Smoking in standard grill?

[archeryrob]

I have a standard propane 4 burner grill that the wife cooks on mostly. I have wanted to add smoking flavors to it, but several tries have been a failure. I tried setting sliced apple wood in a metal tray that came with it. It just won't smolder. I tried lifting the grates and sitting the box on the burner shrouds and its a full out fire.

I've tried sliced wood and split wood, but not saw dust or shaving as I don't have a way to make them really. Any ideas on this already for a plain propane grill?

 

[phatbac]

Get a Smoke Tube. Amazen products sells a good one. i have one of their maze trays i use with charcoal for cold smoking. you put pellets in it and it smokes in a gas grill or similar application.

here is a link to amazon to buy one...

Hope this helps...
phatbac (Aaron)

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Yup that tube will do the job for you. I have one and use it on my weber genesis to add smoke flavor.

Scott

 

[archeryrob]

I am trying to use my wood on the drill. I have tons of firewood, cherry trees and a apple tree cut already for the smokehouse. I am trying to find a way to cut and use it, on the grill, short of adding a separate box on the grill.

 

[ghostguy6]

As others have said the Amazn tube should work well. You could also try wrapping some chips in tinfoil with a small hole in it to allow the smoke to escape. The key will be to not allow oxygen to enter your foil once the smoke starts or it will burn rather than smolder.

 

[atomicsmoke]

I smoke on the grill using wood chunks in a cast iron pan sitting on the metal bars above the burner. Make sure the meat is not sitting on top of the wood - the dripping grease will light the wood on fire.

 

[SonnyE]

Before I decided to get my MES 30, and completely change my ways, I experimented with smoking on my 4 burner gas grill.
My conclusions were that my gas burner simply is just too wide open to properly smoke anything. The smoke didn't dwell there long enough because my gasser is quite open in the back to let the unit vent.
I even put a long baffle along the back to close off much of the opening.
But I felt the results were kind of poor for the smoke flavor I craved.

My conclusion was that trying to smoke on my gas grill was like driving screws with a hammer.
You can do it, but the results aren't what you'd hoped for. :confused:

 

[browneyesvictim]

HA! I agree with you and am in the same boat as you archeryrob. I have all the smoke wood I want at my disposal. But after I tried the pellets in a tube and tray, I was convinced there was more to gain on many fronts. Convenience of course, but its a much cleaner TBS smoke, less mess, WAY more consistent, longer burn times, more options for flavors, my list can go on. Don't get me wrong... I still use wood chunks and chips from the property for different smokes, but using pellets are hands down a HUGE tool in your toolbox worth exploring.

 

[shotsky]

I have a standard propane 4 burner grill that the wife cooks on mostly. I have wanted to add smoking flavors to it, but several tries have been a failure. I tried setting sliced apple wood in a metal tray that came with it. It just won't smolder. I tried lifting the grates and sitting the box on the burner shrouds and its a full out fire.

I've tried sliced wood and split wood, but not saw dust or shaving as I don't have a way to make them really. Any ideas on this already for a plain propane grill?

I have the Amazen pellet smoker grid, not the tube. These work by themselves, you don't need heat from the grill to get them going. I use a small kitchen torch to light mine, then set it out of the way in the grill, and let it get really smoking before I put the food on. Today, I'm going to do a smoked hamburger on my grill using a new device I bought - The Char Broil smoker tube. Similar, but does not require pellets, it can use chips, etc. This device costs only $10 at Target...

 

[ristau5741]

Not to cut down the Amazen products, as they are amazing, I've got a tube myself. Just offering alternatives, Most big box stores sell "smoker boxes" the are small heavy metal boxes with small air holes. Filled with wet wood chips they should smolder and not burn, I have one of these smoker boxes also.

 

[SonnyE]

One reason I'm exploring chunks is for purity.
I love using pellets. And I really enjoy the freedom my AMNPS gives me as it smolders along for hour after hour.
But when you buy chunks (or grow your own), you can be assured you are getting the wood you expect, and not some blend with a smidgen of what you wanted.
Unless you don't mind a blend.
I switched to pellets (as my smoke source) out of convenience, They seem to be available everywhere. And good golly, they are easy and consistent. But a bag of chunks isn't 50% oak, 30% Hickory, and 20% "Other"...

 

[browneyesvictim]

Nowdays every bbq outfit is making some kind of smoke tube or device. There are a LOT of smoke tube clones. As far as I know Amazen was the first and only one on the market. Now I see different ones and can get them in department stores, and Wal-Mart, etc. Just wanted to point A-Maze-N products is a independent owned USA company, and Todd is a member here and sponsor of this site. Also, if you didn't know already, if you get your pellets from Amazen you can be 100% certain what flavor of pellets you buy are what it says- no blends or fillers, etc. But of course they do have their blends too if you want those such as the Pitmasters Choice. <Thumbs-up!>

 

[atomicsmoke]

One reason I'm exploring chunks is for purity.
I love using pellets. And I really enjoy the freedom my AMNPS gives me as it smolders along for hour after hour.
But when you buy chunks (or grow your own), you can be assured you are getting the wood you expect, and not some blend with a smidgen of what you wanted.
Unless you don't mind a blend.
I switched to pellets (as my smoke source) out of convenience, They seem to be available everywhere. And good golly, they are easy and consistent. But a bag of chunks isn't 50% oak, 30% Hickory, and 20% "Other"...

The pellets i got from Todd were 100% the wood on the label.
Same with a local guy.

The big box stores sell blends indeed.

 

[atomicsmoke]

Not to cut down the Amazen products, as they are amazing, I've got a tube myself. Just offering alternatives, Most big box stores sell "smoker boxes" the are small heavy metal boxes with small air holes. Filled with wet wood chips they should smolder and not burn, I have one of these smoker boxes also.

The OP wants to use his wood - can't make chips

 

[browneyesvictim]

This comes up all the time and is discussed quite often on here. The consensus I am gathering and in my own experience is you will have limited success trying to burn chunks in a gas grill. A lot depends on the model, but most gas grills aren't really made to smoke properly to begin with. Archeryrob- if you want to try something, try mixing a few lit charcoal with your chunks in your metal tray. You may need to break up the briquettes or lump, and experiment what the right mix of chunks/coal is right for your needs.

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Sonny,

Amazn pellets are 100% the wood source advertised. Most pellets you buy in huge bags at stores are full of filler wood. The amazn pellets are legit. They are the only ones I use.

Scott

 

[archeryrob]

Man, are some of you like pro-staff smokers for Amazin? I have no problem with the product but I just don't want to BUY anything else. I think only 1 post out of 5 posts is on track with what I asked. I want to use THE WOOD I HAVE, besides I have a She-it load of cherry, two more to cut down (1 is 2' across) and the guy where I hunt wants two apple trees down. I got enough smoking wood for 5 years. Plus, I just love cherry smoke. I have a gas smoker and a wood fire smokehouse too. I was just looking to use the grill because its what the wife is used too and she likes to handle things and trying to step her into smoking.

Anyways, browneye, thanks for that. I may play with it still, but if we up grade it I may look for a unit that can smoke. Suggestions?

Others, its probably going to be more work than I want to chip logs into stuff that will fit into aluminum foil bags.

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Rob,

I’m sorry I must have missed that you only wanted to use the wood you had. Only other thing I can suggest is to hit your wood chunk with a torch and get it smoldering before you put it on the grill.
I have used this method before and it works ok for quicker cooks like chicken parts.

I can’t speak for anyone else but I am certainly not paid by amazn. If I was I’d probably just ask to be paid in pellets though because I go through a lot of them using my 2 masterbuilts. Lol.

Also you can’t use fresh cut apple wood when you cut those trees down. It needs to be seasoned.

Good luck
Scott

 

[SonnyE]

Man, are some of you like pro-staff smokers for Amazin? I have no problem with the product but I just don't want to BUY anything else. I think only 1 post out of 5 posts is on track with what I asked. I want to use THE WOOD I HAVE, besides I have a She-it load of cherry, two more to cut down (1 is 2' across) and the guy where I hunt wants two apple trees down. I got enough smoking wood for 5 years. Plus, I just love cherry smoke. I have a gas smoker and a wood fire smokehouse too. I was just looking to use the grill because its what the wife is used too and she likes to handle things and trying to step her into smoking.

Anyways, browneye, thanks for that. I may play with it still, but if we up grade it I may look for a unit that can smoke. Suggestions?

Others, its probably going to be more work than I want to chip logs into stuff that will fit into aluminum foil bags.

OK, well you have fun then. Most here try to offer helpful ideas based on their experiences.
You could give her the card and send her to the big box store so she could decide for herself. Problem solved.
Oh, but YOU don't want to buy anything else. 10-4
No need to get pissed off.

 

[browneyesvictim]

if we up grade it I may look for a unit that can smoke. Suggestions?

I have a gas grill on my back porch that I haven't used in at least 5 years now. Lol! Its not easy to find a grill/smoker combo that does both well. There are trade-offs any direction you go. If instant gratification and convenience is your (or your wife's) thing a pellet grill might be a good step up from your gas grill to add some smoke. You wont buy the propane gas like you used to but you've got to buck up to buying pellets instead. Another option for you IMHO is to switch to a charcoal grill/smoker. That way you can use your wood chunks mixed in with charcoal. A Webber Smokey Mountain or Kettle would be my vote. You said you have an actual wood burning smokehouse, otherwise a stick burning offset would serve you well to burn your wood but far less convenient as I'm sure you are well aware of how that goes, and not really a "grill" per-se'. If you are on the fence, a Dual-Fuel will get you the best of both worlds, but its basically a 2-in-1. Those pellet devices just help close the gap between grilling and adding smoke, and add the ability for cold smoking.

I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone here is "sponsored" or a "pro-staff" for Amazen. But you will find a HUGE fan base here on SMF that like to promote them based on experience. No one here is getting paid or compensated to say these things. However they have been very generous for example, to supply prize packages for Throwdown competitions, in which I will admit that I have been the beneficiary of from winning in which I am grateful. But in no-means do I feel obligated to promote.