- Jan 13, 2016
- 4
- 12
Pellet smoker feed screws don’t run continuously. This is how the temperature controller regulates. Unfortunately, it reduces the rate of smoke generation. I’ve tried adding extra smoke with an Amazin’© or similar smoke generation tube. These typically are a mesh, screen, or hole-punched tube of up to 24” or so length and 2” or so diameter, with one end capped and the other usually open. There are several brands out there, and they work quite well when filled with wood pellets and lit at one end. Ideally, they are positioned vertically, lit at the top end, and the slowly-burning layer progresses downward until the last of the pellets are consumed.
Unfortunately, there are two problems: (1) the tube has to be shortened so as to fit inside horizontal barrel smoker, and (2) the air flow is insufficient to maintain a burning front, so combustion stops. I’ve had good luck with a stove-pipe connection to the side of a Masterbuilt vertical electric smoker, once I removed the pellet addition entry internals, but without an existing opening, it would require cutting a hole in a flat side or end surface and mounting a flange. This can be done if you’re handy with a hole saw and stove pipe, but it requires effort beyond what most people are comfortable with.
But there’s a simple solution, which I’ve now used on both my Traeger and Pit Boss pellet smokers. There is no need to take a hack saw to a combustion tube or to drill, cut, mount a hole and flange in the smoker’s side. You simply load most of a combustion tube with pellets, turn the thing to horizontal, then carefully light the pellets at either end or in several places. Once the flames die down (or you blow them out), place the smoke tube in the smoker, along either the front or the back of the cooking grill, above the slot for the air/smoke stream from below. This supplies a sufficient flow of air, which keeps the combustion going. If you want, you can increase the rate of smoke generation by lighting the combustion tube pellets in more than two places.
I recently smoked a turkey breast this way. Previous attempts didn’t taste very smoky. Lit in four spots, this one came out great! Plus, it’s simple to do and requires no hardware modifications.
Unfortunately, there are two problems: (1) the tube has to be shortened so as to fit inside horizontal barrel smoker, and (2) the air flow is insufficient to maintain a burning front, so combustion stops. I’ve had good luck with a stove-pipe connection to the side of a Masterbuilt vertical electric smoker, once I removed the pellet addition entry internals, but without an existing opening, it would require cutting a hole in a flat side or end surface and mounting a flange. This can be done if you’re handy with a hole saw and stove pipe, but it requires effort beyond what most people are comfortable with.
But there’s a simple solution, which I’ve now used on both my Traeger and Pit Boss pellet smokers. There is no need to take a hack saw to a combustion tube or to drill, cut, mount a hole and flange in the smoker’s side. You simply load most of a combustion tube with pellets, turn the thing to horizontal, then carefully light the pellets at either end or in several places. Once the flames die down (or you blow them out), place the smoke tube in the smoker, along either the front or the back of the cooking grill, above the slot for the air/smoke stream from below. This supplies a sufficient flow of air, which keeps the combustion going. If you want, you can increase the rate of smoke generation by lighting the combustion tube pellets in more than two places.
I recently smoked a turkey breast this way. Previous attempts didn’t taste very smoky. Lit in four spots, this one came out great! Plus, it’s simple to do and requires no hardware modifications.
