Want to give your meat smoke flavour without it taking over? Red wine chunks from Pitmaster are made from oak that has absorbed the aroma of red wine. That gives a soft, fruity smoke with a light sweet touch, just enough to add character to beef, lamb and hearty poultry. The pieces are coarse, so they smoulder slowly and evenly. You don't have to keep opening the lid to top up during a long session, which saves you temperature loss in your kamado.
Why choose red wine chunks
Oak is a robust smoking wood on its own. The wine influence rounds off that robustness, giving you something between classic oak and fruit wood. Handy if you find hickory too fierce but apple too flat.
- Round, fruity smoke profile instead of sharp, bitter smoke
- Coarse pieces a few centimetres across, suited to long sessions
- Works on any kamado, kettle barbecue or offset smoker using charcoal
- Combines well with neutral charcoal without its own aroma
- One or two pieces are often enough for a whole cook
How to use them on the kamado
Place the chunks among the charcoal before lighting, or push them in halfway through once you're already at temperature. No need to soak: dry wood starts smouldering faster and gives cleaner smoke. Wait until the smoke is thin and bluish before the meat goes on. Thick white smoke gives a bitter taste.
Storage
Store the pieces dry and with air circulating. Wood that's picked up moisture smoulders unevenly and gives more sour smoke. A closed bucket or bin in the shed is enough.
Bill's tipStart with one piece. Smoke builds up over a long cook, so you only find out afterwards if it was too much.
Want to compare with other flavours? Browse the full range of smoking wood chunks or step up to the more robust whisky chunks from Pitmaster. For finer smoking material and smoking planks, check out smoking wood.
