A-Maze-N Smoker and a gas grill

[chef jay]

Hello,

It's been a while since my last post, I'm still smoking though and getting great results (bacon is curing now). Since my last post I've got a new offset smoker and I picked up an A-Maze-N smoker. And it is that, amazing...

My new offset smoker is great, it's one of the char-grillers and I've used this site to help with modifications. I still need to make a charcoal basket to help with the really long smokes. I've done a couple of long smokes but really I'm getting up to start the fire at 5 in the morning so I'd like to avoid this (atleast sleep in until 6). I've used my A-Maze-N Smoker a few times as well and the result are fantastic. So that got me thinking...

I'd like to use this smoker on my gas grill so that I can maintain a steady temp and still get a great smoke. The theory is that I would start the bbq late in the evening with the smoker, cook my pork very low overnight and then in the morning start the offset smoker to finish off the roast with wood/charcoal. Has anyone ever done this with successful results? Or am I going to lose that much from the flavour?

 

[forluvofsmoke]

Hello, Jay!

Any time I've changed heat sources mid-smoke, it's been charcoal-fired for the start-up, then transition to propane to finish, for various reasons, either relating to weather, or for me, it has most often been due to panning/tenting to finish. If you really enjoy the additional flavor from a solid fuel fired smoke, and, the most prominent smoke ring, you may experience some reduction in both when you start the smoke with a gasser and then finish with charcoal or wood fire. I would think this really defeats the main purpose, if flavor/smoke ring is what you're after. It seems that during the initial stages of cooking low & slow, you can impart the most flavor into the meat from what is inside your smoke chamber (hard wood smoke, charcoal/wood fire gases). At some point, this process begins to taper off and eventually becomes null...most will say around 140* I/T is the point when smoke reaction with the meat begins to taper off, then diminishes shortly afterwards, and this will likely hold true for other smoke chamber gases and their effect on the flavor of your meats.

That said, be ready for some changes in the overall flavor profile (a bit less depth) and slightly reduced smoke ring from what you may be accustomed to. You may decide to add a bit of deeper flavor to your dry rub, or a bit heavier/deeper smoke wood (add a bit of mesquite to go with your normal hickory-only smoke, or pecan along with apple/cherry, etc) to compensate for the loss of flavor from starting with a gas fired smoke. I do notice quite a difference between a propane fired smoke and a charcoal fired smoke, even when using the same smoke wood (same bag, in fact) and the same dry rub recipe...there's no mistaking the two different heat sources and how they effect the flavor once you actually taste it.

As a last resort, I have used charcoal in a smoke-wood tray to add flavor in a propane smoker, but it doesn't last long enough to make a huge impact on the flavor except with smaller cuts of meat, IMHO, unless you keeping adding small amounts throughout the smoke. Also, if you use too much charcoal at one time, temp control can become an issue after the charcoal really takes off and starts making heat...been there...chamber temps can get pretty wild, even in my Smoke Vault 24, and that's a smoke chamber big enough to handle 6 pork butts without crowding it much at all.

I think with your planning, it can be done with success, but keep in mind that as ambient temps drop in the evening, so will your grill temp, so dial it in for a bit higher grate temp before you turn in for the night. Grills don't seem to run near as stable of temps as smokers, in my experience. Also, you may need to cover part of the holes in the bottom for better temp control, and reducing the draft for better smoke concentration from the AMNPS. The opening at the rear of the lid (with most grills) is also a major blow-hole for heat/smoke loss, but without mods, there's not much you can do there. Of course be wary of any possible incoming weather that could haunt you later in the night.

Good luck, and great smokes to you!

Eric

 

[chef jay]

Thanks Eric, this was exactly the direction I was looking for. Maybe I will look at splitting the grilling times, half one night and then finishing it off the next day.