Should I soak wood chips for smoking?

Question Submitted by Brian:

Question:

Should I soak wood chips ? I have one more question. I decided to I am going to use hickory and apple wood to smoke my ribs. Should I soak them in water before I throw them on the smoker or should I not soak them in water? Thank you for your time.

Answer:

Hello Brian. If you use chips, soak them in water for about 30 minutes, then pull the chips out of the water for about 15 minutes before you throw them on the fire. You will not water down your fire if you do it that way. If you use wood chunks, just add them to the charcoal slowly over time. Watch your smoke coming out of the smoker, and make sure that you have a nice, light steady stream of smoke. You should be good to go!

The Smoker King