Tips For Buying a Charcoal Smoker
There are 2 common varieties of charcoal smokers for home use offered on the marketplace:
# Vertical smoker: A vertical smoker, also known as a bullet smoker due to its shape, is one of the most popular smokers, which is not too bulky nor too costly. 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.
# Balanced out horizontal smoker: With this kind of smoker, the fire in the compartment and the meat are kept separate. There is a large cooking surface as well as vents, which allow you to control the heat and keep it relocating the cooking chamber.
Constructing a Barrel Smoker
If you're feeling daring, have a long time on your hands and want that cowboy feeling, this could be a Do It Yourself job for you. A barrel smoker utilizes a drum, turned on its side and split down the middle. This is extremely inexpensive to make but on the downside, it's not really consistent and shouldn't be expected to last long. You can learn how to turn a barrel into a smoker from many offered resources on the internet.
Using an Electric or Gas Smoker
By eliminating charcoal from the process, you lose out on much of the smoke flavor that makes barbecue interesting for eaters and cooks alike. While you can use wood with an electrical or gas smoker, you simply won't get the very same effect. Some barbecue cooks might argue this point, but many would choose to cook with charcoal to boost the flavour.
Electrical and gas cigarette smokers however, enable easier control of the heat. Instead of charcoal, simply play around with the dial and voila!
Handling Heat
Charcoal is used as the heat source in the majority of cases, while the wood is used to include 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 results in over smoking. It is simpler to smoke and to manage heat using charcoal. Excessive smoking cigarettes of the meat will likely result in the meat becoming too bitter, therefore ruining your culinary masterpiece.
Eyeing charcoal types
Charcoal is offered in two varieties, each having their own fans:
# Charcoal briquettes: This is the most commonly used type of charcoal for grilling in the house. It is made from charred wood and coal. However, this type is shunned by hardcore barbecue cooks oftentimes, due to the ingredients used in them to keep them burning and holding them together longer.
# Lump charcoal: This is simply made from charred wood, without any of the ingredients found in the charcoal briquettes (and also lacks 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 cooked, the additional expense Hakka 14-Inch Multi-Function Barbecue and Charcoal Smoker Grill may be worth it as it also prevents unwanted taste from being added due to the chemicals found in the briquettes.
If you still choose to use charcoal briquettes, as many great barbecue do, be sure to prevent the ones with the lighter fluid in them. The chemicals used to light the charcoal can burn off the charcoal and enter into your food. This will provide it an undesirable, acidic taste. Applying lighter fluid directly from the capture bottle is a similarly bad idea as it will have the same effect.
Using a chimney starter
Instead of using the unpleasant tasting chemicals found in lighter fluid, you can quickly and easily light your charcoal with a chimney starter. They can be found easily in home-supply or hardware stores.
To use it, stuff newspaper into the bottom section and fill the leading section with charcoal. In a safe place, light the paper. You coals ought to be ready in 15 to 20 minutes. Then dump them in the smoker.