Super helpful. You make it easy to understand the what and why to helping me take my Q to the next level! Thanks Bro!

Another well put together and informative video. Thank you.

Great stuff! Thank you for all your help, I’ve learned a lot from you

Great video man very informative didn't know about kin dried wood and moisture content that helps a lot

Been waiting for this vid!

I love your BBQ videos, this one, I was just lost!

I have been smoking for over 25 years and learned I have been doing it all wrong, lol. Firing up the smoker tonight to try things differently. Also bought a wood moisture meter today; very interesting. The outside was 15.7% and then I split the wood and the inside was 25%. Keep the information coming buddy! Loving that leather smoking apron too. Thinking Merry Christmas to me!

Thanks for all the information! Watching this while I'm doing my first cook on my offset smoker!

Great info! Knowledge is powerful and this helps me understand how to manage my fire better. Thanks!

Great video . Thank you, very educational 👍

Brilliant video. Thanks.

That killed me when you did Alex Jones LOL

Awesome explanation JY!! This gave me much more ammo for when I explain "clean" and "dirty" fires to people. Ill talk a little about this in my next video, ill give you your credit though!

One thing I learned with fire investigations is that wood doesn’t burn. 🤔 It actually is consumed by a fire by giving off gases (once it gets hot enough) that burn. The more moisture the wood has, the more heat needed to get the wood to give off the gases that will burn. Great video!

YES! Keep the science videos coming! I'm a chemical engineer by day and meat cooker by night 🤪 .... I really appreciate your channel. Thanks for doing what you're doing!

Fantastic information! Thanks!

Thanks for the Video Jeremy!! great information.

At the 15:00 mark you talk about Kiln dried wood. When wood dries it has natural Phenols in the the wood. The drier it gets the more it looses of the Phenols. These are what add flavor we taste that’s trapped in the moisture of the wood.

So helpful. Thank you!

I link this video every time people advise to soak wood before putting it in a smoker!!

very cool vid. you always do great content

Great tips sure will try it out

Found a whole hickory for free! Going to pick it up today and spilt for seasoning! Love learning the science behind it! I think I read your mind, I put a water pan in my smoker the night before you released that vid! I found this hickory the day before releasing this vid! Start my new smoker build tomorrow! Getting pumped!

Great impression! THOSE FROGS did it

This is a very good explanation. I use a WSM with a Guru, and I always try to make as small of a fire as possible so it burns hot. I can tell it’s burning hot when the guru fan is running a lot. I try to keep it over 50% if possible. I really like the snake method for this with the wood buried. Most WSM people do bury their wood because they claim it smolders. I think it’s the exact opposite. The buried wood burns hotter because it’s insulated by the charcoal trapping the heat. I’ve seen over 900 fire temps this way. I can’t say how high because that’s as high as my temp gun reads. If anyone would understand my method, I figured it would be you. Thanks for all the great content.

What great video. I have learned so much from this and your Fire Management video. Looks like I'll be splitting my wood much smaller and cutting it shorter while I wait for my wood moisture meter to arrive.

Great video I’m now a fan

THIS IS PERFECT! I have always wondered and this is the perfect delineation between "clean smoke" and "dirty smoke". I would have just dumped a bunch of wet chips and smothered a pile of coles, this saved my hams !!

Great vid!

I will have to watch this video several times to get the facts in my head. However, this really makes sense. I have never considered the moisture in the wood, which makes me wonder about people soaking their chips. Many people say, "NEVER smoke your wood," but what if they're dealing with dry wood and need to add moisture?.?. Hmmm. At any rate - just ordered a moisture meter.

Loved the Alex Jones impersonation!! Again great break down of a BBQ topic!

Just had a flashback from my high school science class! Very nice detail information. As for me I'm building my 3rd 250Gal Barbecue Pit. But this one with a firebox for smoking.

How do outside temperature and wind speed affect wood burning? I have read that differences in temperature increase draft speed, so I expect that these scenarios would both feed more oxygen to your fire. Would love to see a video on the science of draft. Specifically, a video detailing what happens when you open and close the different vents on your smoker.

great explanation

This is very informative. Thank you very much for the content.

Dude that Jones impression was spot. freaking. on!

Incredible video

I am an engineer by trade but a BBQ guy by heart. This video was awesome Jeremy and now all my senses are stimulated! 😎👍

Great info for us science nerds. Thanks!

Excellent video! Definitely learned some new information to help me be a smarter pitmaster.

Your impersonation of Alex Jones was bang on!

Great video!! Can’t wait until michigan winter lets up and i can actually sit by the pit all day again!

I am from Egypt and I studied all ur videos to start smoking... built my own smoker from scratch .. cut a mango tree for wood.. and success from the first time.. Really thank u.

Ok, The Alex Jones Impression made me spit out my coffee... Lol Hilarious!

That impression was impressive

That was a very clear and useful video. Thank you very much. Saludos desde España

You should try a KBQ C60! I’d love to see you cook a brisket on it!

Love the "No Smoking" sign in the background!!!

Really good video. Actually I have been research on this very science topic and it looks like you nailed it! I have so much of the same material. Don't want you to think I've taken your material once you check mine out. Keep up the good work, I always like your material!

Thanks for the info.

I mentioned to you about trying kiln dried wood and natural seasoned wood but with kiln wood just blast the protein with “dirty” smoke kinda like Jirby.

Great video, greetings from Argentina

How much moisture content do my splits need for my little patio offset in TN? Does it need drier wood than your big Fat Stack in relatively low CA humidity? I notice fire management is easier with less humidity in the air, but the kiln dried wood definitely burns up much faster than the local hickory I mostly burn. We really appreciate the chemistry lesson, Mad Scientist! There’s an idea for you...a Dr. Frankenstein bbq video for Halloween lol.

Great video. I am new to bbq and love leaning this but I have a quick question. Are there online stores you recommend buying wood from? I live in an area I that doesn’t allow me to chop trees down. Thx!

I rented a 500gal after only smoking a WSM a handful of times. I credit your videos for us having 200lb of great brisket thank you.

LOVE THE SCIENCE MORE PLEASE

Spot on alex Jones 😂

temperature is controlled by the amount of fuel placed on the fire. and any attempt at reducing temp by closing vents will only restrict oxygen and produce dirty smoke. thanks for the explanation

So I have a stick burner and the fire box has the little slide out tray with a circle vent. Should I just cook with that left out and have it wide open?

That was great thanks for sharing

Great video

Love the video.

LOVE the AJ spot.

Another Kick-Ass video... Love gaining more understanding of the whys and hows of it all. We all become better because of it..... Goal Archived... I would enjoy learning more about the flavor elements of wood, what to look for, things to consider when choosing wood for a cook, and the reason some woods are better than others for different types of cooks, and heat temps for best results, and length of time.. exp. I have heard Misquet is not good for long cooks because of how strong the flavor it leaves so it would be overwhelming.