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How to soak a cedar plank

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a flat cedar plank, a salmon fillet, and a barbecue already lit in the garden. How to soak a cedar plank is the step people shorten, and a short soak still does not stop a thin board from flaming. This page follows one published method, the Weber UK recipe for salmon from the plank, and it says where other UK sources disagree. It is from Peter F., editor for DIY and tools, updated on 20 October 2026. We did not time a soak ourselves. Which boards reviewers called thin stays on the [smoking plank comparison](/hub/grill-accessories/smoking-plank). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a flat cedar plank, a salmon fillet, and a barbecue already lit in the garden. How to soak a cedar plank is the step people shorten, and a short soak still does not stop a thin board from flaming.

Our top picks

Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 12-pack, 5x11

Best overall

Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 12-pack, 5x11
8.2/10about £21.72
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Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 2-pack, 5x11

Alternative

Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 2-pack, 5x11
7.1/10about £11.99
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Weber Weber small portion planks

Best value

Weber Weber small portion planks
6.8/10about £11.19
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On this page
  1. 1.Which soak this page follows
  2. 2.On the barbecue
  3. 3.When the fish is cooked
  4. 4.If it flames, sticks, or you want a second cook

Which soak this page follows

Weber UK says to soak the plank for at least one hour. That is the figure this page uses. A UK timber seller says one to two hours. A first-timer thread on r/UKBBQ runs from 15 minutes to two hours. Wildwood's own how-to says at least 15 minutes and a hotter grill than Weber's. Do not blend that 15-minute line into the steps below. Cover the wood, and weigh it down if it floats. Put water where you can reach it without stepping over the barbecue. If the board is stainless, stop: the onlyfire steel listing does not ask for a soak. That choice is on cedar or stainless. If the board clips to a fire bowl, the rim sits on the fire-pit page.

On the barbecue

Weber UK heats the barbecue to about 180°C. The empty plank goes over direct heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, until it starts to smoke, and you turn it. You then move it to indirect heat, lay the salmon skin side down, and close the lid. For a side of about 1 kg, the recipe allows about 25 minutes. A single fillet is ready sooner. A UK timber seller says to start checking from about 12 minutes. Use that as a prompt to look. Gloves matter on a wet, then hot, board. If the kettle has no indirect zone, this recipe is a poor match. A gas fault is a Gas Safe call. The barbecue stays outdoors: not in a tent, an awning, a caravan, or on a balcony.
Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 12-pack, 5x11

Testsieger

Wildwood Grilling Wildwood 12-pack, 5x11
8.2/10about £21.72
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When the fish is cooked

Weber's cue is that the flesh is no longer translucent. The Food Standards Agency's thorough-cooking line is 70°C for 2 minutes, or the equivalent times on that page, and fish should turn opaque and flake. It is not a published temperature for medium salmon. A probe in the thickest part tells you more than the colour of the cedar. A side of about 1 kg needs longer than one fillet on a 5 by 11 inch plank.

If it flames, sticks, or you want a second cook

Smoke is the aim. Flame along the edge means you move the board off the direct heat and use the water you set out first. Do not carry a flaming plank indoors. Hot ash does not go into a plastic wheelie bin. Skin can stick. A fish slice under the fillet beats a tug that tears the fish. This page will not prescribe a spoon of oil, because these sources do not measure one. Scrape loose soot when the board is cool, and discard it if it is cracked or heavily charred. These sources do not say to wash the wood with washing-up liquid. Thickness complaints sit on the buying guide. If cutting the cedar leaves you short of breath, stop and speak to a GP. The Health and Safety Executive links sawing western red cedar to asthma in a workplace case.

Common questions

How long should I soak the plank?
For this page, at least one hour, which is Weber UK's instruction. UK shops and home cooks also publish 15 minutes, 30 to 60 minutes, and up to two hours. Those are other methods. Do not add 15 minutes to two hours and soak for a time nobody wrote down.
Do I cook over direct or indirect heat?
Weber UK scorches the empty plank over direct heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until it smokes, turns it, then moves the board to indirect heat with the lid on. Leaving a thin plank on a very hot direct zone is how a UK review ended in flames at about six minutes. A different cook on a forum is not this recipe.
How do I know the salmon is done?
Use Weber's cue that the flesh is no longer translucent, and the Food Standards Agency's cues that fish should be opaque and flake, alongside 70°C for 2 minutes or the equivalents on the FSA page. There is no medium salmon temperature in that guidance. A 1 kg side needs longer than a single fillet. The barbecue in the Weber recipe is about 180°C.
What if the plank catches fire?
Have water, sand, or a hose within reach before you light the barbecue. Move the board off the direct flame if you can, and put the fire out. Do not bring the barbecue inside, onto a balcony, or under an awning. A soak makes a flare less likely. A UK review shows it can still happen.
Can I reuse the plank?
Sometimes, if you soak and scrape and the board is still sound. One UK Weber review reports about seven cooks. Other reviews report a single use, and one Wildwood text reads the instructions as once. Discard cracked or heavily charred wood. Nobody in these sources timed a plank across a whole season.
Do I soak a stainless board, and is this cold-smoked salmon?
No soak for the stainless onlyfire board. Add chips to the fire only if you want smoke. This cook is also not shop-bought cold-smoked salmon. The FSA's advice on ready-to-eat cold-smoked fish is about packet products, not a fillet you have just cooked until it flakes.

Related pages

Best smoking plank

Smoking plank

Cedar grilling planks: match the board to the fillet

Cedar plank or stainless salmon board: the flavour

Flame salmon board for a fire pit: measure the rim

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk product files for these ASINs.

  1. Weber UK — Salmon from the Plank (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Weber UK — cedar plank set, model 17522 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Food Standards Agency — Cooking your food (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Food Standards Agency — cold-smoked fish advice (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. HSE — western red cedar and asthma (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK — Fire safety outdoors (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. London Fire Brigade — BBQ safely leaflet (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22.10.2026)