Tips For Buying a Charcoal Smoker
There are 2 typical varieties of charcoal cigarette smokers for home use available on the market:
# Vertical smoker: A vertical smoker, also called a bullet smoker due to its shape, is among the most popular smokers, which is not too large nor too costly. 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.
# Balanced out horizontal smoker: With this type of smoker, the fire in the compartment and the meat are kept separate. There is a big cooking surface area in addition to vents, which allow you to manage the heat and keep it relocating the cooking chamber.
Building a Barrel Smoker
If you're feeling adventurous, have some time on your hands and want that cowboy feeling, this could be a DIY job for you. A barrel smoker uses a drum, turned on its side and split down the middle. This is extremely low-cost to make but on the downside, it's not very stable and shouldn't be expected to last very long. You can find out how to turn a barrel into a smoker from many available resources on the internet.
Using an Electric or Gas Smoker
By removing charcoal from the procedure, you miss out on much of the smoke flavor that makes barbecue interesting for eaters and cooks alike. While you can use wood with an electric or gas smoker, you simply won't get the exact same effect. Some barbecue cooks might argue this point, but a lot of would prefer to prepare with charcoal to improve the flavour.
Electrical and gas smokers nevertheless, enable easier control of the heat. Instead of charcoal, simply play around with the dial and voila!
Managing Heat
Charcoal is used as the heat source in the majority of cases, while the wood is used to include smoke and flavour. You may question why not use the wood for both heat and smoke. When you try to kill both birds with the same stone, or wood in this case, it typically results in over smoking cigarettes. It is simpler to smoke and to manage heat using charcoal. Excessive smoking cigarettes of the meat will likely result in the meat ending up being too bitter, thus destroying your culinary masterpiece.
Considering charcoal types
Charcoal is readily available in two ranges, each having their own fans:
# Charcoal briquettes: This is the most commonly used kind of charcoal for barbecuing in your home. It is made from charred wood and coal. However, this type is shunned by hardcore barbecue cooks in a lot of cases, due to the additives 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 does not have the smooth shape thereof). This charcoal burns quicker and hotter than the briquettes. They also cost more, and depending upon the level of sensitivity of the meat being prepared, the additional expense may be worth it as it also avoids undesirable flavor from being added due to the chemicals found in the briquettes.
If you still choose to use charcoal briquettes, as many great barbecue do, make sure to avoid the ones with the lighter fluid in them. The chemicals used Hakka 14-Inch Multi-Function Barbecue and Charcoal Smoker Grill to light the charcoal can burn off the charcoal and enter your food. This will give it an undesirable, acidic taste. Using lighter fluid straight from the squeeze bottle is a similarly bad concept as it will have the exact same effect.
Using a chimney starter
Instead of using the undesirable tasting chemicals found in lighter fluid, you can rapidly and easily light your charcoal with a chimney starter. They can be found easily in home-supply or hardware shops.
To use it, stuff paper into the bottom area and fill the leading area with charcoal. In a safe place, light the newspaper. You coals must be ready in 15 to 20 minutes. Then discard them in the smoker.