Smokers
come in all shapes, sizes and prices. When looking to buy a smoker you
need to decide on a price range and then determine the fuel you want
to use. Smokers can be gas, wood, charcoal or electric.
The truer the barbecue the more time you will spend tending
to fires and watching temperatures. If that doesn't sound good you should
move towards gas or electric smokers. Otherwise go with charcoal or
wood smokers.
If you are new to smoking or on a budget you should aim
towards a lower priced smoker. These units have all the variety but
not the big price tags. Any one of these would be good to start out
with. If you don't think you have the patience to tend a fire then choose
a gas or electric smoker that will meet your needs.
If you really get hooked on barbecue then you can always
buy a bigger and better smoker later, but these units are the best in
their price range.
Meats and fish are the most common smoked foods, though
cheeses, vegetables, and ingredients used to make beverages such as
whisky are smoked too.
A propane smoker is a newer method that is designed to
allow the smoking of meat in a somewhat more controlled environment.
The primary differences are the source of heat and cause of the smoke.
In a propane smoker, the heat is generated by lighting
a gas burner. This lies directly under a steel or iron box that contains
the wood or charcoal that is used to provide the smoke. The steel box
has few vent holes which are on the top of the box only. By starving
the heated wood of oxygen, it will smoke instead of burn.
Any type of wood, charcoal or mix could be used. This
method uses less wood and may be more convenient for some people.
The Smoke Box Method is a more traditional method that
uses a two box system: The fire box and the food box. The fire box is
typically adjacent or under the cooking box, and can be controlled to
a finer degree. The heat and smoke from the fire box exhausts into the
food box, where it is used to cook and cure the meat.
To get the most out of your smoker investment you need
to start caring for it from the first time you set it up. Many smokers
need to be seasoned, most will need periodic repair and repainting and
all need to be cleaned regularly, and by regularly I mean after every
use.
When you clean your smoker always keep an eye out for
rust. You should give your smoker a good inspection from time to time
to make sure that you don't have any rust forming. Rust needs to be
completely removed as soon as you spot it. Scrub it out with a good
wire brush and maybe some sandpaper. Clean the area and immediately
repaint it with heat resistant "barbecue" paint. Try to use
good quality paint; it pays off in the long run.
