Hello! I've joined the world of amateur home smokers. My girlfriend bought me a Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker (18inch) for my birthday and I finally tried it out yesterday. Things didn't quite go as planned, and I realize I've got a lot to learn.
Here's a quick synopsis of what I did:
- Used lump charcoal - I read this was good to use. I didn't use any lighter fluid (also read that) which made it very difficult to light. It took me 30 minutes to light to charcoal, and it wasn't an even burn. I need to invest in a chimney.
- Used hickory woods chips - I wasn't sure how much to use so I just added a thin layer over all the coals.
- Filling the water bowl - Made the fatal mistake of doing this after I lit the coals. Water spilled down onto the coals extinguishing some of them. Things would go wrong the rest of the way.
My coals kept loosing heat. They weren't staying lit and therefore the smoker kept loosing heat. I managed to get the heat back up but I had to add more coals and stir them to distribute the heat. This caused ash to come up and get all over the meat.
New coals wouldn't light. Started loosing heat again. All the vents on the smoker were open. It felt like the coals kept going out.
What I cooked:
Chicken - Bottom rack. Had ash all over it from adjusting the coals. Turned out decent.
Sausages - Top rack - Turned out pretty good.
Shrimp - Top rack - Hard to tell if these were done. They looked done but were soft inside.
Beef Skewers - These were good.
Besides the ash getting all over everything, I think it turned out ok.
I had major problems keeping consistent heat, and even getting the coals effectively started.
I'm seeking any advise you can give me. Here are a few thoughts/questions:
1. Thoughts on the use of lighter fluid?
2. When putting wood chips in, do you already have the meat in the smoker? Or do you let the chips burn/smoke for a little while before putting in meat?
3. How much wood chips? My meat was super smokey, almost like a camp fire. Might have been a bit too smokey for me. I dont like eating camp fire.
Any other tips is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Here's a quick synopsis of what I did:
- Used lump charcoal - I read this was good to use. I didn't use any lighter fluid (also read that) which made it very difficult to light. It took me 30 minutes to light to charcoal, and it wasn't an even burn. I need to invest in a chimney.
- Used hickory woods chips - I wasn't sure how much to use so I just added a thin layer over all the coals.
- Filling the water bowl - Made the fatal mistake of doing this after I lit the coals. Water spilled down onto the coals extinguishing some of them. Things would go wrong the rest of the way.
My coals kept loosing heat. They weren't staying lit and therefore the smoker kept loosing heat. I managed to get the heat back up but I had to add more coals and stir them to distribute the heat. This caused ash to come up and get all over the meat.
New coals wouldn't light. Started loosing heat again. All the vents on the smoker were open. It felt like the coals kept going out.
What I cooked:
Chicken - Bottom rack. Had ash all over it from adjusting the coals. Turned out decent.
Sausages - Top rack - Turned out pretty good.
Shrimp - Top rack - Hard to tell if these were done. They looked done but were soft inside.
Beef Skewers - These were good.
Besides the ash getting all over everything, I think it turned out ok.
I had major problems keeping consistent heat, and even getting the coals effectively started.
I'm seeking any advise you can give me. Here are a few thoughts/questions:
1. Thoughts on the use of lighter fluid?
2. When putting wood chips in, do you already have the meat in the smoker? Or do you let the chips burn/smoke for a little while before putting in meat?
3. How much wood chips? My meat was super smokey, almost like a camp fire. Might have been a bit too smokey for me. I dont like eating camp fire.
Any other tips is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
