Newbie smoker technical questions.

[brogan]

I'm about to start into smoking food for the first time and I have some basic questions I'd love to get advise on. I'm pretty damn good at Barbequeing over both gas and coals so I'm not a complete beginner with the concept...but I'm not far off it!

I've made my own keg smoker that I plan on using so I'm pretty sure that put me in the category of Hot smoking right?

1. When I'm starting off do I light the coals and leave them come to temp before adding the smoking material or do I put it all in a pile at the start and light it together?

2. Depending on the answer to above, when do I add the food. When the smoker comes to the correct temp or from the very start?

3. I've read alot that you should soak the wood that your using to create the smoke before hand. This makes sense to me as it won't burn up as quickly. However does it not cause creoste/tar on the inside of the smoker and potentially on the food?

Thanks for all help. I know they are pretty basic questions.

brogan

 

[fpnmf]

Welcome..

This site has tons of info.

I would suggest you spend some time reading all the different forums and the WIKIs.

Then use the handy dandy search tool for specific interests!!

Have a great day!!!

Craig

 And sign up for the awesome free E-Course!!!

http://www.smoking-meat.com/smoking-basics-ecourse.html

 

[SmokinAl]

Welcome to SMF. There are a lot of very friendly & knowledgeable folks here to help you. I urge you to sign up for the free E-course. It will give you the basics, & even if you are an experienced smoker you may learn something new. Then start asking questions. Good luck & glad to have you aboard. Don't forget we all love Qview!   

1. When I'm starting off do I light the coals and leave them come to temp before adding the smoking material or do I put it all in a pile at the start and light it together? Check out the minnion method. It's basically, you mix unlit charcoal with wood chunks, then add 6-8 lit briquettes to the pile to start it.

2. Depending on the answer to above, when do I add the food. When the smoker comes to the correct temp or from the very start? Most wait until the smoker comes to temp., I like to put it on right away so it gets a half hour or so of cold smoking. It's just personal preference.

3. I've read alot that you should soak the wood that your using to create the smoke before hand. This makes sense to me as it won't burn up as quickly. However does it not cause creoste/tar on the inside of the smoker and potentially on the food? Most of us do not soak the wood. Remember you are looking for thin blue smoke, not billowing white smoke.

 

[brogan]

SmokingAl, 

Thanks for the info. Just what I was trying to figure out.

Going to sign up for the ecourse too. Bring on the smoke!

 

[chef jimmyj]

First thing I did was the E-course...Great info...JJ

 

[mballi3011]

First off welcome Brogan to SMF. You'll like it here cause there are alot of really good folks that would just love to help you with anything to do with smoking. Now we like having new folks here to give a new prospective on some of the ways we do things around here. Now if you are really new then I would suggest that you sign up fir the 5-day E-course it free and it will give you the basics on smoking and a few recipes too. Here's a link to it:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/list/127

then you will have a method to your newly found madness and believe me it will be a madness. Then when you start smoking things you will have to learn how to post the pictures / Qview 

here. So here's a link to a tutorial on how to post your Qview so we can see what your doing.

 http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/82034/how-to-post-qview-to-smf

Now the next thing you have to do is run out and get something to smoke. Then just smoke it and if you have any questions just post  them here and we will answer all your questions that you might have. Oh yea there's no stupid questions we were all there in the beginning and we just really like to help others enjoy the fabulous smoked foods that we do. So again

Welcome to Your New Addiction  

GO GATORS