Smoking Meat (2 page)

Charcoal Smokers

The most common types of smokers are fueled by charcoal. Usually wood chips or wood chunks are added to the top of the charcoal for flavor. Although there are various styles, I’ve chosen to discuss the two most popular upright bullet models, as well as the do-it-yourself bullet and the horizontal offset design.

Brinkmann bullet charcoal smoker

The most basic and perhaps the most well-known charcoal smoker is the Brinkmann bullet smoker. Affectionately called the
ECB
or “El Cheapo Brinkmann” by many of its owners due to its low cost, this smoker can produce some really tasty barbecue. Although the
ECB
is very touchy and requires a lot of attention, you’ll enjoy it if you’re up for a challenge.

The
ECB
is an 18-inch barrel with three legs, two pans, and two grates. The bottom pan is designed to hold the charcoal, and the top pan is for water or other liquids. The steam from the water pan helps to balance the heat inside the unit. Water boils at 212°
F
, and as the surface of the water gets hot, it starts to steam. The steam combines with the hot air in the smoker and naturally strives to regulate the ambient temperature in the smoker to 212°
F
.

Access door to bottom grate, water pan, and charcoal pan.

The two grates directly above the water pan are designed to hold the meat as it cooks. I have been known to cook enough food to feed as many as 10 people on this little smoker, so don’t underestimate its ability to make enough food to feed your family and guests. To amaze you even further, I can tell you that there are teams on the competition circuits who compete using only
ECB
smokers, and they are known to win as easily as anyone else.

This smoker requires some modification for it to work properly, but these mods are relatively easy and can be performed with basic tools and handyman skills. The recommended modifications include the following:

Remove the legs from the inside of the barrel and place them on the outside of the barrel using the same holes and hardware. This allows the entire body of the smoker to be lifted off the charcoal pan during cooking. The charcoal pan will need to sit on bricks or pavers placed under the smoker for this to work properly.

Drill holes in the sides of the charcoal pan to facilitate better airflow to the charcoal. I recommend using a ¼-inch bit and making about eight holes in a circular pattern on opposite sides of the pan. Note that this will not only void the warranty on the smoker, but also create untimely rust. The advantage, however, is that you will be able to use it properly for a while and get some good food from your efforts. If you try to use it straight out of the box, you will most likely decide it is better suited for target practice than for cooking.

Place a grate, about 13 inches in diameter, on the bottom of the charcoal pan to hold the charcoal (it should sit 1 or 2 inches off the bottom to allow the ash to fall down and out of the way). If you cannot find a small grate, use a double or triple layer of chicken wire cut or folded to fit about 2 inches above the bottom of the charcoal pan.

The other trick to cooking with this smoker (in addition to making the above modifications) is to use as much lump charcoal as you can fit into the firebox in order to maintain a temperature of 225°
F
to 240°
F
. If the smoker starts getting too hot, you can easily remove some of the charcoal with tongs and a good pair of heat-resistant gloves for added safety. Place any hot coals that you remove into a metal bucket and set them aside in a safe place. You may need to add them back to the smoker later.

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker

A smoker very similar to the
ECB
is the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker (
WSM
). It has the same basic setup, but it has been manufactured with a lot more thought and better design. In fact, you can leave the
WSM
completely unattended for hours on end as it cooks your food. This makes it perfect for those long cooking sessions (as are required for brisket and Pork shoulder) where it is necessary to leave the smoker running overnight in order to have the food ready by dinnertime the next day. The
WSM
is also used in the competition circuits by various teams, and it is very common for them to take home the prize and leave those using big fancy rigs with disappointed looks on their faces.

The price difference between the
ECB
and the
WSM
is significant, which is why so many people start out with the Brinkmann. But as they hone their skills and find themselves doing more and more smoking, they graduate to the better, but more expensive, Weber Smokey Mountain. Most
WSM
users eventually become hard-core fans of the smoker, and will use nothing else after that. This speaks well for Weber and its obvious dedication to research, design, and usability.

The
WSM
is ready to use right out of the box. The enclosed lower section (which looks like the bottom of an egg) is the charcoal area. The charcoal grate sits down inside the lower section and a round ring with large holes sits on top of the grate.

The best way to set up this smoker for a long cooking session is to use the Minion method as described later in this chapter. Completely fill the ring with dry unlit lump charcoal. Place a chimney half full of lit charcoal on top of the dry unlit charcoal and wait about five minutes before installing the middle section (called the smoker body).

After the allotted time, carefully fit the smoker body onto the lower section. Install the water pan and fill it with water. I recommend filling it with warm to hot water in the wintertime and cool to warm water in the warmer seasons. You will learn what works best as you use it more and more.

Set the lower and upper food grates in place and close the lid to let the smoker come up to temperature. Make sure the bottom vents are open about halfway and the top vent is fully open.

Temperature gauge on a Weber charcoal smoker.

Once the smoker is at about 200°
F
, adjust the bottom vents so they are open about one-quarter of the way, and let the temperature slowly creep up to 225°
F
. It’s best to let it stay on the cooler side at first, since you can easily give it more air later on to raise the temperature if necessary.

I’ve noticed that the temperature gauge in the lid runs about 50°
F
hotter than what the actual temperature is at grate level. I recommend that you test this on your own smoker so you have a better idea of any adjustments that need to be made.

Once the smoker is holding at your goal temperature, add the meat to the grate quickly and replace the lid so you lose as little heat as possible. In my experience, removing the lid allows a sudden burst of cooler air to enter the smoker. The heat will quickly come back up and stabilize once the lid is back in place.

I like to use small pieces of wood about 10 to 12 inches long and 2 to 3 inches in diameter. I place these right on top of the charcoal to create smoke. You can also use chunks of dry wood. I’ve found that about six pieces of 2- × 2-inch chunks or the equivalent produce the perfect amount of smoke for this smoker. As an alternative, you can mix in small chunks and slivers of your favorite smoking wood along with the unlit charcoal. This will ensure that you have smoke throughout.

For best results, be sure to keep the water pan full of water, and remove the lid only when absolutely necessary (like when you need to baste). Never remove the lid just to look at the meat! This smoker thrives when you leave it alone and allow it to do what it does best. Patience is key.

Homemade charcoal smokers

Homemade charcoal drum smoker.

There are also many homemade variations of the bullet charcoal smoker setup. For example, people make charcoal smokers from metal trash cans or steel drums. I won’t get into how to make these, but suffice it to say that the basic vertical design works very well. If you want to find out more about these wonderful homemade contraptions, search for “drum smoker” at
www.smokingmeatforums.com
for a wealth of information about how to make them and where to find suitable steel drums and other hardware. With a few tweaks of these supplies, you can make some of the tastiest smoked foods you have ever had, and you will become very popular in your neighborhood at the same time.

Winch for raising or lowering grates in the drum of a homemade charcoal smoker.