Smoker Instructions Manual

by Peter
(UK)

I got a smoker barbecue for my birthday but the instructions don't cover how to smoke the food. Help!

Answer:-

Shame on a manufacturer that doesn’t include a smoker instructions manual, having said that, smoking is an art form as many pitmasters will tell you. There is an element of trial and error and believe me, I’ve made a few errors in my time so don’t be too disappointed if your first attempt isn’t exactly perfect.

I break smoking down into three processes:-

Passing Smoke Over The Food

Your smoker will create smoke in one of a number of ways and essentially it’s pre-soaked wood chips over a heat source. This could be charcoal, gas or electric although most electric heat sources use a wood chip bisquette. I'm guessing that you've got a charcoal smoker so the first thing to do is go out and buy your raw materials (charcoal & wood chips). It's important to soak the wood chips well and I usually do this overnight.
Indirect Cooking

Put simply, this means not placing the food that you’re cooking directly over the heat source and this is achieved in a number of ways dependent on the design of your smoker.
Slow Roasting

The art here is to cook for a long time at a low temperature and here’s a classic example of how practice makes perfect. The temperature in your smoker will be controlled by vents above and below the smoker. For more information click here

For more information check out the Barbecue Tips page and once you’ve got the hang of it, let us know about your smoker and how you rate its performance in the barbecue grills review.

Who needs a smoker instructions manual? Just practice, patience and follow the recipes, you'll get the hang of it.

See Also:-

BBQ Wood Chips

Types Of Charcoal