How to Use a BBQ Smoker: Steps to Follow?

Have you ever driven past a BBQ restaurant and caught a whiff of the delicious smoke coming out of their kitchen? If yes, then you have experienced the impact of cooking with a BBQ smoker.

Generally, standard gas or charcoal grills are used for home-cooked meals, but nothing brings out rich flavor quite like a BBQ smoker.

Smokers are the slow version of grills as it takes longer time to prepare food at lower temperatures giving the meat a dreamy texture. So, if you are eager to try your hands but not sure how to use it properly, this guide will teach you how to use a smoker. We have broken down how to use a BBQ smoker into simple, easy to follow steps:

1) Start & Maintain The Fire

The best way to fire up the smoker is with charcoal. You can add the wood, once the coals are sufficiently heated. A smoking chamber circulates and produces a steady stream of heat that out smokers into action. The heat then mixes with a small amount of water creating steam which slowly cooks the meat adorning it with tender and flavorful finish.

2) Regulating the Temperature

 A reliable smoker thermometer is vital to get the exact temperature required to cook a meat in its different stages. By regulating the airflow, you can adjust the temperature up and down to bring it to the desirable level. Opening the lower damper of the smoker will allow more air to flow to the fire and increase the heat, while opening the upper damper will release more and decrease the temperature.

3) Smoker Care & Maintenance

It is advisable to clean the smoker grates after each use with a wire brush and water. When it comes to the rest of the smoker, though it’s good to retain flavors in your BBQ smoker, but over a period time grease and debris can accumulate on at the bottom. Hence, cleaning the smoker time to time is critical to prevent fires and protect your health as well.

Smoking Tips & Tricks

Go easy when smoking meat. Follow the saying ‘less is more’. In place of using both wood and charcoal to set up a fire, you can also go with the charcoal only and add chips, chucks or pellets to add the flavor.

·        Look Out for the Weather: The outside weather affects the temperature inside your smoker. Beware of the weather, and make sure you have the required amount of charcoal and wood to especially if the climate is very wet, windy or cold.

·        Use a Water Pan: With the addition of a water pan, the temperature can be regulated, moisture is added, which in turn enhance the flavor of your meat.

·        Do Some Practice Runs: Get accustomed to your BBQ smoker then attempt a big meal preparation? Start cooking cheap cuts on your practice runs. Using a smoker requires a bit of patience and some experience, but in the end it is a rewarding pursuit for any barbecue enthusiast. Explore our wide range of BBQ smokers that will transform your cooking to the next level.