# Experienced BBQers (who use wood-based fuel, not gas): What is your fuel of choice? (Poll)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experienced-bbqers-who-use-wood-based-fuel-not-gas-what-is-your-fuel-of-choice-poll/1000965>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** food-cooking\
**Created:** [April 30, 2024, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experienced-bbqers-who-use-wood-based-fuel-not-gas-what-is-your-fuel-of-choice-poll/1000965 "2024-04-30T13:30:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 12

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**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experienced-bbqers-who-use-wood-based-fuel-not-gas-what-is-your-fuel-of-choice-poll/1000965/12 "2024-04-30T16:36:54Z")

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> [@WildaBeast](#):
>
> As someone who grew up in the South, we need to make sure we all agree on what we mean by “BBQing” 😉

Good point! I am well aware of the difference. For the purpose of this thread I was going for cooking with wood-based fuels in general, but yes, grilling vs. true low & slow BBQ are two entirely different things, and I should have been more specific.

For BBQ, I use a mix of briquets and briquet-sized wood chunks (in about a 75% / 25% ratio, or maybe a little higher on the wood side) in my Weber Smoky Mountain bullet-style smoker. I burn the coals using the minion method (I also had great success [BBQing an entire brisket in my Weber kettle grill](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barbecued-beef-brisket/965672) using a snake ring method).

For quick grilling, let’s say steaks, I often use a combo of briquets and wood chips that I soak in water beforehand (yes, I know wet smoke is not the greatest, but the chips just burn up too quickly otherwise). I will also sometimes make a small separate hardwood fire and add the mostly spent wood embers to the coals on the grill. But I’m thinking, since a lot of posters are saying that lump burns hotter, I’ll switch to lump for quick, hot grilling, to get a better sear on my steaks.

Then there’s an in-between, with a hot coal side in my kettle grill (mix of briquets and dry wood chunks) and a cool side for indirect heat. This is good for say, chicken parts or whole chickens, or for medium-sized roasts-- get a good sear all over the meat on the hot side of the grill, then move to the cool side for a lowish & slowish finish.

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