Tips For Buying a Charcoal Smoker
There are 2 typical ranges of charcoal cigarette smokers for home use available on the marketplace:
# Vertical smoker: A vertical smoker, also known as a bullet smoker due to its shape, is among the most popular cigarette smokers, which is not too bulky nor too pricy. It uses a water pan in between the heat source and cooking grate, keeping the meat moist. The meat is prepared at a distance above the heat source.
# Offset horizontal smoker: With this type of smoker, the fire in the compartment and the meat are kept different. There is a big cooking surface as well as vents, which allow you to manage the heat and keep it relocating the cooking chamber.
Developing a Barrel Smoker
If you're feeling adventurous, have a long time on your hands and want that cowboy feeling, this could be a DIY task for you. A barrel smoker utilizes a drum, turned on its side and split down the middle. This is really inexpensive to make but on the downside, it's not really constant and shouldn't be anticipated to last long. You can find out how to turn a barrel into a smoker from many readily available resources on the internet.
Using an Electric or Gas Smoker
By eliminating charcoal from the process, you lose out on much of the smoke flavor that makes barbecue intriguing for eaters and cooks alike. While you can use wood with an electric or gas smoker, you simply won't get the same result. Some barbecue cooks may argue this point, but the majority of would prefer to prepare with charcoal to improve the flavour.
Electrical and gas cigarette smokers however, permit simpler control of the heat. Instead of charcoal, simply play around with the dial and voila!
Handling Heat
Charcoal is used as the heat source in the majority of cases, while the wood is used to add smoke and flavour. You might wonder why not use the wood for both heat and smoke. When you try to kill both birds with the very same stone, or wood in this case, it frequently leads to over cigarette smoking. It is much easier to smoke and to here control heat using charcoal. Extreme smoking of the meat will likely result in the meat ending up being too bitter, thereby destroying your culinary masterpiece.
Considering charcoal types
Charcoal is available in 2 ranges, each having their own fans:
# Charcoal briquettes: This is the most commonly used kind of charcoal for barbecuing at home. It is made of charred wood and coal. Nevertheless, this type is shunned by hardcore barbecue cooks in most cases, due to the ingredients used in them to keep them burning and holding them together longer.
# Lump charcoal: This is just made from charred hardwood, with no of the ingredients found in the charcoal briquettes (and also lacks the smooth shape thereof). This charcoal burns quicker and hotter than the briquettes. They also cost more, and depending on the sensitivity of the meat being prepared, the additional expense may be worth it as it also prevents unwanted taste from being included due to the chemicals found in the briquettes.
If you still choose to use charcoal briquettes, as many great barbecue do, make certain to avoid the ones with the lighter fluid in them. The chemicals used to light the charcoal can burn off the charcoal and get into your food. This will provide it an undesirable, acidic taste. Using lighter fluid directly from the capture bottle is a similarly bad concept as it will have the same effect.
Using a chimney starter
Instead of using the unpleasant tasting chemicals found in lighter fluid, you can quickly and easily light your charcoal with a chimney starter. They can be found easily in home-supply or hardware stores.
To use it, stuff newspaper into the bottom section and fill the top section with charcoal. In a safe place, light the newspaper. You coals should be ready in 15 to 20 minutes. Then dump them in the smoker.