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[BigDave83]

DK, I tried to buy wood chunks from Smoke Daddy but the shipping charge was outrageous did you find a source that was affordable?

I have gotten wood chunks at Home Depot and even Lowes or Walmart may have them. These are usually fist sized chunks, I have a small table top band saw. I used to buy a bag and then cut them on it so they would work in my electric smoker.

I bought some chunks off Amazon a few years ago also.

[Canadian John]

 WOOD CHUNKS.

  You may want to try a firewood supplier. They might be willing to sell you a few pieces, cut & split them if required.  Easy for them as they have the tools.  All @ a cost.

 Even @ triple the cost it would be less $ than buying a few chunks of "Special BBQ wood".

 Tree trimming services may be another source.

  One piece of firewood split & cut produces many chunks.

[hughver]

John, I came to the same conclusion and bought some hickory firewood. My 12" radial arm saw, a hammer and a wedge should make lots of chunks for this device.

[pmillen]

There's a hardware store near me that carries a huge supply of wood for cooking year around.  An employee told me that most of the higher cost is due to the wood being heated for a few hours at a temperature high enough to kill fungus spores and boring insects.  Restaurant owners must be able to prove to health inspectors that their wood that's stored inside the restaurant has been accordingly treated.

EDIT:  As a result, the smoking wood that I buy is stored outside.  I sometimes see bugs.  Those harvested trees died from something.  It's difficult to know what tree disease I might be bringing home.

[Canadian John]

There's a hardware store near me that carries a huge supply of wood for cooking year around.  An employee told me that most of the higher cost is due to the wood being heated for a few hours at a temperature high enough to kill fungus spores and boring insects.  Restaurant owners must be able to prove to health inspectors that their wood that's stored inside the restaurant has been accordingly treated.

EDIT:  As a result, the smoking wood that I buy is stored outside.  I sometimes see bugs.  Those harvested trees died from something.  It's difficult to know what tree disease I might be bringing home.

 
 All the wood I have processed into chunks has had the bark removed. If left on it leaves a good home for the unwanted & permotes decay. Finally splitting it makes it

 less hospitable for the critters.

 There is always the possibility of systemic chemicals in fruit trees that have been sprayed. I live with it.

 The restaurant wood you describe isn't debarked, cut & split as debarked chunks are. Nor are they closely inspected as in our home processing methods.

 That was good interesting info Paul.

[dk117]

been a while on the updates.  Vegetarian daughter on the east coast, youngest now 17 and rarely home.  Leaves just the two of us and firing up the pit doesn't happen as often as it used to.  I recollect a lot of  you mentioning that over the years at PF and PH ... I guess I'm in the same boat now.  I did two tri tip last night, nothing special, but the heavy d seems to be doing it's job.  My wife commented on the additional smoke flavor, not overpowering but the nudge in that direction that I was looking for.  I did not spend the hour on high to get the smoke going, just cooked as normal, maybe a minute extra to add the hickory and lump charcoal. 

This is what I've been looking for.  Set it and forget it with pellets but a stronger smoke flavor (won't pretend it's a stick burner, but I like the subtle difference.)

[hughver]

I bought the heavy d and my Traeger with SS4 controller took over an hour to get down to the set temperature. I used cherry wood on one side and apple wood on the other side, no charcoal. I'll add charcoal for next cook. 

[pmillen]

Hugh, I infer from your comment about your Traeger taking an hour to get down to your desired temperature that the Heavy D burns wood that adds heat to the cooking chamber.  The controller calls for pellets just to keep the flame (pilot light) and the wood burning in the Heavy D maintains a too-high temperature.

I further infer that it isn't until the Heavy D fire reduces that your Traeger's temperature reduces to your desired set point.

If I'm correct, then should users add only very small wood pieces into the Heavy D to ameliorate the temperature skew?

[Bar-B-Lew]

or turn down controller temps

[pmillen]

or turn down controller temps

I don't follow you.  If Hugh has the controller set to 225°F and the wood burning in the Heavy D has the temperature above that, the controller is going to add just enough pellets to keep the fire going.

What would be accomplished by turning the set point down to, say, 200°F?

[Bar-B-Lew]

or turn down controller temps

I don't follow you.  If Hugh has the controller set to 225°F and the wood burning in the Heavy D has the temperature above that, the controller is going to add just enough pellets to keep the fire going.

What would be accomplished by turning the set point down to, say, 200°F?

It probably won't burn the wood as fast and increase the pit temp near the probe is my guess.  I think it is something that is worth experimenting with.  May also be worth trying putting the wood in some sort of stainless container with a perforated lid to keep it from burning so fast and driving up temps in the pit.

[BigDave83]

Found Dennis doing a video on how to use.

https://youtu.be/nrO37c5NlKU?si=p9SDkeka3AMwz11H

[hughver]

In anticipation of the additional heat, I set the pit to 150 degrees.

[dk117]

last night was chicken breast, plain old chicken breast.  Marinaded with a store brand type Italian marinade.   Aka nothing special.  Came out a tad dry, top 5 chicken ever made.  The extra smoke was very present. 

At least for me, this is a game changer.   The extra layer of smoke flavor is improving all my cooks. 

hughver I'm only a few cooks in, but I'm no longer running up the temp, just two small hickory sticks and two small lump charcoal pieces.  Not having the temp issues I did on the trial run. 

[dk117]

not sure I have a ton to add here other than saying once again ... game changer.  Last night was skinless, boneless chicken thighs.  They really took the extra smoke flavor.   I've been using half a hickory chunk from Smoke Daddy and a lump charcoal from Safeway on each side.  My pit actually smells different, you can experience the additional smoke during the cook.  The end results are some of the best I've done in playing around with this hobby since 2009.