Wood chips are a great way to create extra smoke. Whether you add wood chips directly to the fire or in a smoke box, wood chips will help create a stronger smoke flavor on the food.
Not to mention, you can also add different flavors to your smoked meat by using different wood chips in the smoker.
However, a common question I hear is if you can use wood chips in a smoke tube?
After all, you can add wood chips to a smoker box or directly into a fire but what if all you have is a smoke tube?
Wood chips can be placed in a smoke tube in order to create more smoke. Make sure to pack the wood chips tightly in the smoke tube so the wood chips smolder which will create more smoke.
So wood chips can be used in a smoke tube in order to create additional smoke.
Generally, smoke tubes or pellet tubes are used with wood pellets. However, wood chips will also work just fine in smoke tubes.
Using Wood Chips in Smoke Tubes Step-by-Step
Follow these steps in order to use wood chips in a smoke tube successfully.
- Place wood chips into the smoke tube
- Cram the wood chips into the smoke tube as tightly as possible
- Light one end of the wood chips
- Place the smoker tube onto the smoker
So creating additional smoke with wood chips in a smoke tube is similar to using wood chips in a smoker box.
Smoke tubes are originally designed for wood pellets. So it’s important that you cram the wood chips in the smoke tube.
Cramming the wood chips in the smoke tube will ensure that the fire continues to spread and that the wood chips smolder.
The image to the left is how your smoke tube should look when filled with wood chips.
What Do You Put in a Smoke Tube?
Generally, smoke tubes or pellet tubes are intended for wood pellets. However, wood chips can also be placed in smoke tubes as long as the wood chips are packed tightly. Simply ignite the wood pellets or wood chips and place the smoke tube in the smoker.
Some at-home pitmasters use a blend of wood chips and wood pellets in smoke tubes. That way you get the best of both worlds.
The wood pellets will ensure that the fire continues to spread throughout the smoke tube while the wood chips will have your preferred smoke flavor.
Can You Put Charcoal in a Smoker Tube?
Charcoal briquettes and lump charcoal cannot be placed in a smoker tube. Smoker tubes are intended to create more smoke by burning wood chips or wood pellets. However, charcoal flavored wood pellets can be placed in a smoker tube.
Once a smoker tube has been filled with wood pellets or wood chips, the smoker tube can be placed on any smoker.
So a smoker tube can be used on a charcoal grill. However, charcoal briquettes and lump charcoal cannot be placed in a smoke tube.
Do Smoke Tubes Really Work?
Smoke tubes do work and will create additional smoke. Once the smoke tube is filled with wood pellet or wood chips and ignited, the smoke tube will create low heat smoke. Place the smoke tube near the food on any grill or smoker and the food will taste smokier.
The benefit of using a smoke tube is that the smoke can be easily added or removed from any grill. Moreover, the smoke tube can be filled with any wood flavor pellet or wood chip so you can create your favorite smoke flavor.
Not to mention, you can use one flavor of wood in the smoker such as cherry while using a different wood flavor in the smoke tube such as apple. This way you can blend smoke flavors together by using the smoke tube.
How Do you Stop a Smoking Tube?
A smoking tube can be stopped by using a spoon to separate the burning pellets or wood chips from the unburned pellets or woodchips. The smoke tube may continue to produce a little bit of smoke as the wood pellets and chips cool down.
If you are only using wood chips in the smoke tube, then you can simply drop the smoke tube in a bucket of water to stop the smoking.
However, if you are using wood pellets in the smoke tube, then do not use water to stop the smoke tube from smoking. Wood pellets cannot get wet and should never be soaked.
So the burning wood pellets need to be removed in order for the smoker tube to stop smoking.
Can You Use Wood Chips in a Pellet Smoker?
The only way wood chips can be used in a pellet smoker is with a pellet smoker tube. The wood chips can be placed in the pellet smoker tube in order to create additional smoke on the pellet smoker.
Wood chips cannot be used within a pellet smoker’s hopper since the wood chips would jam and potentially damage the pellet smoker.
However, wood chips can be packed tightly into a pellet smoker tube in order to create additional smoke.
See this article to learn more about how to use wood chips in a pellet smoker.
One Last Word
Smoke tubes are a great way to create additional smoke on any grill or smoker.
Whether you use wood chips or wood pellets, a smoker tube will create the added smoke you’re looking for.
However, keep the following in mind when using wood chips in a smoke tube:
Wood chips can be placed in a smoke tube in order to create more smoke. Make sure to pack the wood chips tightly in the smoke tube so the wood chips smolder which will create more smoke.
So as long as the fire doesn’t go out when using wood chips in a smoke tube, then the smoke tube will work as intended.
Now grab your favorite wood chips and get to smoking!
