Charcoal/wood inside pellet smoker

[Beagle4pups]

Hello. This is my first post. I've been learning a lot from the forum, but still don't know much about smoking meat, or cooking meat. Love eating it though.

It looks like I'm getting a Recteq 590 for Christmas, so I'll be learning a lot more soon. First order of business will be trying to cook some meat, forget about the smoke.

But....when I get there....I love the taste of hickory smoke. I understand from some smart folks here that separating the source of smoke from the source of heat can be a good thing. So I'm wondering what you all think about sticking a metal box inside the 590 on the grill plate along with the meat. Fill the box with some pieces of charcoal and some hickory sticks or chips, and covering it with aluminum foil to limit the air....and hopefully not start a fire.

I know there is an A-Maze-N tube/tray that can be filled with pellets to do the same thing. But I'm thinking that the smoke from the hickory sticks/chips is going to hit the spot for me.

I'm a little afraid to try the above because I don't know what I'm doing and it seems like it could get out of control. Wanted to ask here well before starting down that road.

Also....very grateful for the forum. Thanks!!

 

[WaterRat]

I would use it first as designed with just pellets. I think that unit has a “super smoke setting “ or whatever they call it. Then play around with an accessory smoke box/tube or you will never know what your baseline profile from the smoker is. Enjoy!

 

[bill1]

usually the smoker boxes that sit on the grill need hot grilling temps to start making smoke. If you want to cook "low and slow" (typical in this forum) they just won't ignite and start smoking. The pellet tubes are intended to be lit with a small torch outside the smoker and then once it's smoking well you stick it in a cooler part of the smoker and it keeps smoking as the fire propagates the length of the tube...so it works for few-hour 200-250F cooks.

Hickory and mesquite are some of the stronger-flavored smoking woods. I like them too. But you can get those in pellets and small chips so they'll work in a pellet tube.

I've only had luck with the smoker boxes in a fairly hot propane grill, not my smokers. And even the pellet tubes can go out on you so they do need some fire tending/babysitting, but if we're honest, most of us kinda' enjoy that.

 

[Beagle4pups]

I'll take the advice. Thanks WaterRat and bill1 . I'm definitely in for the low and slow.

The pellets and small chips in a tube sound like something I will want to try. Not sure how to tend them without opening the lid and letting all the heat/smoke out tho.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

From my experience with very many cooks on a vertical pellet smoker I have had good luck by using wood chips in a metal bowl made for a pizza oven and also pellets in a smoke tube.

The wood chips are better for faster smokes when you need the smoke to infuse faster.

The smoke tube with pellets works better with longer smokes when you want a more constant amount of smoke added for a longer amount time.

Either way you can refill if it does not go long enough. That or have more than one so you can switch them out.

 

[bill1]

....Not sure how to tend them without opening the lid and letting all the heat/smoke out tho.

Opening an electric smoker is a big No-No...they're somewhat power-starved so getting back up to temp is a big deal. But with a pellet grill/smoker (or any wood-burner) it's just not that big a deal. Sure your cooking temp takes a dip but it will recover quickly and you should be cooking to meat internal temp, not the clock on the wall. Don't be a needless Looky-Lou, but opening the lid every half hour or so (to spritz, probe other places on your meat, check things out, etc) is no big deal.

 

[bill1]

From my experience with very many cooks on a vertical pellet smoker I have had good luck by using wood chips in a metal bowl...

Me too. I like a cast iron pan with a perforated metal plate on top. But the height over the heat source and the set temperature has to fall in a pretty narrow range for it all to work well. For me, 3/4" over the crucible and a set point ~300F works great. (I start at 325 and then when I get copious smoke, I dial it down.) Makes great chicken in ~2 hours. I've had trouble making this work well at a 200F LONG cook.

If you get these directly-heated bowls/pans too hot, they pretty much catch fire and burn too fast. Let them get too cold, and the smoke dies out. Smoker tubes and mazes basically self-propagate the fire that was externally started in them until all the fuel is gone. So they work well away from heat sources and are less sensitive to the set point of your smoker, hence I think they're a better choice for beginners.

 

[BigW.]

I'd use the smoker as intended for awhile. I do have, and use a tube for extra smoke. They do make charcoal infused pellets so could mix some of those with hickory if you wanted. A box of chips/charcoal next to the fire box seems like more of a hassle than I'm willing to do.

 

[JIMSMOKES]

Charcoal and wood flavors. Run it on smoke for a hour or two. Then set your temp cook and finish.

 

[Redicans]

I'll take the advice. Thanks WaterRat and bill1 . I'm definitely in for the low and slow.

The pellets and small chips in a tube sound like something I will want to try. Not sure how to tend them without opening the lid and letting all the heat/smoke out tho.

A full tube of pellets can last anywhere from 3-5 plus hours. I was surprised how long a full tube lasted the first time I used mine. So not much tending is needed. If you are doing a long low and slow cook you can check as needed as you do spritzing and also refill and relight if needed. Although as others have said try and just run on just the way the smoker is meant to run.