Version 1.0 Date of last update: 9/21/97
This document is a compilation and summary of frequently asked questions and answers posted to the Rick Thead BBQ List. We hope this list of questions and answers will help you improve your barbecue skills. This FAQ was edited by Bill Wight. Please direct comments, corrections or suggested additions to: wight@odc.net.
(C) Copyright 1997 William W. Wight. All rights reserved. The contributions of the individual posters contained within this document remain their property. You may copy and distribute this document as long as the contributor's names and this copyright notice remain intact.
I have given credit for each answer provided in this document where the author was known. Special thanks for extra effort goes to Ed Pawlowski, Harry Jiles, Danny Gaulden, Jeff Lipsitt aka the Boston Butt, Billy Maynard aka Belly, Rodney Leist, Kit Anderson, David Westebbe aka EskWIRED, David Klose, Rick Otto and Garry Howard.
Special thanks also go to the BBQ List FAQ Team which gave me guidance, criticism and a lot of support in putting together this document: Ed Pawlowski, Lloyd Carver, Tom Kelly, Garry Howard, Rock McNelly, Rodney Leist, Dan Gill, and The Bear.
The Mini-FAQ is mainly the work of Ed Pawlowski.
My thanks also to the FAQ proof readers, Jon McCoy and my wife, Mary Wight.
This FAQ is dedicated to the memory of Phil Wight, one of the original BBQ List members and a regular poster to the rec.food.cooking newsgroup. Phil was always ready to share his knowledge, his ideas, recipes or the time of day. Phil passed away on June 7, 1997. We'll miss him.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the BBQ List
1.1. Who we are
1.2. What we do here
1.3. Charter
1.4. Definition of terms
2. What is barbecue?
2.1. Our definition
2.2. What is the "correct" way to spell it?
3. Administrative
3.1. How to get on the list
3.2. How to get off the list
3.3. Posting guidelines
3.4. Front porch rules apply
3.5. Digest vs. individual messages
3.6. Where can I find the archived digests?
3.7. Where can I find the recipe archives?
3.8. Are there other barbecue lists?
3.9. Is there a newsgroup about barbecue?
3.10. Confessions of a newbie to barbecue
3.11. How can I get updates and different formats of this FAQ?
4. Tell me about barbecue in general -- The Mini-FAQ
5. Hardware--Smokers
5.1. Home smokers
5.1.1. New Braunfels Smokers
5.1.2. Brinkmann Corporation
5.1.3. SnP Pro vs. the NBBD and Hondo
5.1.4. BBQ Pits by Klose
5.1.5. Oklahoma Joe's Pits
5.1.6. Weber Grills
5.1.7. Char-Broil
5.1.8. Cookshack Ovens
5.2. Homemade pits This section under construction
5.3. Brick and block pits
6. Hardware--accessories
6.1. Thermometers
6.1.1. Pros and cons of thermometers
6.1.2. Where should I measure the temperature?
6.2. Tools
7. Tell Me About Using Smokers
7.1. Most common mistakes made by beginners
7.2. Smoker modifications
7.2.1. Modifying charcoal-burning bullet water-type smokers
7.2.2. Modifying the Hondo/NBBD or SnP Pro smokers
7.3. Smoker maintenance
7.4. Smoker temperature control
7.5. Smoker fire control
7.6. Using chips and chunks for smoke
7.7. Wood vs. charcoal
7.8. Briquettes vs. lump charcoal
7.9. Gas-fired smokers
7.10. Electrically-heated smokers
8. Wood for smoking
8.1. Types of wood suitable for smoking
8.2. To bark or not to bark
8.3. Pre-burning wood
8.4. Green or seasoned?
8.5. What types of wood should I not use?
8.6. How much does lump charcoal and smoking wood cost?
9. Dry rubs and BBQ sauces
9.1. Dry rubs
9.2. BBQ sauces
10. We're smoking meats here
10.1. Pork
10.1.1. Ribs
10.1.2. Picnics and butts
10.1.3. Whole ham
10.1.4. Pork chops
10.1.5. The Whole hog
10.1.6. Bacon
10.1.7. Sausages
10.1.8. Hot dogs
10.2. Beef
10.2.1. Brisket
10.2.2. Jerky
10.2.3. Steaks
10.2.4. Short Ribs
10.2.5. Roasts
10.3. Chicken
10.3.1. Breasts
10.3.2. Leg quarters
10.3.3. Whole chicken
10.4. Turkey
10.4.1. Breasts
10.4.2. Legs
10.4.3. Whole turkey
10.5. Pheasant
10.6. Lamb
10.7. Venison
10.8. Fish
11. Freezing barbecue meat and leftovers
12. What goes well with BBQ?
12.1. Coleslaw
12.2. Beans
12.3. Chili
12.4. Corn
12.5. Potatoes
12.6. Cornbread
13. Barbecue portion size
14. Problems while barbecuing--What went wrong?
15. Making Lump Charcoal
16. Smoking chiles
17. Books on barbecue
18. Where do I buy this barbecue stuff?
19. Other Internet resources on barbecue
Why, we're just a bunch of down-home folk, a lot like you. We're carpenters, paleontologists, home-makers, plumbers, farmers, cooks and engineers (and just about everything in between). We're a diverse group that has one thing in common--we like barbecue.
We like to sit on the front porch, around the barbecue pit, watching the smoke rising out of the stack, drinking a beer or a Dr. Pepper and having us a real good chat about barbecue, the size of the universe, the meaning of life and other important stuff.
We also, from time to time, if the feeling strikes us just right, and we've got a beer or Dr. Pepper in hand, will impart our "Q" knowledge to newcomers to barbecue that will enable them to increase their barbecuing skills to levels unheard of a hundred years ago. So stick around, read the posts and join the fun. Who knows, you might just learn a thing or two about barbecue, the size of the universe, the meaning of life and other important stuff. BTW, if we don't know the answer to your question, we'll just make one up.
Our Charter--
The BBQ Mailing List was started in early 1996 by Richard Thead to facilitate the discussion of barbecue and grilling.
We don't discuss religion, or politics and we post no obscene pictures (provided you don't look at the mugs of some of our members on Garry's Web page--http://www.tiac.net/users/garhow/bbq/bbqlist/photos.htm). Please don't look--as it's pretty scary and people have left the list after seeing them.
We talk about Q here. We answer questions about Q. We fight about Q. We take Q seriously. That's what we do. Sometimes, opinions and prejudices border on religion, but just keep in mind that most of the time a post that sounds critical, or even hostile, is most likely done tongue-in-cheek. Don't take everything you read on this list too seriously, in fact don't take anything you read on this list too seriously! (Except safety.)
Here is what Rick Thead used to send to new list subscribers:
"I'd like to keep this list fun and informative for everybody. Hopefully, we can keep the flames to a minimum. We all need to keep in mind that bbq means different things in different places. I'm as guilty as anybody of being a bbq snob. However, for this list, anything having to do with smoking, grilling or any other type of 'outdoor' cooking is welcome. The only thing I'd like to discourage is the so-called 'oven bbq,' where you throw something in the oven with a bottle of liquid smoke and call it bbq. There are plenty recipes for that in the recipe archives already, and it has no place here."
Rick <thead@azstarnet.com>
If you are a new member and discussion topics seem to be wandering, just stick around awhile and see what happens. Many of the list members have been participants for many months and have grown to be friends. Some members even get together occasionally around the country to share barbecue and swap stories (more likely lies). Consequently, other topics of discussion may spring up temporarily but the discussion will come back around to barbecue. Just be patient.
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[I'm new to the Internet and this BBQ List. Just what is a FAQ, anyway?]
Jerry Ward--
I will take a stab at letting you in on some Internet etiquette. FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. Most groups on the Internet have a FAQ. It is recommended that you read it first before posting any questions, as it may contain your answers. That way, the same basic questions don't need to be answered over and over each time a newbie (new person such as yourself) joins the list.
Bandwidth A term used to describe an undefined amount of traffic on the Internet. An example would be: "Posting pictures to the BBQ List is a waste of bandwidth."
ECB El Cheapo Brinkmann smoking pit. Refers to a vertical water smoker made by several manufacturers that costs in the neighborhood of $30. Can produce, in the hands of a skilled pitmaster, prize-winning barbecue.
Hondo A smoking pit made by New Braunfels and called the Hondo. It is an off-set firebox type smoker. It is almost identical to the Black Diamond and is functionally equivalent to the Brinkmann SnP Pro.
IMHO In My Humble Opinion.
KCBS The Kansas City Barbecue Society. They sanction many barbecue competitions.
Larding A technique for use with very lean meats where slabs of fat are placed on the outside of the meat. This acts like a fatter piece of meat and the fat bastes the meat as it smokes. The slabs of fat can be 1/2 to 1" thick and can be held in place with cotton string, the kind you'd use to tie a rolled-roast. Discard the fat when the meat comes out of the pit.
Lazy-Que A derogatory term used by wood-burning pit traditionalists referring to those who choose to use gas or electricity to fuel their pits and wood chips and or chunks for smoke. The Lazy-Q'ers thereby relieve themselves of the necessity to expend any but the most trivial effort in the act of barbecuing.
MIM Memphis In May. A barbecue society and a barbecue competition held each May in Memphis, TN.
MD Mindless Drivel. A term used for postings to the BBQ List that are utterly without any redeeming social merit, sort of like smut. 'I can't describe it, but I know it when I see it'. If you wish to post a non-barbecue-related message to the BBQ List, as a courtesy to other list members, include the letters 'MD' in the subject header so that list members who do not wish to read it may delete it easily. Non-barbecue information that is of interest to the entire list is not considered MD. For example, posts that tell us when a list member gets married, has a child, an anniversary, a party, wins an award, etc. This is family news and we want to hear about it. The BBQ List is different things to different people. To some, it is a primary outlet for social interaction, to others it is an avenue to learn about and share barbecue information. This dichotomy of points of view sometimes leads to conflict on the list--social chatting vs. barbecue related posts. What we, as the users of the BBQ List, must do is to respect the needs of each other and strive for a balance between the two points of view.
NBBD A smoking pit made by New Braunfels and called the Black Diamond. It is identical to the Hondo except it has a wooden front shelf instead of a metal shelf.
Pseudo-Q or Faux-Q (don't say this one out loud). Meat that is boiled in water (parboiled) and then finished on the grill and served with a BBQ sauce containing liquid smoke product. Also used to refer to foods cooked in the oven that simulate real BBQ. These are taboo on the BBQ List.
SnP Pro A smoking pit made by the Brinkmann Corporation called the Smoke'N Pit Professional. It is an off-set firebox type smoker, with a wooden front shelf.
SWOCS A barbecue pit made by Southwest Outdoor Cooking Systems. A vertical pit that uses gas for fuel and to heat and burn wood chips or pellets to produce the smoke. The company ceased operations in early 1997.
Thread On Internet mailing lists or on newsgroups, a discussion on a particular topic that goes on for days, weeks, months, or in some cases years. An example could be a 'thread' on how to smoke chicken.
URL Uniform Resource Locator. An Internet Web page or FTP address.
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[Just what is barbecue?]
Ed Pawlowski--
There are many interpretations of the term 'barbecue' in the world. Some people use it to describe a social gathering and cooking outdoors. Others use it to describe grilling food. For our purpose here, we are using the term to describe meat, slow-cooked using wood smoke to add flavor. There is equipment designed just for this type of cooking.
Barbecuing is not grilling. Grilling is cooking over direct heat, usually a hot fire for a shot time. Barbecuing is cooking by using indirect heat at low temperatures and long cooking times. It is the smoke from the wood gives barbecue its unique and delicious flavor.
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[I've seen it spelled 'barbecue', 'barbeque', Bar-b-que, Bar-B-Que, 'BBQ'. 'Q', and 'Que'. Which way is correct?]
Darned if we know. It tastes the same to us no matter how we spell it. For this FAQ, we will try to use the spelling: 'barbecue', from Mr. Webster's big book and the abbreviation 'BBQ'. We have left the word 'Barbeque' as is where it is in a title or URL location.
To subscribe to the Thead BBQ List, set your Web browser to this URL:
http://listserv.azstarnet.com/cgi-bin/lwgate/listsavail.html
Follow the directions to subscribe to the BBQ List. You have a choice--regular or digest format.
Or you can send an email to: bbq-request@listserv.azstarnet.com
and in the body of the message put: SUBSCRIBE BBQ
To unsubscribe to the Thead BBQ List, set your Web browser to this URL:
http://listserv.azstarnet.com/cgi-bin/lwgate/listsavail.html
Follow the directions to unsubscribe to the BBQ List.
Or you can send an email to: bbq-request@listserv.azstarnet.com
and in the body of the message put: UNSUBSCRIBE BBQ
To change from the regular to digest format or the other way around, you must first unsubscribe to the format you are currently receiving and then subscribe to the format you wish to receive.
Editor--
As with any newsgroup or mailing list, there are certain courtesies to which all subscribers should adhere.
1 We are all friends here. There should be no posts that are insulting or degrading to any members of the list.
2 Flame wars. When someone does post an insulting or degrading message, it's best just to ignore it. What often happens is that the post is responded to and a flame war on the list ensues. This is a total waste of bandwidth and does nothing but make people mad and hurt feelings. Flame wars have no place on the BBQ List.
3 There are women and kids on this list, so all posts should be respectful of that audience.
4 Avoid sending posts to the list that are devoid of any real information content to the list members, such as 'one-liners' and 'me-too' posts. These just waste bandwidth.
5 Use private email to a list member for messages that are not of concern or interest to all list members.
6 When you reply to a post by another list member, cut the original post to the minimum number of lines necessary to make a meaningful reference. Please save the bandwidth--the Internet is getting to be a very crowded place.
7 When posting to the BBQ List, never include attachments, such as documents, drawings, sound files, video clips or pictures. Many email programs cannot process attachments and sending them can cause all kinds of problems, as well as wasting a lot of bandwidth. If you have an attachment you wish to share with the List, please put it on a Web page and post its URL.
8 When posting a message to the List and you have a barbecue-related question, make sure that the subject line of the message reflects your question. For example, 'Subject: How do I smoke fish?' will get you answers.
9 Advertising on this list is discouraged. If you do it, expect to get flamed big time. If you can condense your ad to a couple of lines, put it in your signature. Then no one will complain too loudly. If someone asks questions about your product or service, just answer them by private email.
10 Remember, we're here to have some fun and to share information on barbecuing.
Rodney Leist--
The BBQ List is a loose-structured, tight-knit group of folks from all over the world who have adopted a casual "front porch get-together" climate for discussions. If you've never participated in a front porch meeting before, here's the way it usually works. Generally, at the start, serious topics are discussed in depth and at length with many varying opinions, pro and con, thrown out for whatever they are worth. For us the topics involve what and how to barbecue (and all that goes with it).
As time wears on, jokes and bull sessions are injected and other topics gradually creep into the discussions, displacing the primary topics. Some folks who are not interested in the off topic exchanges, may decide to take care of some other business for a while. Hopefully most of them gradually return. Occasional lulls in the conversation occur. Some folks get busy or stop to ponder, or maybe even sulk, then all of a sudden, the discussion fires back up to a "Del key" numbing pace before once again returning to issues focusing around the primary topic. The cycle continues into the wee hours of the night, again and again and again. Along the way, somehow we manage to talk a lot about barbecue.
With any front porch gathering, there's always assorted types of folks from "very verbal" to "quiet and reserved", and so it is with the BBQ List. Some posters you like, some you respect, some you tolerate, some you wish would go away and some you hardly even know are there. The single most important thing gluing the front porch session together is that everybody stepping up on the porch is there because they have something in common and want to be there. Listening, learning, participating and tolerating (who and what you don't like). These are the things that make the front porch meeting work. Come on up and grab a chair.
The list is set up so subscribers have a choice of how they receive the BBQ List. If someone wants to participate regularly in the discussions, they can subscribe to the regular BBQ List and get individual email messages. If they would rather mainly lurk, and only follow-up occasionally, then the digest will keep their inbox clutter to a minimum. The BBQ List can be a busy place at times, with upwards of a 100 messages or more a day (or 4-5 digests a day). So if you subscribe to the regular list, be prepared for a whole lot of email. As some folks say: 'Happiness is a full email inbox.' You may change from regular to digest forms of the list easily, (or digest to regular)--see Section 3.2 for directions.
Set your Web browser or FTP program to this URL:
ftp://ftp.azstarnet.com/pub/users/thead/bbq-digest/
The digest archives are temporally unavailable. Something to do with the size of the Universe, we think. We suspect the archives are getting so big, they are starting to cramp the very fabric of space and time.
Set your Web browser to this URL:
http://infoest.sbc.edu/barbeque.html
The recipes posted to the BBQ List by Carey Starzinger are not included in the BBQ List recipe archive. The individual recipes are available from Carey's Web site:
http://www.teleport.com/~cstarz/
For downloading all Carey's recipes in one shot, go here:
ftp://ftp.teleport.com/users/cstarz
Yes. There is another list called the 'Barbecue List' started and monitored by Dave Lineback. It is dedicated to traditional barbecuing and grilling over wood fires. To subscribe, send an email message to:
majordomo@ipass.net
in the body of the message put: subscribe barbecue
There is no digest format available for the Barbecue List.
Yes. It is called: 'alt.food.barbecue'
It is an open, unmoderated forum for all questions and comments related to barbecue and grilling.
There is also an 'alt.food.barbeque' (spelling difference) newsgroup on some news servers that doesn't seem to have any traffic.
Rick Otto--
When I first got into finding barbecue information on the Internet, before I began 'lurking' on the BBQ List, I was jumping all over the place, trying one recipe after another, with some successes but a lot more failures. Once I settled down, (and started reading the posts and then asking questions on the BBQ List) and started trying to perfect a dish, things all fell into place. I began with a pork shoulder because I was told it's the most forgiving. Once I had that down, I gained confidence to progress to other dishes. Someone recently stated that the worst BBQ you can do is better than any 'Run-of-the-mill' BBQ in a restaurant. TRUE. I've enjoyed some of my failures. I just wish I could pass some samples to all the experts on this group for a first-hand appraisal.
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[Here's an important question for the list. My wife gets sick of BBQ if we have it 5 nights running. . . Hmmmm. What should I do?]
Take her to McDonalds or Burger King on the fourth night and she will be ready for BBQ again.
1) You can read the FAQ on Dan Gill's Barbecue Survival Guide Web page at: http://members.tripod.com/~DanGill/Survive.HTML
2) Receive the latest version via an email autoresponder.
Send an email message to: bbq-faq-zip@eaglequest.com
(leave the subject and message body blank)
or check out this Web site:
http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq
3) You can also download a copy of the latest version of the FAQ in plain ASCII text, MS Word 6.0 or Adobe Acrobat PDF format via anonymous FTP at this Web site:
http://www.calweb.com/~ambaker/bbqfaq.html
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[What is the best way to learn how to barbecue?]
Ed Pawlowski--
Put the engineering books away. This is cooking meat here. There is far more art than science, more alchemy than chemistry. Get some wood, matches, and meat and go to it. You will learn far more by building a fire and watching the results than anyone here can teach you. There is no instruction book on making good barbecue.
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[Will the smoke preserve my food?]
Ed--
There are two types of smoking, cold and hot. Cold smoking is a method of preserving meat. First the meat or fish is soaked in a brine solution, then smoked cold at temperatures of 100F or so. Bacon is done this way. Hot smoking is really smoke cooking. It is done at temperatures in the 225F range and will not add any preservation to the foods. This FAQ is devoted to smoke cooking.
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[What meats are used?]
Ed--
Beef briskets are favored in Texas, pork shoulders in North Carolina, ribs in Kansas, chicken in Louisiana. Much of the regional favoritism is due to the type of animals raised in the area. Turkey, seafood, lamb, goat and venison can also be smoked in this manner.
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[Why cook the meat so long?]
Ed--
Barbecue is an evolution of cooking technique that involves using the tough, cheaper cuts of meat and cooking them until they are tender. Brisket comes from the breast area of a steer that does a lot of work and tends to be very tough. This is also true for pork shoulders (the forelegs of the pig). These cuts of meat have a lot of fat and collagen, the material that holds the muscle together. Long slow cooking transforms the collagen from a tough material to a gelatin that dissolves. This can take hours at a temperature of about 160F.
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[What is a rub?]
Ed--
Often meats are seasoned before cooking by application of a dry rub. It is a blend of spices and herbs rubbed onto the meat to enhance flavor. There are many variations. Most recipes include: salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic and onion powders, black and red peppers. There is no limit to the imaginative use of spice combinations.
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[What's the best kind of smoker for me to buy and what will it cost?]
Ed--
You can spend as little as $30 for a bullet water smoker or tens of thousands of dollars for a custom-built rig. Most of us spend less than $500. Keep in mind that equipment is only part of the story. A good pit-master can turn out good barbecue on simple homemade units costing a few dollars. Starting out, consider the Brinkmann Cook'N Cajun Charcoal Smoker or similar unit at around $50, or an off-set firebox smoker that runs about $200. Once you have mastered those, you will know better what suits your needs.
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[Are they all wood-fired? Can I use my gas grill to BBQ?]
Ed--
It is the wood that is used to generate the smoke. That is the common denominator of all barbecue pits. For a heat source, some use charcoal, wood, gas, wood pellets, even electricity. Traditionalists use wood as a fuel, but many of the newer units work well with charcoal. A gas or electric smoker with wood chips for the smoke can do a very good job of making barbecue and be much less labor intensive in keeping the fire at a steady temperature.
The common backyard gas grills are not air tight enough to do proper smoking, but you can still get some flavor by using the wood chips in a pan over the lava rock. Use one burner and keep it as low as possible and put the meat on the other side of the grill, elevated if you have a top rack.
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[I've seen some inexpensive bullet water smokers. Are these smokers any good?]
Ed--
There are two main types of BBQ smokers, horizontal and vertical. The horizontal smokers usually have a firebox off-set to the side to provide the heat and smoke. I highly recommend the vertical water smokers to the beginner, especially if you are not sure if this is the way of life for you. They are very capable cookers and can turn out prize-winning food.
There are three basic types of vertical water smokers, segregated by the fuel they use: wood or charcoal, gas, or electricity. All can give the beginner very good barbecue.
Vertical smokers are more compact and can be cheaper to build. A good example is the $30 Brinkmann Sportsman Smoker, the better $50 Brinkmann Cook N' Cajun and The H2O Smoker from Char-Broil. Weber makes the best charcoal bullet smoker, The Smokey Mountain Cooker, around $150 . What they have in common is a water pan. This is what differentiates the smoking process over indirect heat from grilling over direct heat. The water pan is a buffer between the heat source and the meat. It also acts as a heat sink and thermal mass, lessening the temperature spikes often seen while adding fuel to the fire.
The original Brinkmann had two pans, one for water, one with a hole in it for the charcoal. Due to someone burning down his deck, they no longer provide the hole in the bottom pan. This restricts the airflow and makes it more difficult to use. See Section 7.2.1 for information on how to modify your bullet smoker to make it work more efficiently and to give you better barbecue.
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[Can you help me get started on my first time with a water smoker?]
Start the coals with a chimney starter and let them burn until a white ash covers the coals. Put the water pan in place. To make clean-up easier, spray it with Pam first and put in a foil liner. Pour in some hot water. I suggest hot (almost boiling) because it will get the food cooking faster instead of wasting the heat output to bring the water up to temperature. To add water during the cooking session, use a long-nose water can or similar item. Open the door, not the lid, and pour. If you are using an electric or gas-fired water smoker, lift the dome lid and pour the water past the meat into the lower water pan. DO BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU MOVE OR POUR HOT WATER, AS SERIOUS INJURY CAN RESULT FROM UNSAFE HANDLING. FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR YOUR SMOKER.
It is best to pre-start coals if you must add more than a few. This can be done in a bucket or other pan. Use tongs to transfer the coals to the smoker. If the temperature drops, give the coals a stir with a metal rod. Re-bar and old Studebaker lug wrenches work well for this job.
After you use the smoker a few times, you can experiment. Instead of water, leave the pan empty, but cover it with foil, much as if you were making it into a drum. You will still have the buffer, but the smoker will now operate at a higher temperature. If you have a hole in the center, or place an aluminum pan on the top, it will still catch the drippings from the meat.
You may want to add a more accurate thermometer to your smoker to supplement or replace the simple thermometer that came installed in the dome of your smoker. Most important is knowing your smoker. Note the needle position of the factory gauge and the actual number will not matter; after a few tries, you will know if the temperature is running too hot or too cold. The end result is what counts.
Resist the temptation to peek. You release a lot of heat and smoke every time you lift the lid. You can use wood chips, pellets, or chunks to get the smoke you want. Just put them on top of the burning coals, the gas plate or on/near the electric element. Chunks should be soaked in water for an hour or two before hand so they do not burn up too fast. It only takes a few chunks to turn out good smoked food.
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[Is it really possible to get good barbecue from an inexpensive water smoker?
Frank Boyer--
There is a gentleman named Harold F. from Oregon who has ten or so Brinkmann water smokers, and he often uses up to four units to compete with. He has won the Oregon state championship, as well as taking first in ribs (open) and brisket (invitational) at the 1994 American Royal Barbecue Championship in Kansas City. The invitational is all-state, comprised of champions or winners of previous cook-offs. There are over 50 cooks competing and the cook-off is KCBS sanctioned. If you learn to use your water smoker, world class results can follow.
The RE Max team at the KCBS of 1995 uses 2 or 3 Weber water smokers and has won many events. The Weber units cost about $170 and are the highest quality of all of the water smokers, and they have the best air controls.
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[Can I make good BBQ on a gas or electric smoker using chips of wood?]
Danny Gaulden--
I just want to say this. Sometimes we old pros and perfectionists get so carried away with the long, slow, wood-only, "perfect" Q'ed product, that I think we get some of the beginners thinking that if they can't do it that way, then just don't BBQ anything. That's horse hockey. If you have the time, and gain the experience, then do it the old-fashioned way--it can't be beat. But if time is short, your experience level low, or you're just plain lazy, there's nothing wrong with a little faster smoking time, or using a gas or electric pit. It can still be darn good, and better than most anything you will ever put in your mouth.
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[How do I maintain an even temperature inside the smoker?]
Ed--
Regulate the amount of fuel in the fire. Dampening down the burning wood can make the fire smolder and make a heavy bitter smoke. It is better to use less fuel burning at a high temperature rather than a lot of fuel burning at a low temperature. If the temperature gets too high, open the door to release the heat. Short temperature spikes and drops are normal and will not affect the end result.
There are two approaches here. One is the Lazy-Q way, letting an electric or gas-fired system make your life easy. The other way is to have a traditional wood-burning pit. The Lazy-Q'ers are often at odds with the wood purists. Have to say though, the wood burners work harder and develop more skills to make good barbecue. It is more challenging, both mentally and physically to keep a fire in a narrow, low temperature range for a long period of time.
You have to learn to think ahead, not for what the thermometer says now. You have to anticipate. Using a baseball analogy, the batter starts his swing long before the ball is over the plate. He has to figure out where it is going to be and has to be there to meet it. Same with wood; you have to know how long the coals will be hot, how long for the next log to catch, what the wind will be doing, what effect the sun or lack of it will have on the smoker. What works at 2 PM in the afternoon is not going to work at 2 AM the next morning when that brisket is still going.
The sun affects the heat of the smoker. On a 90F day, you have a differential of 135F from optimum cooking temperature. Later that night, you have a 175F differential. At night you'll have no heat absorption of the sun's IR, and a slight breeze may carry off lots of BTUs from the surface of the smoker and you'll have a stronger draft in the flue.
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[What's the best kind of wood to burn and do the different kinds of smoking woods 'taste' different?]
Ed--
The southwest uses a lot of mesquite, the south uses mostly hickory, the northeast has maple. The main reason is because these woods are plentiful in those areas. Any wood from a nut or fruit bearing tree can be used. Do NOT use any softwood. The resin in conifer wood (pine, fir, spruce, etc.) will ruin the meat. There is more information regarding woods for smoking in Section 8.
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[Can you make good barbecue with briquettes and what's the difference between lump charcoal and charcoal briquettes?]
Ed--
Charcoal is made by burning wood in very low oxygen levels. This leaves mostly carbon. In this form, it is known as natural or lump charcoal. It will be of irregularly-shaped pieces of broken-up wood. If you shake the bag, it sounds like the tinkle of broken glass. Briquettes are different. The charcoal is ground into a powder and then additives are introduced. The additives can include starches, coal dust, oil products and other binders. Under high pressure, the ground charcoal and additives are formed to the regular shapes that are familiar to us. The advantage touted by the manufacturers of briquettes is the consistency of the product in heat output and burn rates. Lump charcoal has a higher BTU rating per pound and is preferred by many barbecuers. Never use the easy-light type charcoals for slow cooking. They have additives that must be burned off at high heat and if used in a smoker will give your barbecued meat nasty flavors.
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[My door mounted thermometer read 220F the whole time but it took a lot longer than I expected for the meat to get done. Why is this?]
Ed--
The thermometer on the door is giving you the temperature at the door. Cooking temperatures are defined as the temperature at the rack where the food is. All smokers have hot and cold spots as well as temperature stratification. Heat rises so the readings at the top can be 50 or more degrees F hotter than at the rack. Use an oven thermometer on the rack to find the difference in your smoker. Keep in mind, the temperature can vary depending to how the pit is loaded with meat, so you will want to try this several times. Once the difference is known, you can make the adjustment by knowing that you have to keep the door thermometer at a certain temperature so the meat cooks at 225F or so.
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[What is a smoke ring?]
Ed--
Smoke rings are produced by a chemical reaction between the meat and the penetration of the smoke. You will see a smoke ring on meat barbecued over a wood fire. It is a pink color that extends from the outside surface into the meat. It's thickness is dependent on several factors, such as the type of smoke and the duration of smoking. See the following section about chicken for a better understanding of the chemical reactions involved.
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[Why is my BBQ chicken pink? Is it still raw?]
Ed--
No, the smoke has a reaction with the chemicals in the bone and meat. The meat turns a pink color even though it is thoroughly cooked. Ash is loaded with potassium and sodium nitrates. This reacts with oxymethyglobin to form nitrosaminoglobulins and gives us the pink color of hams, lunch meats, hot dogs, and smoke rings.
Man has known this for a long time and has been using salt to preserve meat. It was found that nitrates are a natural impurity in salt. This was isolated and used to chemically cure meat. (Salt peter)
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[When do you use a dry rub and a marinade?]
Ed--
Much depends on your personal choice. A marinade can flavor and tenderize meat if it has a high acid content. A rub only adds flavor. Many barbecuers use a marinade followed by a dry rub.
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[Can you give me a few recipes for dry rubs?]
Ed--
Dry rubs contain some salt along with other spices. Many have sugar in them to take the bite out of the spices. Experiment to find what you like.
Dry Rub for Ribs
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 tablespoons salt
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons dry lemon powder
2 tablespoons pepper powder
2 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
This is for sprinkling on spareribs or pork shoulders before you barbecue them. Use heaping measures when you are mixing it and do not skimp when you use it.
=================
Dry Rub for Poultry
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons pepper powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground bay leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons dry mustard
Sprinkle this on chicken and turkey before barbecuing.
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[Can you give us a recipe for a simple marinade?]
A simple marinade is 8 ounces each of cider vinegar, lemon juice, two ounces of Tabasco and a few cloves of crushed garlic. You can use beer and onions or you can use Dr. Pepper or Coke, or all four together. Another simple marinade is to just combine orange juice or apple juice with beer.
There are many dry rub and marinade recipes in the BBQ List recipe archive.
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[When do I apply the BBQ sauce?]
Ed--
Finishing sauces, especially those with tomato and sugar, should be applied only at the very end of cooking. If applied too early, they will caramelize, burn and turn black from the heat.
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[What's a mop and when do I use it?]
Mops are basting sauces used to add moisture during the cooking process. They usually contain liquids that can take the heat with no ill affects. They consist of one or more of: beer, wine, beef broth, fruit juices and some spices. Apply them about every hour during cooking.
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[How do I BBQ really good tasting and tender pork ribs?]
Ed--
Everybody likes ribs, especially baby backs. On the fat side of the rib there is a membrane over the fat. From one corner, cut it with a knife and work the rest of it with your fingers. Pull it off working to the other side. You can marinate them or you can put a rub on them. Remember, ribs are thin so you do not want to pile on the rub like you would a large piece of meat. Just a light coating on each side will do.
Fire up the smoker and get it to a temperature of 225 on the grill. If you put them on flat, place them fat side up. If you want to save space, use a rib rack to stand them on end. Smoke baby backs for about 4 hours, spares about 5 hours. You will see the meat pulling back on the bone when they are done. Serve with a little sauce on the side. Opinions vary, but the meat should be the star, not the sauce. Sauces are to accent the taste of the meat.
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[How do I BBQ North Carolina-type pulled pork?]
Ed--
True NC pulled pork is a pork shoulder smoked over hickory. You can use either the picnic half or the butt half as it is difficult to find whole shoulders. Each half will weigh about 7 to 8 pounds. Smoke gently (220-240F at meat-grill level) until the meat is very tender. This takes from 8 to 12 hours, keeping the meat at or above 160F. The meat should be ready to fall apart. Pull or chop the meat, putting it into a container. Eastern NC style uses a sauce consisting of cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Variations include sugar to off-set the vinegar. About 12 ounces of sauce to 6 pounds of finished meat. Mix this together, refrigerate overnight so the flavors meld together and serve on white bread buns, perhaps with coleslaw on the top.
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[Can I smoke bacon at home?]
Yes, it is a cold smoking and curing process. An excellent description is on Rick Thead's page for meat preserving. It describes the brining process, gives the cure recipe and the smoking process. Set your Web browser to the following URL:
http://www.azstarnet.com/~thead/bbq/
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[Can you tell me about what happens to meat while you slow cook it?]
Kit Anderson--
Meats are made of muscle, connective tissue, fat and bone. Muscle contains proteins and glycogen. As the temperature of the meat increases, glycogen, a long chain sugar, is reduced to simple sugars. This caramelizes and is responsible for one of the flavor components.
Proteins (flavorless) are denatured to amino acids, which not only have flavors themselves, but also undergo Maillard browning reactions, which adds another flavor component.
While bone adds no flavor itself, the marrow is rich in methyglobulin and other proteins. This reacts with smoke nitrites to give us the smoke ring. You may have heard that "the sweetest meat is next to the bone". The proteins are reduced to amino acids. Nutrasweet is an amino acid.
Fat is a very simple molecule that fills the fat cells in muscle tissue. Fat breaks down to sugars, fatty acids, and triglycerides at low temperatures.
Collagen is proteins that have lots of side chain bonds. This makes them elastic. It takes more energy to denature them than the simpler proteins of muscle tissue. Energy in the form of heat will denature these proteins into the flavorful amino acids.
If the temperature is too high, the water in the muscle cells and the fat is rendered out before the collagen melts. This results in dry, tough meat. Too low and you risk bacterial activity.
Tough cuts of meat like brisket and pork butts benefit from low temperature cooking as the collagen adds flavor to the meat. Less tough, more expensive cuts do not need this phase and can be cooked at high temperatures for shorter periods. That is why ribs take only a few hours and briskets take 20.
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[Can you help me make some good barbecue on my gas grill? Any good recipes? And can you make barbecue as good as what comes off a wood-fired pit?]
Danny Gaulden--
Your "any good recipes to try on my gas grill?" couldn't have been more timely. As a matter of fact, it might be the best way to get started to some excellent barbecuing, for learning to build and maintain the proper wood or charcoal fire, keeping the heat and smoke correct, etc. can be a school of learning in its own right, and is a little overwhelming for a lot of beginners. Sometimes they get discouraged and give up--we don't want that to happen with you. With the gas grill, you can concentrate more on the meat, play with the smoke, have a few cold ones, and the odds with the gas grill will be more in your favor to produce some good stuff the first few times around than with a wood burner. Is it "as good as what comes off a wood fired pit"? Not in my opinion, BUT it's next to it, and better than anything you will ever cook in the kitchen oven, and that's a pretty good start. And it WILL have that great outdoor flavor.
While at my cabin recently, I carried a few things to barbecue, and one of the items was a Boston Butt. Have a little smoker up there, along with a smaller, cheaper gas grill. Intended to smoke the butt on the smoker with charcoal and wood chunks, and didn't take any charcoal, for I thought I had a 20 lb. bag of it up there. Guess what--no charcoal, and the nearest store was about 25 miles down the mountain. So I elected to use the gas grill. It is a two burner with left and right control knobs. I rubbed the butt with some of Willingham's dry rub, let it sit awhile at room temperature (it's cool up there), fired up the left side of the grill on the lowest setting it would go, and put the butt on the right side for an indirect smoking process. The temperature next to the meat stayed at about 250 to 275F, but no burning of the fat cap, or meat occurred. Threw some wet hickory wood chunks (no foil, just raw chunks) onto the lava rock fired side every time one would burn out. I did not use a mop. Cooked the butt with the fat side up for about 4 or 5 hours, then turned it over with the fat side down. About every hour, I would turn the meat with a different side to the fire so it would cook more even. After 8 hours, it was very fork tender through and through, and was a beautiful color. Basted it with my mustard-vinegar-brown sugar glaze a couple of times during the last half hour of smoking. This really turned out great, and was a lot of pure fun to do without a lot of hassle. I did take a lot of attention during the entire cooking time, but had nothing else to do, and enjoyed it. Had a really nice smoke flavor, but I kept a little smoke on it almost constantly.
If you have a Weber Genesis grill, you should be able to achieve a more even heat distribution than I did with my cheap grill, so get to barbecuing, and make some good stuff.
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[Can someone help me with some basic questions about using an electric bullet type water smoker?]
Glenn Birkhimer--
OK. Fire away with the questions.
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[Will an oven thermometer sitting on the rack show an accurate temp?]
Glenn--
I use one on the bottom rack where I can see it when I open the side door. It stays at a steady 235F while the smoker's working. I don't have any fancy Sunbeam or Polder electronic remote so can't attest to accuracy. One problem with putting a thermometer in the pit, is that after awhile smoke will most likely get under the cover and it will become unreadable.
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[Where in the smoker do I put the chips?]
Glenn--
One method is to make up a foil "log" (take some chips and wrap them in aluminum foil and twist them into a log) and place it in the bottom between the "arms" of the heating element. Make sure the foil does not touch the element or your chips will catch on fire. Put some pencil-tip-sized holes in the foil.
Bill Wight--
I have a Char-Broil electric smoker (1650 watts). The best method I've found to date is to put three or four 1" x 2" chunks of mesquite, hickory or pecan right on top of or touching the electric element. The chunks slowly burn for almost two hours and this gives a nice, steady, light-white to invisible smoke and the best tasting end results. As the chunks burn, I turn them over or move them closer to the heating element every 60 minutes or so.
When I first started using my smoker, I took the technique from the SWOCS guys and purchased an 8-inch clay flower pot base and put it right on the electric heating element. Then I put the wood chips in the flower pot base. When heated by the electric element, the chips slowly burned. Jeff Lipsitt has since found that this method ruins the electric heating element--so don't do it.
I next tried tossing a handful of chips right on the electric element--piled them up about 1/2 inch deep off the sheet metal deck below the element. The chips start to catch fire but go out as soon as I set the smoker middle section back over the heating element section. Do not put on too many chips as they will smolder with a thick black smoke that will make your meat black and taste bitter. Sometimes I wet the chips, sometimes not. Doesn't seem to make a big difference in my electric smoker. The chips last about an hour or so and then I add some more. When I first add the chips, I get a lot of dense white smoke and then it tapers off.
I have not seen a smoke ring in the meat smoked in my electric water smoker. Some list members report getting smoke rings in meat smoked in their electric units. One says you need to use more wood smoking chips, another says you need salt containing nitrates in the rub, someone else says it's impossible to get a smoke ring in an electric smoker. The jury's still out on this one.
Rock McNelly--
If the electric bullet is not set up right, it can be difficult to get it up to temperature. The things that effect it the most are:
1) Light-weight extension cords. -- Use at least a 12 gauge wire cord. Buy at a hardware store.
2) Too many lava rocks to heat up. -- Get rid of them and line the bottom with foil. No lava rocks or ceramic briquettes are needed.
3) Way too much water in the pan. -- Use about 2 liters of boiling water.
4) Excessive lifting of the lid. -- don't peek. Lift the lid only when necessary to mop, not peek.
5) Too much heat escapes around the lid. -- Fill gaps with foil. Make new vents in top of lid that you can open and shut.
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[What goal should I aim for in my barbecue? How good is good enough?]
M. Baudoin--
"I've made ribs that make grown men fight and chicken that has made women faint."
(Editor-- Sounds like a pretty fair goal to me.)
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[Do I have to have a very expensive smoking pit to make good barbecue?]
Rodney Leist--
Listen folks. Several of us have been fortunate enough to get new pits (BBQ Pits by Klose) recently. There's been a tremendous number of posts proclaiming the religious experiences and enviable barbecue produced on these pits. Here is something for the newcomers and everyone--it's not the pit that makes good barbecue. Dave Klose and I discussed this a few days ago. He said, and I completely agree, that if you learn to cook good barbecue on whatever you use, whether it's a 55 gal. drum half, an NB, a Brinkmann, a bullet water smoker, or whatever, you've done the hard part and can feel good about what you've accomplished. There's no magic in any Cadillac smokers. They can't make a bad cook a great cook, they can only make a good cook better.
Belly--
"It not the pit, it the pitmaster that makes good barbecue."
Philip F. Wight--
Rodney - I think you've touched on the "secret of the ages" when it comes to barbecue . . . that if you know what you're doing you can turn out just as good a quality barbecue from a $50 converted oil drum as you can from a $50,000 BBQ Pit By Klose. The more expensive unit will have bells and whistles to make the work easier but the basic touch has to be there first. I'm told that many outstanding competitors use the bullets and small water cookers to turn out first quality stuff. That's why this list is so important; here we've learned technique as well as recipes, and I've come to believe that it's 90% in the technique.
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[What would you change if you could re-engineer the pit you purchased?]
Scott McDaniel--
I bought a Oklahoma Joe's pit, and the only regret I have is I didn't get a bigger one. My advice: buy more than what you think you need.
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[I was looking at an off-set firebox smoker and it looked plenty big enough to smoke 3 turkeys at once. Is this true?]
Rick Thead--
One thing to keep in mind before you go out and buy too much meat to smoke at once is that the whole area in the smoking chamber isn't usable for smoking long-term. The section nearest the firebox will be too hot to leave the meat for more than a few minutes to an hour or so. I like to start the food near the fire end and then, after getting some browning, move it farther away for the rest of the smoking time.
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[I hear the term 'off-set firebox smoker pit'. What does that mean?]
Editor--
The wood-burning pit type that most experienced barbecuers will use to do their smoking is called the 'off-set firebox' smoker. This type of pit has three main parts: the firebox, the horizontal smoking chamber, and the exhaust chimney. Some manufacturers add a vertical smoking chamber at the end of the horizontal smoking chamber and the exhaust chimney exits from the top of this vertical chamber.
The firebox is where you make the fire and it is located to one side of the pit, either right or left. It is 'off-set' from the main smoking chamber, or middle part of the pit (where you put the meat). Being off-set, the heat that comes off the fire does not go directly to the food racks (like on a backyard charcoal grill), but instead travels horizontally past a baffle and into the smoking chamber, ideally under and around the meat on the racks. The heated air and smoke then exit the smoking chamber through the exhaust chimney. Some smokers have the exhaust chimney opening at the top of the smoking chamber, on the end opposite the firebox. Other designs have the exhaust opening in the middle of the opposite end of the smoking chamber.
In the smoking chamber there is at least one meat grill or rack, often several and often at more than at one height, i.e. upper and lower grills. Here is where the real business of smoking meat is done--on the grills. Most backyard off-set firebox smokers can handle a brisket, a chicken and a slab or two of ribs at the same time. Larger pits can hold much more meat and feed larger crowds of people.
Some pits have a vertical smoking chamber at the end of the horizontal chamber, opposite the firebox, that can operate at a lower temperature than in the horizontal chamber. This chamber is used for smoking things like fish, jerky and bacon.
The exhaust chimney is where the smoke exits the pit. It is usually fitted with an adjustable damper. A note of caution here; beginners to smoking should leave this damper wide open while smoking. Experience will let you deepen the amount of finishing smoke flavor by adjusting this damper. Closing the exhaust damper without knowing what you're doing will be the shortest route to ruined barbecue.
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[Can you give me some pointers on selecting a barbecue pit?]
Editor--
Selecting a barbecue pit is like buying any other piece of equipment. You need to do some homework and decide a few things before you rush out and buy one. Consider: where will you use it--backyard or porch or apartment? How much do you want to spend--$30 or $3000? How much room do you have--four square feet or an acre? How serious are you about barbecue--once a month or every day? How many people do you want to feed when you have a barbecue party--two or a hundred? What kind of weather do you have--hot humid Florida or cold freezing Maine? How much barbecue do you want to do at one time--a few hot dogs or a load of pork shoulders, ribs and a couple of briskets? Do you want to be able to cool-smoke some fish or bacon? Do you want a combination unit--smoker and grill? What level of attention do you want to have to put into your smoking--tending a wood burner every 30-60 minutes or a gas or an electric Lazy-Q unit every few hours or so? How long do you want the smoker unit to last--pass on to your grandchildren or replace it every other year? Do you want a smoker that you can take to the beach or the mountains, or do you want one made out of bricks that forms the focal point of your patio?
When you know the answer to all these question, picking out a smoker will be fairly straight-forward.
David Klose--
Here are a few features you may want to look for when buying a premium grill/smoker, whether it is charcoal, wood, or even gas-fired.
1). Ask your retailer if the unit you are interested in is made from all new steel. There are some units out there that are made from used materials and should be avoided.
2). Pick the thickest steel unit you can find and afford. The thicker the walls of the pit, the better it will hold in the heat, as well as always cooking more evenly. Quarter inch steel pits last much longer than the sheet metal ones. Look for a pullout ash pan--this will help increase the life of the grill or smoker considerably and make it much easier to load wood or coals.
3). Try to buy a smoker that will fit the size of family/group you are normally feeding. A medium-sized pit 18" or 20" diameter by 30" long, will allow large cuts of meat like shoulders and turkeys to be cooked without burning the skin from the hotter top areas of your grill. A 20" diameter by 30" long smoker will hold a brisket or shoulder, two whole chickens, and few hoops of sausage on the bottom shelf, with 3 corn-on-the-cob, 3 baked potatoes, and a slab of ribs on the top half shelf, if one is present. This size will feed the average family/group of 5 to 10, without having to stack the meats and vegetables inside too closely to each other.
4). A nice feature in some off-set firebox smokers, is an adjustable meat rack over the fire, for grilling steaks, hamburgers, hot-dogs, fajitas, vegetables and blackening redfish.
5). Try to get a unit that has features like adjustable grill heights, and removable meat racks framed in steel angles for extra strength. A large log rack underneath is also helpful for storing wood, charcoal, trays and pans. A steel plate fixed baffle, welded at 45 degrees, between the firebox and main chamber of your smoker will allow you more cooking area, and helps to even out the temperatures from one end of the smoker to the other. A 2-inch high steel plate welded vertically at the bottom of the smoking chamber by the firebox, will allow you to pour water, wine, or juice in the bottom of your smoker to keep the meats moist during cooking. A drain at the end away from the firebox is useful to drain off any drippings and fluids you don't want after cooking. Place a ball valve on the drain for easy cleanup.
6). Be sure to inspect the grill or smoker for sharp edges, unwelded corners, sturdy legs and quality wheels. Swivel casters on one end, and large wheels on the heavy end will make moving your grill a more pleasant experience. Be sure the doors are fitted tightly, with a seal that won't warp due to the heat of everyday cooking. Make sure the straps on the edges of the doors are welded completely, and not skip welded, as this can lead to warping.
7). Decent handles that don't get hot are a must for any grill or smoker. Wood handles do not last very long outside in the weather. A handle that allows the air to go through it, like a coiled stainless steel handle, are by far the best you can get.
8). Make sure your smoker includes a quality stainless steel thermometer that is hermetically sealed, so smoke does not condense inside the dial. It should be mounted at the meat rack level, and not higher up in the center, or on the top of the door, as it is usually 50 to 75 degrees hotter there.
9). Look for grills or smokers that have plenty of shelf and table space.
10). Be wary of grills that have cheap door hinges or latches, as these will last outside in the weather for only a short time before they rust shut or break off. The doors with a steel bar the full length of the door hinges are better.
11). Adjustable controls for air-intake at the firebox are helpful for controlling the inside temperature of your grill or smoker. Ones with the sideways sliding controls will last much longer. An adjustable cap on the smokestack will also be helpful.
12). Be sure to ask for any recipe or instruction books that may be included. Also collect any information they may have on accessories for your pit, like covers, charcoal and wood suppliers, cookbooks, cutting boards, seasoning suppliers, and replacement parts for your grill, like racks, etc.
13). Deal only with reputable companies, that will be there to answer your questions if a problem should ever arise or you need replacement parts.
The following is a list of popular budget and premium smokers. Descriptions were taken from the manufacturer's literature.
UNIVERSAL WATER SMOKER #1400. Sug. list $149.95 354 sq. in. cooking area. Expandable up to 1,770 sq. in. Americas largest water smoker--uses up to ten grills. Smoke pounds of fish fillets or boneless chicken fillets. Has Universal Rack System for hanging rods and multi-level cooking grills. Heavy gauge steel construction with 2 porcelain cooking grills, 1 heavy duty meat hanging rod, enamel water pan, charcoal/wood pan, cool touch stainless steel handles, adjustable air vent and large full-height access door (Temperature gauge not included).
HONDO Smoke/Grill- #2800 Sug. list $299.95 732 sq. in. Cooking area-expandable up to 1,708 sq. in. with optional grills. Three porcelain grills are standard. The Hondo has wire front shelves plus the added feature of a welded on hot plate, great for warming side dishes. This unit has an off-set firebox. The street price of the Hondo and black Diamond smokers is $170-$200.
BLACK DIAMOND Smoke/Grill #4800 Sug. list $299.95 732 sq. in. Cooking area expandable up to 1,708 sq. in. with optional grills. Three porcelain cooking grills are standard. This unit has a Malaysian mahogany front shelf, hardwood handles plus the added feature of a welded on hot plate, great for warming side dishes. This unit has an off-set firebox. The Black Diamond is the same unit as the Hondo with a wood vs. a steel shelf.
BLACK DIAMOND Stainless Steel #4848 Sug. list $449.95 732 sq. in. Cooking area expandable up to 1,708 sq. in. with optional grills. The Black Diamond has Malaysian mahogany front shelf assembly across main chamber, with stainless steel chamber doors, side air baffle and smokestack damper. This unit has an off-set firebox.
LUKENBACH Grill #1800. This is primarily a drum-type grill with 488 sq. in. of cooking area. This unit has an easy-access fire door on one end. It has a wood front shelf. It is possible to smoke meat in this unit by building a low fire on one side of the unit. List price is $199.
GUADALUPE Grill/Smoker #5630 Sug. list $399.95 Exclusive Multi Draft System 488 sq. in. Cooking area-two porcelain cooking grills. Utilizes dual smokestacks with dampers in both ends and a central divider which offers multi grilling and smoking options. Grill at two heights at same time or totally isolate foods from the fire using the central divider. Features Cool Touch stainless steel door handles, Malaysian mahogany front shelf, louvered air control on side access doors and now with four swivel caster wheels. Dual 4-way adjustable grill heights. Includes two easy clean-up slide out liner/ash trays for extended life. This unit does not have an off-set firebox.
GRILL SERGEANT #7500 16 lbs. Sug. list $39.95 180 sq. in. cooking area. This take along charcoal grill has adjustable smokestack which also locks lid for clean portability. Quick, easy assembly--no tools required. Ideal for picnics, camping, RVs and more.
THE BOSS Barbeque Center #8400 Sug. list $149.95 513 sq. in. cooking area. Heavy gauge steel barrel type styling. Adjustable 3-position height fire/grate pan with handles for lift-out cleaning. Hardwood front shelf and large bottom storage rack. Has 4-even flow air damper controls and in-door temperature gauge. Includes: 2 cooking grills and 2 fire grates.
BANDERA Smoker/Grill #5600 Sug. list $499.95 1,220 sq. in. Cooking area with four porcelain cooking grills. The Bandera expands up to 4,185 sq. in. using 14 cooking grills in its cooking chamber. Includes: 2 hanging rods, 1 rib rack, porcelain enamel water pan, a Malaysian mahogany front shelf, easy moving casters and wheels, 'Cool Touch' stainless steel handles and easy clean-up, slid-out liner/ash pan for extended life. Temperature gauge is optional. This unit has an off-set firebox with a rectangular vertical smoke chamber.
The Pecos is a small portable grill smoker with 244 sq. in. of cooking surface. This unit is ideal for apartment dwellers and for taking on trips. List price is $99.95.
Model 815-3060-C - the perfect smoker for a sportsman comes equipped with two cooking grills to handle 50 lbs. of food. Features include wooden handles, a heat indicator and hinged door for adding charcoal and water. Ideal for smoking wild game or grilling hamburgers. List Price: $69.95. Street Price about $30.
Model 810-5030-0 - This compact, single-grill charcoal smoker has a double-latched lid for carrying to your camp or picnic site. Use as a water smoker or a barbecue grill. Great for camping, tailgate parties and picnics. List Price: $39.95.
Model 850-7000-1 - Our top-of-the-line double-grill charcoal smoker has a 50 lb. capacity. Smoker body lifts off base for easy access to an extra-large charcoal pan. Features heat indicator in dome lid handle, extra-large porcelain-coated steel water pan and Nylon handles. Converts to a waist-high or portable grill. List Price $89.98. Street Price about $45-50.
Model 810-5305-S - This strikingly beautiful stainless steel smoker cooks as good as it looks. Double grills handle up to 50 lbs. of food. Features include stainless steel body and dome lid, heat indicator, wooden handles, porcelain-coated water pan and charcoal pans, and hinged door for adding charcoal and water. Converts to electric model. List Price: $169.95.
Model 810-5290-C - Double-grill 1500-watt smoker handles up to 50 lbs. of food. Converts in seconds to a barbecue grill. Wooden handles stay cool. Water pan and lava rocks included. List Price 139.95. Street price about $70 (Editor--This unit does not have an adjustable heat control for the electric element, a desirable feature.)
Brinkmann also sells a Gourmet Electric Smoker model that is similar to the Smoke'N Grill Electric but is taller. Street price is less than $90.
Model 810-5600-0 - Double-grill design provides two cooking surfaces that handle up to 50 lbs. of food. The middle section is removable for easy conversion to a gas grill. Equipped with lava rocks, 18,000 BTU gas burner, LP gas hose and regulator. Features Piezo quartz ignition system for matchless starts. List Price 169.95. Street price about $100.
Model 805-2101-1 - This large capacity horizontal charcoal/wood smoker incorporates a separate fire box, a design favored by many smoke cooking enthusiasts. A wood or charcoal fire is built inside the fire box for indirect heating. Features include heavy-gauge sheet metal steel, heavy-duty hinged lid, three adjustable cooking levels, wooden cooking shelf, molded wheels and wood storage rack. List Price: $379.95 Street Price about $170-$199.
Model 805-2101 - The Pitmaster is similar to the Professional, but does not feature a separate fire box. For indirect cooking, a charcoal or wood fire is built on the left side of the cooking chamber and food is placed on the right side of the cooking chamber. There is a kit to convert this unit into a professional model. List Price: $229.95. Street Price about $100.
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[What is the difference between the Brinkmann Smoke'N Pit Professional and the New Braunfels Black Diamond/Hondo?]
David A. Rogers--
Features
The Hondo (read also Black Diamond) has a heating shelf over the firebox - the SnP Pro doesn't. That's the only feature of difference.
Construction
The Hondo is made with a circumferential weld on both ends of both barrels. i.e. looking at the end of a Hondo, the barrel is welded all the way around. The Brinkmann is welded on the bottom third with three or four additional spot welds.
The Hondo has a wimpy wire front shelf. The SnP Pro has a wood shelf. Editor--The Black Diamond model has a sturdy wood shelf.
The lid on the SnP Pro rests against an angle bracket welded to the barrel for that purpose. On the Hondo, the lid rests against the smokestack.
Tom Kelly--the SnP Pro stack has been modified since David's post to correct a potential safety problem. A bend was added so the lid would open further. Apparently, the previous position allowed the wind to blow the door closed onto your hands, tools, etc. In the new design, the lid rests against the smokestack, just like the Hondo/NBBD
Both units are made out of the same gauge heavy-gauge sheet metal, about 3/32-inch thick.
Design
The SnP Pro has brackets to support the grills in the smoke chamber at grilling height. On the Hondo you can turn the grills 90 degrees to get them a little higher (they're rectangles).
Tom Kelly-
The grills on the SnP Pro are located MUCH higher than in the NBBD/Hondo. I measured the grill-to-door opening height and it was about 7-1/2 inches in the SnP Pro. This would be tight for a big turkey. The Hondo/NBBD grills sit several inches lower and thereby have more head room.
Editor--
The smokestack on the Hondo is attached by a bolted flange and extends further into the smoke chamber than on the SnP Pro.
List members report that the legs and wheels of both units are not as strong as they should be. Care must be taken when moving these units over rough ground and lawns.
Neither design is perfect. Some BBQ List members have reported great success with their Hondo/NBBD and SnP Pro right out of the box. Other members have reported big internal temperature variations, leaking air and smoke from doors and have made modifications to correct these problems. The biggest complaint seems to be that the heat from the firebox on these units flows up and into the top of the smoking chamber and along the top of the chamber and out the exhaust stack, bypassing the meat on the racks below, and causing high temperature variations within the pit. The modifications suggested keep the heat and smoke lower in the smoking chamber. The most ambitious of the changes brings the heat up from under the meat rack and gives the best results. See Section 7.2.2 for modifications on making your Hondo/NBBD/SnP Pro more efficient.
From their Web site: http://www.bbqpits.com
BBQ Pits by Klose was founded in 1986 with the principle of maintaining an integrity of the Old Western trail drive style of cooking in mind. BBQ Pits by Klose is a purveyor of custom BBQ grills, smokers, cook-off and catering rigs. The sizes range anywhere between a $69 drum grill to a $400,000 catering rig.
All BBQ Pits are made by hand, with no machinery involved in the manufacturing process except a welding machine, in the spirit of the old style iron foundries. One welder to one pit from the beginning to the finished product. Handmade all the way.
Here are a few models in the Klose Backyard Chef(R) line:
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18" Diameter by 24" Long Smoker--Round firebox List Price $595
Here we have an 18" diameter by 24" long smoker with an 18" round firebox. It has stainless steel air-cooled handles and an easy to read 3" dial, stainless steel thermometer, hermetically sealed. There is a 10" wide by 30" long table on the front, with a 10" wide by 18" long table on the side, making an "L" shaped table. Additional storage space underneath with an 18" wide by 42" long log rack. The main area has a full meat rack framed in steel angles for strength, as well as a removable 1/2 shelf. This smoker features adjustable firebox and smokestack controls. CAPACITY: 624 sq. inches in smoker, and 324 sq. in. in the firebox.
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18" Diameter by 30" Long Smoker--Square firebox List Price $650
Here we have an 18" diameter by 30" long smoker with an 18" by 18" square firebox. Air-cooled stainless steel handles, an easy to read 3" dial, stainless steel thermometer. There is a 10" wide by 40" long table on the front, with a 10" wide by 18" table on the side, making an "L" shaped table. Additional storage & shelf space underneath with an 18" by 30" long log rack. The main cooking area has a full meat rack framed in steel angles for strength, as well as a removable 1/2 shelf. This smoker has adjustable firebox and smokestack controls, as well as adjustable grilling heights on the firebox to 5 levels. CAPACITY: 780 square inches in smoker, & 324 square inches in firebox.
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20" Diameter by 30" Long Smoker List Price $675
This backyard unit is one of the all-time favorites to take to the beach or for family reunions.
It's 20" in diameter by 30" long, with a 20" by 20" square firebox and 1/4" thick new steel to maintain even heat. Ideal for grilling and smoking. Air-cooled stainless steel handles and easy-to-read. 3" dial, stainless steel thermometer.
It comes with plenty of table space outside, as well as storage space underneath for your charcoal and woods. It has 840 square inches of cooking area in the smoker, as well as 400 square inches of grilling area in the firebox. Large enough for a brisket, a turkey, ribs, sausage, corn-on-the-cob, and baked potatoes. It has adjustable height to five levels in the firebox for grilling fajitas, shrimp, blackened redfish and steaks.
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20" Diameter by 42" Long Smoker List Price $775
This backyard unit is one of the all-time favorites to take to the beach or for family reunions.
It's 20" in diameter by 42" long, with a 20" by 20" square firebox and 1/4" thick new steel to maintain even heat. It's ideal for grilling and smoking.
It comes with plenty of table space outside, as well as storage space underneath for your charcoal and woods. It has 1218 square inches of cooking area. Large enough to hold up to 3 briskets, a turkey, ribs, sausage, corn-on-the-cob, and baked potatoes. It has adjustable height to five levels in the firebox for grilling fajitas, shrimp, blackened redfish and steaks.
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20" Diameter by 40" Long Smoker List Price $1075
A 20"x40" main chamber, with a full meat-rack and 1/2 shelf. The 20"x20" square firebox has an adjustable grill and fire-grate. There is a pull-out ash pan for easy clean out. Lifetime Burn-through Guarantee.
Adjustable controls on the firebox and smokestack. Also featured is a 20"x20" upright slow-smoker with 3 shelves and hanging rods. There is a full log rack underneath and wrap-around tables, dual stainless steel handles and two thermometers. Cooking capacity: 2320 square inches.
On all BBQ Pits by Klose--A Lifetime warrantee on burn-through and rust-through. Klose pits feature heavy-wall construction that makes temperature control much easier than the mass-produced units sold by other manufacturers.
From their Web site at:
http://www.oklahomajoes.com/page24/index.htm
Their line of backyard off-set firebox models include:
"Grill With Firebox"
Utilizing the off-set firebox design concept, the Grill with Firebox features a long horizontal cooking chamber with plenty of room for your favorite smoked meats! Keep a pot of beans or soup warm on the flat top of the firebox. This model has the same unique baffling and damper system found on our smokers. Designed with grilling and barbecuing in mind, these models are relatively compact and mobile--perfect for the backyard cookout. The grill with firebox is available in 16" and 20" sizes. Get those fires going with our LP log lighter system (also available).
16" Grill #16-GWFB $799.00
20" Grill #20-GWFB $1,069.00
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"Tailgator"
The Tailgator is the smallest in the Oklahoma Joe's line, and is modeled after the Grill with Firebox, but it is much smaller. It is made to travel and is very affordable. The 12" model has 3 square feet of grilling area. Need a little more cooking area? The 14" model has 4 square feet of grilling area. The Tailgator is great to take to lake, or to football games or to just keep at home for the family to enjoy.
12" Tailgator #12-TAIL $329.00
14" Tailgator #14-TAIL $399.00
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"The Oklahoma Tradition"
This cooker has become a #1 seller and shows the tradition and quality of Oklahoma Joe's. Available in 14" and 16" sizes. Due to the off-set firebox design, the tradition is the ultimate in versatility for grilling, barbecuing and smoking. Because of its steel construction, the Tradition burns wood and charcoal longer than ordinary thin-walled units. And in the tradition of Oklahoma Joe's, this model comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
14" Tradition #14-OKTKD $439.00
16" Tradition #16-OKTKD $589.00
Their line of backyard vertical smokers include:
"The Chuckwagon"
The Chuckwagon has the ultimate vertical smoking chamber. With four shelves to smoke on, you can smoke almost all of your favorite meats at the same time. Similar to the smokers in design, the Chuckwagon has 4 extra inches in the firebox so it will handle any wood you buy at your local wood yard. The wagon wheels give this smoker a western flair and roll easily over rough surfaces. Editor--This is a combination smoker with horizontal and vertical smoking chambers.
16" Chuckwagon #16-CW $1,149.00
20" Chuckwagon #20-CW $1,499.00
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"Smoker"
This model is great for taking your time and smoking all day long. Available in 16" and 20" sizes, our smokers feature triple cooking areas (grilling, barbecuing and vertical slow smoking). All Oklahoma Joe's smokers have a flat grill top that is perfect for the bean pot, OKJ's Bar-B-Q sauce or a bread and tortilla warmer. Editor--This model is a smoker with horizontal and vertical smoking chambers.
16" Smoker #16-SMOKE $1049.00
20" Smoker #20-SMOKE $1329.00
Oklahoma Joe's pits feature heavy-walled construction that makes temperature control much easier than the mass-produced units sold by other manufacturers.
See their Web page at: http://www.webergrills.com
Weber makes a line of premium grills and a bullet-type smoker.
Smokey Mountain Cooker (TM)
Porcelain-on-steel Smoker has two heavy, bright nickel-plated 18 1/2" cooking grates, aluminum door and legs, and packed with a premium grade cover. This is the premium bullet water smoker.
Model 2890 18 1/2" Black $179.99
Other Weber grills can be used for smoking, but they are primarily for grilling.
H2O Smoker
A basic bullet water smoker that uses charcoal for fuel. Features include heat-resistant handles, two pans, one for water, one for charcoal, double grills, a hood-mounted temperature indicator and hinged door for adding charcoal and water. Street price often below $30.
Electric Water Smoker
This unit has a 1650 watt electric water smoker. It has an infinite control heating element, multiple cooking surfaces, 6 quart water pan, hood-mounted heat indicator and smoker cookbook. It converts to electric table top grill, UL approved. Holds up to 50 pounds of food at a time. The smoker section lifts off the base section allowing for full access to heating element for adding wood chips/chunks and cleaning.
Model 4512 - Electric Water Smoker, Suggested List Price $88.50 Street Price $40-70
From their Web site at: http://www.cookshack.com/
What in the world is Cookshack?
We're a company dedicated to the manufacture of electric smoker ovens for genuine pit barbecue and wood-smoked foods. A leader in the market for over 30 years, Cookshack's state-of-the-art ovens are distributed worldwide to restaurants, caterers, supermarkets, convenience stores, meat markets--in fact, to all sorts of retail food service operations.
Editor-- The Cookshack smokers are vertical, rectangular, insulated smoker-oven units.
They manufacture a line of premium vertical smoker ovens in various sizes. They have two home smoker models: the Smokette II, suggested list price $425, and the "Model 50", suggested list price $895. They are used by everyone from backyard cooks to chefs.
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[I want to build my own backyard barbecue pit from bricks or concrete blocks. Where can I get plans to do this?]
Rock McNelly--
Try finding a book by Sunset Publishing called, "Barbecue Building Book." ISBN 0-376-01042-8. In it you'll find ideas and plans for indoor and outdoor barbecues. Everything from simple one-grate on-the-ground grills, to elaborate above-ground grill, oven, and smoker combos. There's even plans for an in-ground pit capable of feeding 600 people. This has been the most informative book that I've found yet.
Of course, if you build it . . . We will come!
[Do I really need a thermometer in my smoker?]
Tom Kelly--
Unless you're one of the real pro's out there, you need a thermometer. Even if you have one of those Brinkmann "COLD-IDEAL-HOT" indicators, you need to know what temperature it's really indicating. Also, if you have a thermometer that's not at grill level, you need to know how close it reads to an accurate thermometer placed at the grill level so you can use your installed thermometer as a guide.
You have a lot of choices here. Thermometers range from $3 home oven types to $30 or more dial indicator or digital remote reading units. You'll have to decide what's best for you. Here's some information to help you make that choice:
Oven Thermometer - These $3 or so units will work fine. You can get them at K-Mart, WalMart, Roses or stores that carry kitchen accessories. Sit it on the grill and smoke away. The two big drawbacks are, 1) you have to raise the lid to check the temperature (and that causes heat loss) and 2) you have to clean the face of it just about every time you use it use because the smoke will totally coat the face. Also, over time, the smoke products can muck up the spring mechanism (through the small holes in the back) so plan on buying a new one after a few years, depending on the amount of use.
Built-in Thermometer - These dial indicator thermometers are available for about $30. Brinkmann and New Braunfels make them to fit the threaded hole in the cooking chamber lid. They have a range of about 50 to 500F. The element (probe) is inside the smoke chamber and the dial is outside so you don't have to open the unit to check the temperature and the face and mechanism don't see the smoke. The only problem may be the placement of the thermometer. On the Brinkmann SnP Pro and the NBBD and Hondo units, the thermometer is 4 to 8 inches above the grill level so the indicated temperature may read as much as 60F higher than the grill temperature. Several other instrument companies also make dial indicator thermometers and some are available on the Internet.
Remote-Reading Thermometer - Sunbeam and Polder both make very nice remote-reading thermometers for about $30. Service Merchandise carries the Sunbeam and both should be available at better kitchen stores. You can buy the Polder unit over the Internet from Cunningham Gas products. These electronic units have a 4 or 5 inch probe which can be placed in the smoker. A metal braid shielded wire runs from the probe to an LCD readout placed outside the chamber. The probe can be positioned anywhere within the smoker to obtain a fast and accurate temperature indication. These units are excellent for 'calibrating' your installed dial indicator thermometer because it shows the difference between the grill level and the dial indicator location.
Other - Some folks have reported that a candy thermometer, poked through the center of a cork that fits a hole into the cook chamber works fine. There are probably lots of alternate solutions.
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[Which digital thermometer is best, Sunbeam or Polder?]
Dan Gill--
I received my Polder digital thermometers from Jeff today - they appear to be really nice units. Since I also have 2 Sunbeams, I thought the list members may be interested in my first impressions.
I was a little worried when I first unpacked the Polders, put in the battery and then plugged in the probe--display continued to read "LO F no matter what I did--I even switched probes with a Sunbeam--still no reading. When I removed and replaced the battery with the probe connected, the unit initialized and read fine.
The Polder appears to be built and designed better than the Sunbeam - I like the swing-up display on the magnetic base. The disadvantage is that the battery and circuitry are in the magnetic base and could be damaged by prolonged attachment to hot surfaces. I melted the magnetic base on one of my Sunbeams by leaving it on the cast iron cooker door when I had a hot fire.
Functionally, both units are very similar. The Sunbeam does have a clock function. The timer on both units continues to run after time elapses. On the Sunbeam the alarm sounds for one minute and the display shows elapsed time. The Polder alarm keeps sounding until reset. You can also set seconds on the Sunbeam. The probes appear to be identical and are interchangeable - therefore I would expect the same immersion problems. I use mine in liquids all of the time and just avoid immersing the top of the probe where the wire enters.
Both units are excellent values and extremely handy and functional.
Rock--
I have the Perfect Temp by Charcoal Companion, and as far as I can tell, it's identical to the Polder in every way except for brand name. I bought mine from the Barbecue Store on the Internet. It works just great!
Scott--
I've got both the Polder and the Charcoal Companion (don't know if that's a Sunbeam or not) and I can't tell a bit of difference other than the Charcoal Companion has different printed instructions, like maybe Polder sells the thermometers to the company and then they print their own instructions (and the Polders are white while the CCs are black). Even came with the same brand of battery (El Cheapo Hong Kong Industrial Grade Alkaline, guaranteed to last nearly 2.3 minutes). Probes are the same length, display is identical down to the size and placement of numbers. They were also priced identically - $29.95.
The old-timers on the List don't use thermometers and say they are not needed. Beginners seem to want and need them. Seems that once you're an old-hand at barbecue, then you can tell the temperature by the color of the smoke, the smell of the pit or by some extra-sensory thing. But until you get to that point, a thermometer somewhere in the pit is an absolute necessity.
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[Just where do I stick it?]
Editor--A summary of several posts--
Remember, the important place to measure the temperature in the pit is at the meat. This is also not the easiest place to measure the temperature. Most pits come with a thermometer in the lid, whether it's a bullet smoker or an off-set-firebox smoker. The temperature measured at this point, in the lid, will be 50-70F higher than at the meat cooking rack. If your pit has upper and lower racks, the top rack will be 20-50F higher than the lower rack. None of these things is a big problem once you learn your pit. For the beginner, we suggest that you equip your pit with a good analog thermometer in the dome or lid. A candy thermometer works well (you need a range of about 150F to 350F). Use this thermometer to monitor and control the temperature inside your pit. A digital meat thermometer that you can poke into the meat is well worth the investment of $20-$30. Once you understand the temperature profiles within your pit, then you can stop using the digital thermometer and rely on the one in the dome. Also remember that in your horizontal smoker (SnP Pro, NBBD, Klose, OKJ's, etc.) the temperature at the meat rack will be highest near the firebox and coolest at the opposite end. You can take advantage of this by starting your meat near the firebox and moving it farther away after the first hour or so.
Like we've said before, you've got to put some heat to the meat and experiment with your pit to get good at doing barbecue. Nothing beats experience. A whole chicken costs about $5 and is a good way to begin working with your pit. You're not going to go bankrupt if you ruin a few chickens and chances are you won't ruin any. See Section 10.3.3 on how to prepare the chicken before it goes into the pit.
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[What kinds of tools are handy for barbecuing?]
Tom Kelly--
RIB RACKS - If you have a small bullet water smoker, you might want to consider a rib rack. These racks allow you to stand a rack or slab of ribs on edge, instead of laying them flat, thus freeing up valuable grill space. They are available at barbecue stores, some home centers, better kitchen stores and restaurant supply houses.
UTENSILS - A set of long barbecue tongs are indispensable for picking up meats, especially ribs, when they are repositioned to account for uneven temperatures in the smoker or when you're ready to pull them off and chow down. They are also useful for messing with the fire and for adding chunks of wood or charcoal to the firebox. A large fork or spatula is also handy for checking doneness and transferring the cooked meat to a serving platter or to a roasting pan for covered cooking.
SPRAY BOTTLE - Nope, not for putting our grease fires! A spray bottle is ideal for applying thin mops, such as apple juice, beer or soda, which do not contain ingredients that would stop up the sprayer nozzle.
DRIP PANS - These accessories come in many shapes, sizes and materials. The bottom line is that a drip pan, placed under the meat, can help keep your cleanup requirements to a minimum. Instead of washing out the smoke chamber, you simply clean out the drip pan. For even easier cleanup, line the pan with aluminum foil and just fold up and throw away the foil after smoking.
COOKING PANS - A nice aluminum, stainless steel or porcelain roasting pan is a handy smoking item but be aware, it'll turn black over time!. Many folks like to finish their product in a covered pan, either in the smoker or in the oven. A shallow roasting pan, covered with aluminum foil, works great for this purpose.
WATERING CAN or FUNNEL - Many of the bullet water smokers have horrible access to the water pan. Refilling the water pan can be dangerous and difficult. A long, flexible funnel or a gardener's watering can makes replenishing the water pan a breeze.
CHIMNEY STARTER - This is one of the most indispensable items for anyone using lump charcoal or briquettes. They are available at home centers (Lowe's, Home Depot, HQ, etc.) for $4 to $10. Basically, it is an open metal cylinder with a grate near one end. You fill it with fuel which sits on the grate, crumple up newspaper underneath the grating and light it. In 15 - 30 minutes, you are ready to pour the contents into your firebox or firepan and get to smoking.
COOLER - A standard insulated chest or food/drink cooler, size determined by your needs, is an invaluable tool for barbecuing. Often, the meat, particularly brisket, is removed from the smoker, wrapped in several layers of foil, and placed in a cooler. This 'resting' period continues the cooking process (without you having to tend the pit and burn fuel) and tenderizes the meat further while holding in heat. A brisket can be safely kept in a cooler if it's wrapped in towels for additional insulation for 6-7 hours prior to serving. Remember, meat must be kept at a temperature above 140F for safe storage.
BEER HOLDER - Self explanatory. You or anything else that keeps your beer handy and cool while you slave over the smoker.
BASTING BRUSH or MOP - You should have one of each. Both should have long handles. A mop is used for thinner sauces and a basting brush for thicker ones and for honey, butter and oils. These are available in barbecue stores, kitchen shops, supermarkets and discount stores. They are available from $2 to $9.
WATER CAN - Some people who have off-set firebox smokers like to have some added humidity to the smoke, just like the bullet smoker people get. To accomplish this, an old coffee can (paint burned off) set in the firebox will do the trick. Alternatively, a small loaf pan, filled with water and set in the smoke chamber in front of the firebox opening has basically the same effect.
FOOD GLOVES - When handling the meat, particularly after smoking, a nice pair of rubber gloves is handy. Helps keep the meat clean and also helps keep from burning your hands if the meat is too hot.
CHICKEN RACK - A chicken rack is available at barbecue stores, better kitchen stores and at some home centers. Some consist of a pan with a center cone attached to the pan while others are fabricated from a wire frame. In either case, the chicken sits upright. On the cone type, the hot air and smoke can get to the inside of the bird as well as the outside. It is also supposed to save some space if you have a small cooking surface, depending on the size of the rack's footprint.
JACQUARD - This item is available only at specialty kitchen stores and kitchen item suppliers. It consists of a row of tiny blades (as few as 9 or as many as 36) which are used to tenderize the meat. This tool is plunged into the meat many times and it cuts the fibers. Probably not an item required for the backyard chef.
INSULATION - If you smoke in a cold climate, you might consider insulating your smoke chamber. Brinkmann makes a "Smoking Jacket" for some of its smokers. A water heater blanket may work just as well but be sure there are no combustible materials adjacent to the chamber. A piping system insulation manufacturer would also have a suitable product. WARNING: IF YOU INSULATE, MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE MATERIAL IS ENCLOSED AND CANNOT ESCAPE ONTO YOUR FOOD AND THAT IT WILL WITHSTAND THE TEMPERATURES YOU EXPECT ON YOUR UNIT.
CHIP BOX - These small metal boxes are designed to hold wood chips. The box is placed on a bed of coals or just above an electric or gas element and produces smoke.
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[Can you tell me some of the most common mistakes beginners make?]
Editor--A summary of several posts--
-- Getting in too big of a hurry. Barbecue takes time and patience. You can't rush it. Figure 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound for most meats. If you're tending a wood-burning pit, figure on checking it out every 30-60 minutes.
-- It helps to be a semi-good cook in the kitchen before you get into barbecue. If you can't boil water, let someone else do the barbecuing. I'll bet that almost all the old hats here were pretty decent cooks in the kitchen before they learned to grill and barbecue.
-- Opening the lid to peek too often. This lets out the heat and the pit will be below temperature. Open the lid only when necessary to mop or move or turn the meat. The meat's not going anywhere, so you don't need to keep checking up on it.
-- Trying to do a brisket or spare ribs the first time you use your pit. Start off on the road to "Perfect Q" with the simplest meat to smoke--a whole chicken or a pork picnic roast. They're cheap and hard to ruin. Don't fill up the pit with meat until you've had some successes. Start with just one item.
-- Using lighter fluid to start your charcoal briquettes. This can give you some really awful odors and tastes in your smoked meat. Use a chimney starter for charcoal.
-- In a wood burning pit, making the fire too big and closing the inlets and exhaust dampers to control the flame. This is a no no. Open that exhaust damper all the way. Regulate the oxygen intake with the inlet damper. Be careful how you close that inlet damper--your fire can smolder and give you some nasty-tasting smoke. Best advice--keep your fire low and your dampers open.
-- Using green wood. You must use seasoned wood to get good results when you begin barbecuing. The old pros can use a mix of green and seasoned wood, but beginners should not use the green stuff until they know about fire and temperature control. Using green wood without knowing what you're doing is the surest way to ruin the meat. You'll get creosote and that will make bitter meat that cannot be saved.
-- Trying to adjust too many things at once. Don't adjust everything on the pit at once. Change one thing, see what happens, then change another.
-- Changing things too much at once. Make small changes to the pit. Open or close the intake vent a little bit, not a lot. If you are continually making big changes, you will continually overshoot the correct temperature point. Your temperature curve will look like a giant sawtooth. Make the changes in small increments.
-- Putting cold meat into the smoker. This can lead to the condensation of creosote on the surface of the meat. Always allow the meat to come to room temperature, about an hour, before you put it in the smoker.
-- Don't invite the family, the in-laws, and the preacher and his wife over the first day you get that new smoker pit. Practice some, get to know your pit on a personal basis. Do a pork shoulder, some chickens, then some ribs and finally when everything's coming together, do a brisket. Then invite the whole gang over and wow 'em good.
-- Trying to learn to barbecue without reading this FAQ and subscribing to the Thead BBQ List. Ruin good meat every time. I was lucky, I discovered this list before I started to barbecue. My very first try (pork picnic shoulder) was a great success. After nine months on the BBQ List and barbecuing in my backyard, I can make some pretty good barbecue. I'm no Danny, Belly or Ed, but the people who have tried my barbecue say it's the best they ever had. They'll be saying that about your barbecue too.
The pit modification Section was edited by Tom Kelly from a summary of posts by Mike Roberts, Pat Lehnherr, Harry Jiles and The Bear--
The Brinkmann water smoker is an inexpensive tool which can make some excellent barbecue. It is sometimes referred to as an ECB on this mail list (El Cheapo Brinkmann). Don't let this moniker fool you however. The ECB makes some mighty fine BBQ right out of the box. However, there are several modifications which can improve its performance, ease its use and therefore enhance your enjoyment.
Modification 1 - Improve accessibility to the firepan.
WHY? - The small door on the side of the Brinkmann does not allow for easy access to the firepan. Adding wood, lump charcoal or briquettes is a hit or miss prospect. Try throwing in a few preburned Kingsford briquettes and you'll see what I mean. This modification makes fire maintenance a snap.
HOW? - Remove the legs from the unit and install them on the outside. Obtain a length of ungalvanized threaded rod and six matching nuts. Alternately, obtain 3 bolts of sufficient length and 6 matching nuts. Drill through the lip of the firepan at three locations approximately 120 degrees apart. Center the hole between the inside and outside diameter of the lip making sure that the nuts can be installed without interfering with the pan. Measure from the ground up to the ledge on the legs that the firepan used to sit on. Cut three pieces of threaded rod about 1 inch longer than this measurement or use your 3 bolts in an inverted position. Now all you do is thread on a nut above and below the lip of the pan to secure it in place at the same height it used to sit. Set the Brinkmann smoker over the pan and you are ready to smoke.
Starting a fire and maintaining it is now much easier. When you have to add fuel or 'shake up' the fire or remove ash, all you have to do is CAREFULLY lift the unit straight up about 6 inches and set it aside. You have to be particularly careful if you have water in your water pan. Tend to the fire and then replace the main unit. The top is never removed and the door is not opened so less heat is lost.
Modification 2 - Improve firepan airflow
WHY? - The Brinkmann firepan has no air holes to improve combustion of the fuel. It apparently used to but rumor has it that someone used the smoker on a deck and some hot embers dropped out and set the deck on fire. Ergo, no more holes. But, no holes means poor combustion and incomplete burning. This modification lets more air get to the fire.
HOW? - Take the firepan and drill about five 3/8-inch holes in the bottom of the pan. This will give you about 1/2 square inches of airflow area. This increased airflow allows for better combustion.
Another advantage of this modification (assuming you have made modification number 1) is that you can lift off the main unit and using fire gloves or a couple pairs of pliers, pick up the firepan and shake it. This gets rid of much of the ash and keeps the holes free for air supply.
CAUTION - CAUTION - CAUTION ------- DO NOT USE THIS MODIFIED UNIT ON ANY COMBUSTIBLE SURFACE (Such as a wood deck). If you plan on using this on a deck, make sure that the unit is placed in a sand-filled tray or similar fire resistant arrangement.
Modification 3 - Improve accessibility to the water pan
WHY? - The small door on the side of the Brinkmann does not lend itself to easily refilling the water pan. Adding water is a hit or miss prospect and can end up with water spilling into the firepan.
HOW? - Technically this is not a mod but more of a tip. Run down to your local K-Mart or auto parts store and purchase a plastic funnel with a long flexible filling end. Then, adding water is a snap. Open the door, hold the funnel end over the pan and fill with water safely from the other end.
CAUTION - CAUTION - CAUTION -------- ADD WATER CAREFULLY! IF THE WATER HAS COMPLETELY BOILED OFF, ADD WATER VERY SLOWLY TO AVOID BEING BURNED. THE WATER CAN FLASH TO STEAM OR BOIL VIGOROUSLY IF ADDED TO A VERY HOT, DRY WATER PAN.
Modification 4 - Improve temperature indication
WHY? - The temperature gauge that comes as standard equipment with the Brinkmann leaves a bit to be desired. The 'LOW, IDEAL, HIGH' indication doesn't really tell you what's going on temperature wise. You'll be hard pressed to maintain 220F using the stock gauge.
HOW? - Obtain a good quality candy or meat thermometer (temperature range about 150-350F) that has a shaft at least 4 inches long. Obtain two matching corks, each about 4 times the diameter of the thermometer shaft. Drill a hole through the center of one of the corks (top to bottom) just slightly smaller than the shaft diameter. Now drill two holes, one in the side of the dome and one in the side of the body. The hole should be sized so you can push the cork in about half its height. The holes should put the shaft within an inch of the upper surface of each grill. Now you can monitor the temperature at the grills more accurately. Plug the unused hole with the undrilled cork.
NOTE - Don't try to use the existing hole where the stock 'thermometer' is installed. For one thing, it's too large to easily get a good fitting cork. For another, it's several inches above the upper grill and that location will read somewhat hotter than the grill level itself.
A more expensive but easier fix is to obtain a Sunbeam or Polder electronic remote reading thermometer. They can be purchased for around $25 to $30 at kitchen shops or stores such as Service Merchandise. Push the probe through a small piece of wood or a cork so that it is not in direct contact with the metal grill, replace the lid and you can read the temperature at the remote display. Very accurate.
The Hondo/NBBD and the SnP Pro are both off-set firebox smokers. Both can produce excellent barbecue right out of the box. However, there are several modifications which can improve their performance and ease of use and therefore enhance your own enjoyment at the same time. These modifications may be applicable to other, similarly designed smokers.
Modification 1 - Improve heat uniformity in the smoking chamber
Why? - The design of these smokers is such that the firebox is at one end and the exhaust stack is at the other. In addition, the hole between the firebox and cooking chamber is located about mid height of the cooking chamber. Since hot air rises and since the heat source is much closer to one end of the cooking chamber than the other, the actual temperature at the grill level varies greatly end to end.
HOW? - There are two modifications offered by the list members.
A. The easiest method is to obtain a piece of 12 inch or so aluminum flashing. Roll this flashing up so that it can be inserted into the smoke stack from below (remove the grill to gain access). Reinstall the grill and pull the flashing down to the level of the grill. If you need additional grill space, just push the flashing up into the stack to clear whatever you are cooking.
B. This method saves grill space but requires the services of a good welder. Obtain a 4-inch piece of steel pipe (one list member used a diesel exhaust stack from a semi). Don't use a 3-inch pipe (same size as presently exists) as this is too small. Remove the existing stack and weld a patch into the hole. Cut a hole in the side wall of the cooking chamber at the end furthest from the firebox and about an inch above the bottom (so as not to allow grease to enter the new smokestack). Now, either bend or cut and miter the 4-inch pipe so it has a 90 degree bend in it and weld it to the opening just made. You will also probably have to weld a flat bar support (hanger) near the top of the cooking chamber to support the pipe, between the pipe and chamber side wall. The pipe should extend above the chamber about the same height as the one you replaced. Clean and repaint and you're ready to cook.
What these modifications do is force the combustion gas to escape the units at a lower level, thereby maintaining a more uniform temperature in the chamber both side to side and top to bottom.
Modification 2 - Eliminate the radiant heat hot spot
WHY? - The hole between the firebox and cooking chamber is wide open! This is great for airflow but bad from the standpoint of thermal uniformity. Any food close to the hole will not only be exposed to the high temperature combustion gasses but also to the radiant heat from the fire. Just like sitting in front of a fireplace in a cold room, the side facing the fire picks up radiant heat and gets much hotter than the side away from the flame.
HOW? - There are four methods offered to solve this particular problem.
A. Cut an aluminum piece of flashing large enough to cover the firebox to cooking chamber opening from its highest point down to a level about 1/2 inch below the grill level. Make sure your grill is at its lowest normal working level. At the top of the cut piece of flashing, include enough additional material to engage the top bolt and the next two lower bolts that hold the firebox to the cooking chamber. You'll have to bend the flashing a bit to clear the small 'shelf' at the top of the cooking chamber to firebox opening on the NBBD. Push the flashing up against the bolts to mark their locations. Drill three holes slightly smaller than the bolt diameter at these marked locations. Now, either push the flashing in place over the exposed ends of the bolts or remove the nuts one at a time and install the flashing secured behind the bolts.
B. This modification is similar to number 1 above except that the flashing is sized and fit to extend INTO the cooking chamber instead of just vertically blocking the opening. For this mod, you want a piece of flashing that will hook to the top bolt and end up at the grill level but slanting down at a 45 degree angle. You will lose some grill space but you will maintain the opening at its original area and at the same time, force the hot gas out below grill level and protect the food from radiant heat.
C. This modification was developed by Mike Roberts and is the most ambitious of all. It consists of a welded piece of steel at the opening and several more shields as you travel the length of the cooking chamber. First, a piece of steel is cut to close off the firebox to cooking chamber opening to just below grill level. A second piece of steel is welded to the bottom of this one, at a 90 degree angle, to force the exhaust gas further into the cooking chamber. This second piece is cut to the width of the first vertical piece and is 6-1/4 inches deep into the firebox. In effect, you will end up with a 'shelf' just below the grill level that extends 6-1/4 inches into the cooking chamber. All the exhaust gas has to pass under this shelf to escape the smoker. This baffle could also be fabricated from heavy gauge sheet metal and bent into shape without needing any welding. The sheet metal baffle would then be bolted onto the top two bolts holding the firebox onto the main smoker section. Next, 3 additional plates are cut out and set in the smoker at the same level, basically extending this shelf. Each shelf is 5 inches long by the width necessary to rest on the chamber sides at the same height as the first shelf. The edge of each shelf (nearest the chamber walls) has a cut out made to let heat rise as it progresses along. The cutouts are 1/8 X 4, 1/4 X 4 and 1/2 X 4 inches for the first, second and third portable shields respectively (you will end up with an "H" shaped piece of metal with a really thick center section). The shields are placed in the chamber about 1/2 inch apart so the total length of this shelf becomes 22-4/3 inches (6-1/4 plus 1/2 plus 5 plus 1/2 plus 5 plus 1/2 plus 5). According to Mr. Roberts, this evened out the temperature, side to side, to within 20 degrees. NOTE - This modification could probably also be done using flashing to avoid the expense and time of welding.
D. This modification accomplishes the intent of A and B although not to the same degree of effectiveness. Get an aluminum tray which is approximately the width of the firebox to cooking chamber opening. This tray should be tall enough to block the top of the opening and approximately 3 or 4 inches wide. Fill this tray with water and set it in front of the opening. It will block some radiant heat, force the gasses below the tray (to some extent) and boil off and maintain a more humid cooking environment. NOTE - This mod is only for the lazy and does not work anywhere near as well as the other three.
Modification 3 - Add a drain connection to the smoking chamber
WHY? - The NBBD and NB Hondo do not have a connection to drain away grease from the cooking chamber. Although not an absolute necessity, a drain hole can be quite useful.
HOW? - Weld a 1/2 or 3/4 inch piece of pipe or a 3/4 inch half coupling at the far end of the bottom of the smoking chamber. Attach a shut off valve and you have a drain connection. NOTE - Some propose to install a 90 degree elbow before the valve.
This arrangement allows you to do several things. You can put water or a combination of water and seasonings in the bottom of the smoker during its use. After smoking, simply drain away the leftover liquid/grease. You can also eliminate the use of a grease drip pan although this really isn't recommended. Additionally, should you ever want to clean your unit, you can fill it with cleaning solution, scrub it and then drain away the spent mixture.
Modification 4 - Improve the tightness of the unit openings
WHY? - These units are nicely made for the money but they are not precision made. Therefore, the doors and openings leak (allow air and smoke in and out) and thereby reduce the cooking efficiency and your ability to control what's going on.
HOW? - Install a gasket. A BBQ List member is evaluating a method using a high-temperature silicone sealant to make formed-in-place gaskets for his NBBD. This experiment will be reported in the next version of the FAQ. Another List member suggests using flat fiberglass gaskets made for wood-burning stoves.
HOW? - Do some body work. Another List member reports that a poor-fitting door can be made to fit better with some auto body type hammering with a dead-blow hammer and wood blocks.
Modification 5 - Improve the thermal efficiency of the unit
WHY? - These units are made of fairly light gauge steel. They heat up and cool down rapidly in response to changes in the fire intensity and outside weather conditions (wind and temperature). Adding fuel generally causes a temperature spike and letting the fire go too long without refueling generally causes a dip.
HOW? - Line your cooking chamber with firebricks. Remove the upper grates and set firebricks all along the bottom. Wrap them in aluminum foil to ease cleaning. While adding bricks will naturally extend the amount of time it takes to initially get the unit up to temperature by 15 - 30 minutes, it will be much more tolerant of fires which get too low or those times when you add a few more lumps of charcoal and the fire intensity subsides until the new fuel catches. The bricks hold heat and will tend to stabilize the temperature. They will not prevent temperature spikes but they will prevent the dips from being as low before the addition of the bricks. This can also be done to the firebox if you have sufficient room.
HOW? - If you are going to make modification 2 'C', use thick steel plates for the lower distribution plates. A steel plate that is 3/8 or 1/2 inch thick will add additional mass to the pit and help to stabilize temperature dips.
Modification 6 - Increase the volume below the fire-grate
WHY? - On some units, the position of the fire-grate is such that after a long day of cooking, there is very little room left under the grate for air to get in. This space is filled with ash from the fire so combustion efficiency suffers.
HOW? - Raise the fire grate. This can be accomplished by welding some angle iron to the sides of the firebox at the desired level so there is more room for ash to fall into while still having sufficient room for combustion air. Another method would be to obtain some 1/4 inch steel rod. Drill four holes (two in front, two in back) of the firebox at the level you want your grate. Push the rods through the holes and set the grate(s) on the rods. If you use two grates, you may have to increase the number of holes and rods accordingly.
Modification 7 - Improve temperature indication
WHY? - No temperature gauge comes as standard equipment with these units. Without something, you'll be hard pressed to maintain your desired temperature.
HOW? - There are a few proposed solutions:
A. Buy a thermometer that will fit the hole in the door. Just remember, the location of this thermometer is higher than the grill and will give a somewhat higher reading than the actual grill level temperature. Also, if it is directly above a large piece of meat, your initial temperature indication will be lower than the actual temperature.
B. Obtain a good quality candy or meat thermometer that has a shaft at least 4 inches long (temperature range about 150F to 350F). Obtain two matching corks, each about 4 times the diameter of the thermometer shaft. Drill a hole through the center of one of the corks (top to bottom) just slightly smaller than the shaft diameter. Now drill two holes, one to the left of the cooking chamber door handle and one to the right (about 18 inches apart). These holes should be sized so you can push the cork in about half its height. The holes should put the shaft within an inch of the upper surface of each grill. Now you can monitor the temperature at the grills more accurately. Plug the unused hole with the undrilled cork and swap positions as desired.
NOTE: - You can use the existing hole provided for a stock thermometer. However, it's several inches above the upper grill and that location will read somewhat hotter than the grill level itself.
C. The preferred but more expensive fix is to obtain a Sunbeam or Polder electronic remote reading thermometer. They can be purchased for around $25 to $30 at kitchen shops or stores such as Service Merchandise. Push the probe through a small piece of wood or a cork so that it is not in direct contact with the metal grill, set it anywhere on the grill, close the door and you can read the temperature at the remote display. Very accurate, very easy.
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[I just got a new off-set-firebox type pit. How do I condition it?]
David Klose--
A new barbecue pit should be cured like a new iron skillet. You may chose to rub the inside of the pit with Pam, peanut oil, cooking oils, or even bacon grease. Light the pit with a medium fire using lump charcoal or seasoned wood, say to 220F.
Choke the smokestack control about 1/2 way closed and let it smoke heavily. A few hours is good--the longer the better. A pit will cure without oils, but the build-up of the resin base on the doors etc., doesn't seem to hold very well over the years without using oil. I have made maybe 100,000 barbecue pits. I have noted that pits cured with oils seem to produce better end product.
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[Do I need to clean my BBQ pit? And if so, how do I do it and how often?]
Lloyd Carver--
The type cleanup required is partly determined by your type of equipment. If you have a vertical water smoker, there is very little to clean up. In the water smoker of course you need to dump the ashes each time the smoker is used. Next you will need to clean the water pan. Each time you use the water smoker grease drips into the water pan and is cooked down. This needs to be cleaned out before using again. If soap and water will not break this down, a little oven cleaner will take care of it. Lastly, when you take the last of the meat out of the smoker, you should brush down the grills. If you clean them with anything else you will need to re-season them before using again.
In a horizontal unit (off-set firebox type), the ashes will need to be cleaned out of the firebox or wherever the fire is built. The ashes can adsorb water and speed up the rusting process of the firebox floor. The horizontal unit could have a special problem not usually found in water smokers. Often there is no drip pan under the meat. This means rendered fat will accumulate in the smoke chamber. This could cause health problems, flavor problems, and even, if it got warm enough in the smoke chamber, possibly a fire or an explosion. This grease must periodically be cleaned out. Scraping followed by soap and hot water should get rid of this problem. This would be followed by re-curing as done when you first started. The last would be cleaning the grills/grates. This would be accomplished as in the water smoker.
After many uses or at least once per year you should check for buildup of carbon in the lid and smoke chamber. A wire brush should be used to clean this out. If you take it down to metal, re-season the inside.
Rust spots should be wire brushed, sanded and re-painted with high temperature grill or stove paint.
R. W. Ramsey--
Well, last night I thought I'd be a smartypants and clean the excess goo off the inside of the smoker, so I heated that sucker up to about 450F and sprayed it out real good with the water hose. Worked real well. All the goo was gone. Trouble is, it was starting to rust by this evening, so I have coated the interior with cooking spray and am sacrificing a perfectly good chicken to build up the goo again.
Harry Jiles--
I clean mine the same way. The steam produced when you spray in the water really cleans things up. I brush the whole inside down with soy oil as soon as it dries, which is only about 5 minutes after spraying, and have no problem with rust.
Bill Wight--
Some spray oven cleaner is a great way to get the grease and gunk off the bottom of an electric bullet water smoker and the grills. Do it outside and then spray it with the hose to wash it off. Also, my bullet smoker builds up a thin layer of soot/smoke residue on the inside of the middle section and inside the dome lid. I spray them with the water nozzle every month or so and knock off the stuff. This keeps it from dropping onto my barbecue and into my beans.
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[What's the best way to repaint my pit?]
David Klose--
If the paint is peeling from the exterior of a barbeque pit, I recommend going to a large hardware store, and buying the best heat paint you can get. Try for Rust-o-leum 1000F, or 1300F paints if you can find them. When heated, epoxy paints are TOXIC and cannot and should not be used on food equipment like barbecue pits. The paint breaks down when heated and gets inhaled, so to speak. Not real good for you. You might not die right away, but it may be harmful to you.
Most commercial pit manufacturers usually use 500F or 700F paint. As I understand it, charcoal burns at 700-959F. Hardwoods burn at roughly 1050-1180F. Due to the expansion and contraction of the surfaces of barbecue pits made from sheet metal and steel to 1/2" thick, I have found that the metal can move as much as 1/8" during the heating and cooling process. The heat oxidizes and embrittles the paint, and the repeated expansions tear it, causing it to flake.
Start with the best paint you can find. I use 1300F paint on my barbecue pits. I give them five coats, painted over a three day period and dried a week before I will let a customer touch them. Smoking out (curing) the pit should also help set the paint just like you would a new skillet. Wire brush the bad areas well and then wipe down with water and allow