From a BBQ competition standpoint, what should I know
about various fuel sources?
By Chris Petty, KCBS Judge and co-founder of In Pursuit of Pork
When it comes to great barbecue, there are about as many ways to prepare it as there are
people who love it! Many of the variations can be due specifically to cooking fuel source. Some
of the choices for low and slow barbecuing fuel sources include gas, charcoal, pellets, wood or
any combination of these. Now, I certainly won’t tell anyone that you can’t make good
barbecue with any particular fuel type, because all fuel sources work well, if you know how to
use them correctly. What I would like to do is to give my general opinions of the various fuel
sources for competition barbecue as a Kansas City Barbecue Society judge.
First off, let’s talk about gas. This is my least favorite option for competition barbecue. Gas is
great for backyard grills where you need quick and easy heat source for hotdogs and burgers.
You can create smoke by using a tin foiled wrapped package of soaked wood chips or by
purchasing a tuna can type container of pre-packaged smoking wood that can be placed directly
on heat source. This is fine for beginners who would like to start working on their barbecuing
skills. That being said, I would not recommend gas as a fuel source for serious barbecue
competition. Some judges swear that they can pick up gassy flavors in the food. I guarantee this
will decrease your scores at a contest.
Next let’s discuss pellets. Pellet grills are rapidly gaining in popularity. It seems as if you see
more and more of them at every barbecue contest. Let me start out by saying that I have had
some pretty darn good barbecue prepared with pellets. The Four Leg’s Up competition
barbecue team out of Great Bend, Kansas is one team who has really mastered this skill. They
consistently finish in the top ten of contest, using pellets. That being said, many teams who use
pellets are not quite at that level. Pellet grills are convenient for consistent heating and ease of
use, which explains their popularity, but they just do not impart the same type of flavor profiles
that you will get with a traditional smoker. When using pellets as a fuel source, I would
encourage barbecue teams to make sure to use a rub or sauce that is certainly above average,
to help make up for (what I consider to be) the average fuel source.
The fuel source I like to use in my smoker is a good quality charcoal. With charcoal, you really
get what you pay for. Discount store brand charcoal doesn’t seem to light as well, burn as long,
or impart as good a flavor as good quality ( and more expensive) name brand charcoal. For
heaven’s sake, never use charcoal pre-soaked at the factory with lighter fluid. You don’t want
your competition barbecue tasting or smelling like that nasty stuff! You need to get a good
brand of charcoal (which can usually be found on sale around Labor Day, Memorial Day or
Independence Day) and light it using a canister style charcoal tube. Charcoal is a more
consistent heat source than wood, but not quite as easy as a “set it and forget it” pellet grill. If
you are using charcoal, you need to keep a consistent watch on your smoker to maintain a level
temperature. To impart a smoking flavor, use water soaked wood chips or chunks. Chips work
well but don’t seem to last as long as chunks. Chunks last longer, but can increase the heat in
your smoker when they burn.
Many barbecue purists will insist on using wood as the only fuel source. Wood is what you will
find as a fuel source at nearly every barbecue joint in Texas. I would caution that wood is not
for beginners. It can be very difficult to obtain a consistent low temperature due to variations in
wood. Too much smoke can impart strong smoky flavors that are way too overpowering for the
palate of most judges. You also need to be sure to match wood to the type of meat being
barbecued. Hardwoods like oak and hickory cook at higher temperatures and impart more
smoke to the meat. Hardwoods generally produce good flavors in beef. Softwoods tend to burn
cooler and less consistently. Fruit woods like apple and cherry are exceptionally good to use
with pork.
I would suggest that wood is the most difficult heat source to master, but can produce some of
the most satisfactory results. A competition cook who has mastered wood as a heat source is
likely to very good at his craft.
As I said before, this is just one judge’s opinion on fuel sources, and opinions of barbecue vary
widely. I would encourage you to practice with whatever fuel source you are comfortable with.
I guarantee that with practice; all fuel sources can produce great results.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. Like many things, great barbecue is in the eye—or mouth—of the
beholder. Other NBBQA members may have different opinions or suggestions regarding this same topic.