Tips For Buying a Charcoal Smoker
There are two typical varieties of charcoal smokers for home use offered on the market:
# Vertical smoker: A vertical smoker, also called a bullet smoker due to its shape, is among the most popular smokers, which is not too bulky nor too pricy. It uses a water pan between the heat source and cooking grate, keeping the meat moist. The meat is cooked at a distance above the heat source.
# Offset horizontal smoker: With this type of smoker, the fire in the compartment and the meat are kept different. There is a big cooking surface area along with vents, which allow you to manage the heat and keep it moving in the cooking chamber.
Building a Barrel Smoker
If you're feeling adventurous, have a long time on your hands and want that cowboy sensation, this could be a Do It Yourself project for you. A barrel smoker utilizes a drum, switched on its side and split down the middle. This is really cheap to make but on the downside, it's not very steady and shouldn't be anticipated to last very long. You can learn how to turn a barrel into a smoker from many readily available resources on the internet.
Using an Electric or Gas Smoker
By getting rid of charcoal from the procedure, you miss out on much of the smoke flavor that makes barbecue intriguing for eaters and cooks alike. While you can use wood with an electric or gas smoker, you simply won't get the same result. Some barbecue cooks may argue this point, but most would prefer to prepare with charcoal to improve the flavour.
Electrical and gas cigarette smokers however, enable much easier control of the heat. Instead of charcoal, simply experiment with the dial and voila!
Managing Heat
Charcoal is used as the heat source in the majority of cases, while the wood is used to add smoke and flavour. You may question why not use the wood for both heat and smoke. When you try to kill both birds with the exact same stone, or wood in this case, it often leads to over smoking. It is simpler to smoke and to manage heat using charcoal. Excessive smoking cigarettes of the meat will likely lead to the meat ending up being too bitter, thereby ruining your culinary masterpiece.
Eyeing charcoal types
Charcoal is offered in two ranges, each having their own fans:
# Charcoal briquettes: This is the most typically used type of charcoal for grilling in your home. It is made of charred wood and coal. Nevertheless, this type is shunned by hardcore barbecue cooks oftentimes, get more info due to the ingredients used in them to keep them burning and holding them together longer.
# Lump charcoal: This is simply made from charred hardwood, with no of the ingredients found in the charcoal briquettes (and also does not have the smooth shape thereof). This charcoal burns quicker and hotter than the briquettes. They also cost more, and depending upon the level of sensitivity of the meat being prepared, the extra cost may be worth it as it also avoids unwanted taste from being included due to the chemicals found in the briquettes.
If you still choose to use charcoal briquettes, as many great barbecue do, be sure to avoid the ones with the lighter fluid in them. The chemicals used to light the charcoal can burn off the charcoal and enter your food. This will provide it an undesirable, acidic taste. Applying lighter fluid directly from the capture bottle is an equally bad idea as it will have the exact same effect.
Using a chimney starter
Instead of using the unpleasant tasting chemicals found in lighter fluid, you can rapidly and quickly light your charcoal with a chimney starter. They can be found easily in home-supply or hardware shops.
To use it, stuff paper into the bottom area and fill the top section with charcoal. In a safe place, light the newspaper. You coals need to be ready in 15 to 20 minutes. Then dispose them in the smoker.