Are you looking for tips on how to use a charcoal smoker grill? You are on the place! People like using charcoal smokers to cook meat in low temperatures and long cooking times to taste that unique, smoked barbeque.
A charcoal smoker is a great way to cook delicious food with full flavour. Grilling is different from smoking. In grilling, the goal is to cook meat direct on the heat. Setting up the charcoal is essential, as well as adding water to keep the meat moist.
Making adjustments as the meat cooks ensures the temperature of the smoker stays in the sweet spot, which is about 220℉ (104℃) and no higher than 250℉ (121℃). Time and science have made smoking meat easier for any amateur cook to follow.
One of the most important things to remember is to be patient because you are cooking on direct heat. You will need different supplies to cook your meat and gloves to handle all the hot stuff carefully.
Now you have all the supplies ready; there are 7 steps to cooking your meat on the grill. With our easy guide, you’ll be using your charcoal smoker to cook meat that can pass for a culinary masterpiece. Let’s start then!
Preheating your charcoal smoker grill for about 15 minutes and maintaining a temperature between 220-250 degrees Fahrenheit can give you mouthwatering meals.
Table of Contents
How to Use Charcoal Smoker Grill?
Learning how to use a charcoal smoker grill is an adventurous task. For that, we will discuss 6 steps and some tips that will help you make the perfect barbecue without facing any difficulties if you are new.
1. Heat the Charcoal in a Chimney First
A charcoal chimney is used to burn charcoal before putting it into the grill. You can find a charcoal chimney at your nearby market or online. Add charcoal to the chimney and light it. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.
2. Add Hot Charcoal to the Smoker
On one side of the smoker, make a pile of charcoal chunks. Slowly pour the hot charcoal onto the top of this charcoal pile. Putting charcoal on one side and meat on the order side will help meat cook indirectly.
3. Enhance the Smoke with Wood Chunks
Wood chunks and wood chips give a unique smoky flavour to the meat. Different flavoured chunks, for example, oak, apple, cherry, and hickory, are used. Place some chunks on the sides of the burning charcoal.
4. Fill the Pan with Water
Smokers come with a water pan included, but grills do not. Use a foil baking pan if you do not have a water pan. Fill the water pan ¾ with cold water. The water pan helps to cook the meat and vegetables evenly.
5. Place the Food on the Grate
Place your meat and vegetables on the grate and place them in the smoker. If your smoker has more than one grate, put more miniature vegetables and meat on the top grate and more significant pieces on the bottom. The top grate gets less heat than the lower grate.
6. Set the lid
Set the lid, so the vents are positioned above the heat. It will help to create airflow through the smoker. Set the vent right over the meat. So, you set it up, so the smoke is pulled through the smoker, and it wafts right over the meat before it exits.
How to Use a Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker Grill?
The Brinkmann Corporation manufactures dry and water charcoal smokers. Water charcoal smokers use a pan of water or marinated meat to regulate the temperature. On the other hand, dry charcoal smokers are quicker and can offer a pan of water.
Both charcoal smokers cook at low temperatures and produce fully tender meat with a perfect smoky flavour. This article will provide a complete guide on using a Brinkmann charcoal smoker grill with different steps. Let’s begin!
1. Add Charcoal
Add charcoal to the firebox. Light the coals and let them burn for 20 minutes until coals develop a lighter layer of ash. You can also add overnight soaked wood chunks to add a smoky flavour to the meat.
2. Fill the Water Pan
A Brinkmann Charcoal Smoker comes with a water pan that helps regulate the temperature and cook the meat evenly. Fill the pan with cold water or marinade. Let the smoker heat up to 210 to 250 degrees.
3. Place the Meat
Place the prepared meat or vegetables on the grill and put this grill in the smoker. Arrange the meat in a single layer with spaces between each layer. At this point, add wood chunks on top of burning charcoal.
4. Check Temperature and Water
Cover the smoker with a lid. Every half an hour, checks the temperature. Keep the temperature in the ideal range of 175 to 250 degrees. Also, check the water pan and add more water if it is almost empty.
5. Check the Meat
Keep checking the meat using a thermometer. Smoke the meat and vegetables for 2 hours to 2.5 hours throughout the cooking process and keep them covered as much as possible.
6. Extra Tips
After you know how to use a charcoal smoker grill, here are some extra tips you can try. Open the vents to airflow through the smoker and hotter the fire. Cooking different meat together is fine. Add flavoured wood chunks to the smoker to give a smoky flavour to the meat.For further info about you can see our article about grill function in the oven.
How to Use Grillpro Charcoal Smoker?
Onwards manufacturing company makes Grillpro charcoal smoker. These charcoal smokers are heavy-duty with different features. These charcoal smokers are vertical and also very easy to use.
Above, we have discussed How to use a charcoal smoker grill in different steps; now, we will discuss how you can use a grillpro smoker in an easy way to cook your meat. Follow the steps to avoid any trouble.
1. Add Charcoal
Remove the smoker rack with the smoker box. Add a small amount of charcoal to the charcoal tray under that smoker rack. Light the charcoal and spread it evenly. To maintain an even low temperature, slowly add only a few charcoal briquettes at a time to the fire. Put the smoker rack back.
2. Add Water
Some smokers come with a water tray. Add cold water into the pan and set it in the smoker above the smoker rack. Water keeps the meat moist and helps in cooking slowly and evenly.
3. Place the Meat
Place the meat on the grates. Place smaller pieces on the lower grate and larger ones on the top. The lower grill gets more heat than the top grill. Maintain space between the pieces and do not overload the grills.
4. Close the Doors
These vertical smokers come with doors. Close the door carefully and let the meat cook for 1 hour. The doors should be closed to maintain the constant temperature in the smoker.
5. Check Vents
There are 3 adjustable vents in this smoker. Each vent is adjusted to control the temperature in the smoker. These vents help to control airflow. It is good practice to leave the top vent one-quarter open to allow convection currents. When adjusting the vents during cooking using an oven mitt, the vent will be HOT.
6. Add Wood Chunks
After cooking the meat for one hour, open the doors and remove the charcoal box. Add wood chunks to the burning charcoal to make smoke and put this box back and close the doors. Wait another 1 hour to cook, and the meat will be ready to serve.
FAQs: How to Use a Charcoal Smoker Grill?
How to Use Charcoal Smoker Grill Combo?
Add some charcoal into a smoker and light it. Add some wood chunks to the charcoal and burn it. Add cold water to the pan. Add meat to the grill and cover the lid. Check the temperature regularly. Let the meat cook for 2 hours.
How to Set Up a Charcoal Grill for Smoking?
Put burning charcoal and damped wood chunks on one side of the smoker and a pan of cold water on the other side of the smoker. Set the grill, place your prepared meat on the grill and cover the smoker with a lid. Wood chunks will make smoke and give a smoky flavour to the meat.
Final Remarks
Different smokers are used to cooking meat and giving it a smoky flavour every chef craves. Different companies make charcoal smoker grills, and their only purpose is to give you the joy of authentic barbecue.
This article discusses different charcoal smokers and how to use a charcoal smoker grills for cooking meat at a low temperature and a long cooking time to taste that unique and smoky barbecue.