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Smoker help needed
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Posted by Laura (lebakke@home.com) on Tue, May 29, 01 at 16:00
| Hi,
I have just bought a Brinkman electric smoker and am currently trying it out for the first time. I am cooking a roasting chicken (about six lbs). I seasoned the chicken and put the soaked wood chips in the base (but not directly on the heating element)and started the chicken cooking over the water pan. Everything worked fine and the thing smoked like crazy. But after an hour it has stopped smoking altogether and I think the wood chips have completely burned out. I thought this would smoke for the whole four hours needed to cook the chicken. Will I need to keep adding the wood chips just to keep it smoking the whole time? Any help would be appreciated. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Smoker help needed
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| Yup, you do need to keep adding wood chips throughout the cooking process. Good luck and enjoy. |
RE: Smoker help needed
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| I found that putting the chips in foil packs around the coil prolonged the chips smoldering time. |
RE: Smoker help needed
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| My opinion only, but the smoking process was done when the chips burned up and the meat already had absorbed the smoked flavor. I always smoke a turkey for the holidays and I don't add more chips. Do you soak your chips before placing them around the coil?? That will slow down the burning process. Do that about half an hour before grilling. I too did the wrapped in foil, and poked holes with the soaked chips inside. But I don't do that with my electric smoker, only when I had a charcoal Brinkman. I've had my Elec Brinkman for 10 years and love it!!!!! |
RE: Smoker help needed
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Most meats will have absorbed as much smoke as possible within the first hour of cooking. I typically wrap brisket, chicken and ribs in foil after the first hour. This preserves much of the moisture and keeps the meat from drying out. It also slightly reduces cooking time because of the steam buildup in the foil.
That's a smoking secret, so don't tell anyone. |
RE: Smoker help needed
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I agree with Glenda! The meat absorbed the smoke right at the beginning....Also, if you want additional smoke, get
some of the Smokin' barbeque pellets at Wal Mart and just
toss them on the fire...or put them in a foil pouch on top of the fire. |
RE: Smoker help needed
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| Someone mentioned to me that they add the wood when the meat only has about 45 min. left to cook. He is a great cook so I am guessing that it works. As for me, new at this & looking for ideas myself. LOL |
RE: Smoker help needed
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| Meat will only absorb smoke until it reaches 140 degrees. After that, adding more chips is futile. One tip I've heard is to wrap chips tightly in aluminum foil and poke a few very small holes in the packet. Not sure how big a packet you should make - you'll need to experiment there (I smoke exclusively with charcoal and hardwood chunks, so haven't tried the packet myself). Your goal should not be to produce big billows of white smoke - what you really want are thin wisps of blue, almost transparent smoke. Too much heavy white (or especially gray) smoke can make the food bitter. |
RE: Smoker help needed
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I've been using chunks (about 2" thick) instead of chips (much thinner slivers of wood) in my electric smoker for several years and have had great results. I agree that the smoke does the most good at the beginning.
The chunks are usually right next to the chips in the store. |
RE: Smoker help needed
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| Yup Fat is where its at!! At least as far as the wood chunks go. |
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