Question on tube smoker for long smokes

[frog1369]

This is probably a stupid question and I probably have the answer, but when doing long smokes for things like bacon and such with a tube smoker, do you let the tube burn out and start over or just wait until it's near the end, tip it up, add pellets and let it burn back from the capped end?

 

[mdboatbum]

I suppose you could do either. The second method would save you the trouble of relighting.

 

[jaxrmrjmr]

If I catch it close to burning out, then I will reload it and let it burn back up.  If not, I light another.  It's easier to do it the first way but I haven't seen that it makes a difference in the smoke - just less labor.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

When I do bacon I have found that the 18" tube gets me the 6-8 hours of smoke that I need. I smoke till it's gone rest the bacon over night in the fridge then do it again the next day. I typically do 18-24 hours if smoke over several days.

 

[demosthenes9]

I reload and let it burn back if i catch it in time.