Tips For Buying Or Building a BBQ Pit Or Charcoal Smoker

When I cook over any kind of outdoor BBQ pit, I like to use a charcoal smoker. I like the flavor that charcoal and wood put into the meat and there is no other way of duplicating that flavor other than using the real thing. Woods that I use in addition to the charcoal currently include apple, hedge, and hickory. Right now I use two different types of BBQ smokers.

smoker box for gas grill

My main smoker is a horizontal barrel type charcoal smoker with an offset firebox. One of the main reasons I like this charcoal smoker so much is that you can use it as a smoker or as a grill. It has plenty of room to fit big cuts of meat such as beef brisket or ribs. Using the smoker is fairly self explanatory. If you are slow cooking a cut of meat, build your fire in the fire box on the end and place your cut of meat in the middle of the grill area. You will have to set the vents on the end and on the top to try and maintain a constant temperature. Basically, you want to create a "draw" that pulls the heat and smoke from the fire across the meat and out the top. If you are grilling hamburgers or steaks, just build your fire in the main barrel, directly underneath your meat like you would any other grill.

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The other smoker that I use is an upright barrel type charcoal smoker. These types of smokers have a place to build the fire at the bottom with the main grill part towards the top of the barrel. Many smokers of this style also have a pan in between the fire and the grill that you can fill with water to keep moisture in the meat. I do not use this pan since I have other methods of keeping the meat moist. I have found that this type of smoker works great for cooking chicken and smaller cuts of meat such as roast. It is rather difficult to cook larger cuts of meat such as brisket or ribs. Also, the meat sits directly over the fire, which I don't like to do for the larger cuts that have to cook slow. Chicken can cook a little faster. One advantage of the upright style smoker over the horizontal style smoker is price. The upright style is cheaper due to its smaller size. Just keep in mind what cuts of meat that you will be cooking if you are shopping for a charcoal smoker and make sure what you buy will accommodate your preferences.

There are also many different types of gas and electric smokers. Many people enjoy using these and have used them with excellent results. They are a little cleaner to use and easier to get the fire started. Again, my preference for a charcoal smoker is simply because of flavor. Homemade bbq pits and smokers are quite common as well.

Tips For Buying Or Building a BBQ Pit Or Charcoal Smoker

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Building a "Fire" in Your Charcoal Water Smoker

Building a "Fire" in your Charcoal Water Smoker is as easy as lighting the charcoal. All you need is a quality charcoal, a charcoal chimney, and a wad of newspaper. Maintaining a consistent temperature in your smoker is a different story.

smokers outpost

About fifteen minutes after you light your initial batch of charcoal, it will be ready for your water smoker. You can easily pour it in the fire pan, insert the water pan and grill grates. After that, all you need to do is slap on the meat and put on the lid. If that's all you had to do, then you would be set. Come back in three to five hours (depending upon the weight of your meat), and it will be ready. Right? If you do that, you'll will be sorely disappointed.

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In order to maintain a temperature of 225 degrees, you are going to need to be adding additional hot charcoal every 45 - 60 minutes. Considering it takes approximately 15 minutes to light the charcoal, you need to be lighting a new batch ever 30 - 45 minutes.

One big downfall of a less expensive smoker is that it can be difficult to access the fire pan. There is a small door in the front that gives you access to the water and fire pans. You have a couple of options here. You can insert the hot coals through the small door with a set of barbecue tongs. I've done this many times and it works pretty good. I would recommend wearing a pair of gloves if you take this approach.

Another suggestion is to make modifications to your water smoker. One recommended mod is to install the legs on the outside of the smoker and place the fire pan on top of stacked bricks or pavers. This way all you will need to do is lift the smoker in order to empty the ashes and add hot coals.

The Minion Method is another way to use charcoal. This method involves loading the fire pan with unlit charcoal and placing hot coals on top. As the red hot coals burn, they will slowly light the unlit charcoal below.

Regardless of the method you use, just make sure you maintain the internal temperature between 200 and 250 degrees. A good rule of thumb is one hour per pound of meat. Part of the joy of smoking meat comes from the process involved. Best of luck and happy smoking!

Building a "Fire" in Your Charcoal Water Smoker

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Things To Know About Building A Barrel Smoker

If you are a BBQ addict, then a barrel smoker is for you, and you might consider making your own BBQ smoker. It is much less expensive to build a barrel smoker than to purchase one and a lot more fun! Don't worry; you don't need to be a professional craftsman to build one.

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There are 3 major parts to a smoker of this kind;

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• Metal bottom for coal
• Cooling rack
• Method for ventilation

If all of these essential parts are included, then the smoker will be safe, as well as a good source or tool for grilling. When using a BBQ smoker, you don't need to be restricted to only cooking barbecues, you can branch out to many different types of food including Cornish hams, corn on the cob, twice baked potatoes, meatloaf, as well as other tasty dishes.

The steps that should be followed when making a BBQ smoker are not difficult, but may be a little time consuming. First you must choose a barrel. You can find one at a department store or a barrel company. Whichever is more convenient is where you should go to get one. You should probably contact an MIG welder, unless you are a proficient at welding. This type of professional will be able to get a clean weld.

Next a frame must be built, which will serve as support to the smoker. Make sure that the food will set on the rack at about your waist level, so that you will not need to bend over and make your back sore. Cut the barrel into 3 pieces, so that it can be shortened; then weld it back together after you have taken out the appropriate piece.

After all of the above have been completed, it is time to get to the "nitty gritty". Cut a door in the firebox and a hole from the firebox to the cooling chamber. Then cut another hole from the cooling chamber to provide for adequate exhaust. After these steps have been implemented, attach all of the parts together. Don't forget to build an exhaust. Round off the corners and cover the door with paint or wax. Make sure that this coating is fireproof. Bolt the door and don't forget to buy a grill grate. This grate can be bought at any home improvement store, such as Lowe's or Home Depot. Now your BBQ smoker is ready for the test.

The 1st time that you use your newly made BBQ smoker be cautious. Carefully examine the exhaust and determine if it would pass all of the safety tests that you feel are necessary. You can now be proud that you have built a BBQ smoker that will cook tasty meals. The best thing to remember is that you may have spent quite a bit of time constructing the BBQ smoker, but you definitely have saved money.

Things To Know About Building A Barrel Smoker

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