Learning how to smoke meat is less of a science and more of an art, turning everyday cuts into something truly special. Let’s get one thing straight: this isn’t grilling. We’re talking about true barbecue—the low-and-slow craft of using smoke to tenderize meat and infuse it with incredible flavor.
While brisket, ribs, and pork shoulder get all the glory, the fun doesn’t stop there. You can apply smoking meat techniques to everything from cheese to vegetables.
This guide will walk you through the essentials, whether you’re firing up a smoker for the first time or just want to sharpen your skills.
How to Smoke Meat: 60 Second Crash Course
Before you even think about firing up that smoker, proper meat preparation is key to maintaining moisture and flavor throughout the entire cooking session. You’ll want to presalt your meat. Whether you opt for a dry brine or a wet brine, this step is non-negotiable. Brining allows the meat to retain its internal moisture, ensuring that it stays juicy and delicious even after hours of smoking.
Forget everything you think you know. Smoking meat isn’t some mystical ritual reserved for pitmasters with decades of experience. It’s about patience and a few core principles. Here’s the no-nonsense guide to getting it right.
1. Prep Your Meat (Don’t Overthink It)
This is where the flavor foundation is built. Get it right, and you’re halfway to greatness.
Choose Your Fighter: Go for cuts with plenty of connective tissue and fat. Think brisket, pork butt (shoulder), or beef ribs. These tough cuts turn into tender, juicy masterpieces with low-and-slow cooking.
Trim, But Don’t Go Crazy: Trim off any excessive, hard chunks of fat, but leave a good layer (about a quarter-inch) on top. That fat is your friend—it bastes the meat as it renders, keeping things moist.
Season Generously: A simple mix of coarse salt and black pepper is all you really need for amazing flavor. Apply an even coat on all sides. Don’t be shy; a lot of it will form the delicious outer crust, or “bark.”
2. Set Up Your Smoker (Control the Fire)
Your smoker’s job is to maintain a low, steady temperature. Your job is to set it up for success. The ideal temperature range for most smoking is between 225°F and 275°F.
Fuel Source: If using a charcoal smoker, arrange unlit briquettes and wood chunks in a “snake” or “Minion” method. Light only one end. This creates a slow, long-lasting burn. For pellet grills, just set your temperature.
Indirect Heat is Key: Your meat should never be directly over the fire. Place it on the opposite side of the heat source. A water pan placed under the meat helps regulate temperature and adds moisture to the cooking environment.
Get the Smoke Rolling: Once your smoker is up to temperature, add your wood. Don’t soak your wood chips—it’s a myth. Dry wood provides cleaner smoke. You want thin, blueish smoke, not thick white billows.
3. Cook and Monitor (Patience is a Virtue)
Now for the hard part: waiting. The less you open that lid, the better.
Trust the Temp, Not the Time: Cooking times are just an estimate. Every piece of meat is different. Use a reliable leave-in meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. This is the single most important tool in your arsenal.
The Stall is Real: At some point, the internal temperature will seem to stall for hours. This is normal! It’s called “the stall,” and it happens as moisture evaporates from the meat’s surface. Just wait it out or wrap the meat in butcher paper or foil to push through it.
To Spritz or Not to Spritz?: You can lightly spray your meat with a mix of water or apple cider vinegar every hour or so after the first few hours. This helps the bark develop and can add a touch of flavor, but it’s not strictly necessary.
4. Rest and Serve
You’ve made it this far. Don’t ruin it by being impatient at the finish line.
Let It Rest: Once the meat reaches its target internal temperature (e.g., around 203°F for brisket), pull it from the smoker. Let it rest for at least an hour. You can wrap it in a towel and place it in a cooler to keep it warm. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring every slice is tender and moist.
Slice Against the Grain: Look for the direction the muscle fibers are running and slice perpendicular to them. This shortens the fibers and makes the meat infinitely more tender to chew.
Enjoy Your Victory: You did it. You smoked meat. Serve it up and take all the credit.
SMOKING MEAT BASICS
Smoking meat can refer to two methods:
Preservation – The traditional method, dating back thousands of years or more, involves dehydrating meat through long exposure to heat and smoke to preserve it.
Barbecuing – The modern approach, which is all about cooking meat slowly over indirect heat while infusing it with delicious smoke flavors.
Wikipedia defines smoked meats as: Smoked meat is a method of preparing red meat (and fish) which originates in prehistory. Its purpose is to preserve these protein-rich foods, which would otherwise spoil quickly, for long periods.
A common misconception is that ‘barbecuing’ involves grilling meat directly over an open flame.
Actual Barbecue requires slow-cooking meat over indirect heat, allowing the smoke to work its magic until the meat becomes tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
Direct flame is the ‘grilling’ process, which produces enjoyable results with steaks, chicken, chops, or such. Simple and straightforward, grilling is great, but it is not Barbecue in the true sense.
Using the Pit Barrel Cooker, one of our favorite contractions for smoking a turkey.
Creating barbecue, combining smoke and meat, is one of the oldest cooking methods. It’s a primal experience that transforms ordinary meat into something extraordinary. But we’re not limited to just meat, smoked cheeses are an amazing addition to your pantry. Impress your guests by adding smoked baked potatoes or, have you ever smoked a tomato? Amazing. The options are endless.
Flavor Explosion
The primary reason to smoke meat is to transform tough cuts of meats into tender cuts. Throughout the process we gain flavor. As the meat basks in a hazy chamber, it absorbs the rich, tangy, and smoky essence from the burning wood. This unique flavor profile is thanks to the compounds found in smoke, like syringol and guaiacol, which are responsible for that desirable smoky taste.
Different types of wood and their moisture content will alter the smoke’s flavor, allowing you to experiment and create your signature taste.
The Irresistible Bark
The smoke also creates a “bark”; the dark, chewy, and spicy crust on the outside of the meat. This coveted texture forms through the Maillard Reaction, where the smoke interacts with the meat, moisture, and spice rub. The bark is one of the tastiest parts and a hallmark of well-smoked meat.
Tender and Juicy Goodness
Smoking food low and slow keeps it moist and tender. High-heat cooking can dry out meat quickly, leaving it tough and challenging to chew. Slow cooking prevents moisture from escaping the meat too fast, resulting in a succulent and tender texture.
I’ve got 99 problems, but findin’ friends ain’t one.
Additionally, the extended cooking time allows the fats and connective tissues (collagen) within the meat to break down gradually. Pulled pork is the best example of this. Collagen needs time to melt into a soft, gelatin-like consistency, making the meat super tender and flavorful—perfect for pulling apart and savoring.
This slow-cooking method was developed out of necessity by people who couldn’t afford expensive cuts of meat. Historically the method was used in the Caribbean Islands and it migrated to the United States creating the roots of what is uniquely American barbecue.
The process transforms tougher cuts like pork butt, brisket or baby back ribs into delicious, tender meals by cooking them over low heat for hours with coatings of salt and seasoning, rendering the collagen and fat perfectly.
Smoking foods involves using indirect heat to cook meat at low temperatures over a long period, unlike grilling, which uses direct heat. Here’s a condensed guide on smoking effectively.
Direct and Indirect Heat
Direct heat is perfect for grilling burgers quickly. However, smoking requires indirect heat, meaning the meat is not placed directly over the heat source. Instead, heat and smoke waft over the meat, cooking it slowly and uniformly. Originally racks of meat were placed at just the right height to get the best temperature. This evolved into two connected boxes, one the firebox with the smoke and heat, flowing through to the smoking chamber with the food in it.
Using a Smoker vs. a Grill
Dedicated Smoker; A smoker makes indirect cooking simple. It keeps the meat out of direct heat while allowing smoke to circulate and absorb into the meat, ensuring an even cook.
Charcoal Grill; To smoke on a charcoal grill, create a 2-zone setup by piling all the charcoal on one side. The hot side is for searing, and the empty side is for indirect cooking. By controlling the size of the fire, you can maintain the optimal temperature of 225ºF to 275ºF needed for tender, juicy meat. Read more
Gas Grill; For gas grills, turn on the burners on one side and leave the others off to create the 2-zone setup. Adjust the burners to maintain the desired temperature. Placing a water pan on the grill helps keep the temperature consistent and adds moisture to the meat. Read more
Smokers
You don’t need a dedicated to smoker to yield mouthwatering BBQ. In the above picture we’re smoking a turkey using the two zone cooking method on a kettle grill with the Slow ‘N Sear.
The simplest device you will see in the market is a box smoker. It will have a heat source (usually electric or gas) used to keep your wood burning and a chamber for the food that fills with the smoke. These work pretty well and usually have the lowest cost of entry to get into smoking meats. See our write up on various types of smokers here.
Barrel (A.K.A. drum smokers) work the same as box smokers, but in a cylindrical shape. Their design makes it easier to have a pan of water between the flame and the food. This keeps proper humidity for smoking and works to make temperatures more stable. Both of these designs can be made to work with charcoal, lump charcoal, wood chips or chunk wood.
Offset smokers are among the most popular types of smokers, known for their distinctive design featuring a separate chamber, known as the firebox, offset from the main cooking area. The design is lends itself to indirect transfer of heat and smoke. On the upside, you have a large cooking surface, the downside however, heat and smoke are unevenly distributed across the surface of your food.
Pellet grills use compressed pellets of specific wood, or blends, that are ignited and kept smoldering with a blower set up. They offer excellent temperature control, although they are known for imparting milder smoking flavors. There is a broad spectrum of pricing in this category with many recognizable names in the industry.
The final internal temperature of the meat ensures both tenderness and safety. The USDA recommends cooking beef and pork to at least 145°F and chicken to 165°F to kill harmful pathogens. But, for iconic fall-apart BBQ with delicious bark, the target internal meat temperature is between 195°F to 205°F.
How Long Does Smoking Meat Take?
The biggest factor for how long your meat will take to be BBQ ready is the size of the cut.
As a rule of thumb, you can expect whole cuts of beef and pork to take an hour per lbs. for the internal meat temperature to reach 200°F, if ambient cooking temperature remains around 225°F throughout the duration of our smoke.
When it comes to a whole chicken or turkey, estimate about a ½ hour per lbs. to reach 160°F if ambient temperature remains around 225°F.
But there are several factors that affect cook-times. For this reason, we always cook by temperature and never by time. But it’s always good to have an idea of when you should start your smoking session to avoid hungry people waiting around for dinner.
Here’s a table that breaks down estimated smoke times for various cuts of meat when it comes to BBQ;
Estimated Smoking Times at 225°F for Common BBQ Cuts
Meat Cut
Weight (lbs)
Estimated Smoking Time
Target Internal Temperature
Brisket
10-14
12-18 hours
195°F – 205°F
Pork Butt/Shoulder
8-12
10-14 hours
195°F – 205°F
Turkey
12-14
5-7 hours
165°F – 170°F
Ribs (Pork)
Full Rack
5-6 hours
190°F – 203°F
Whole Chicken
4-5
4-5 hours
165°F
Beef Ribs
4-6
6-8 hours
190°F – 205°F
Lamb Shoulder
6-8
8-10 hours
195°F – 205°F
Remember, the times listed above are estimates. It’s always important to monitor both ambient and internal meat temperatures closely using reliable thermometers to ensure food safety and desired tenderness.
Smoke times vary based on a number of other factors like temperature, salt content, moisture, and weather. For instance, smoking an 8-pound brisket piece at 225°F typically takes about 12 hours. Increasing the temperature to 275°F can reduce the time by 40%. Also, if you spatchcocking your chicken or turkey you’ll be cooking at about 15 to 20 minutes per lbs., as a rule of thumb, instead of 30 minutes per lbs.
Going low and slow is the most important tip for beginners.
It’s hard to go wrong if you’re running at 225°F consistently for 10 hours. So, if you want to focus on one thing to master, it’s ambient temperature control. Every smoker and environment is unique. This is why you should always try and make each cooking session exactly the same until you master the aspect of maintaining a proper temperature range throughout the duration of your cook. Once you nail this part of the smoking process, then you can look at making changes to other variables (wood type, choice of smoker, wrapping the meat, etc.).
Traditional smoking temperatures for brisket or pork butt are 225°F, which provides the most control and juiciest results. Most people in the BBQ competition circuit like to be around 275°F throughout the duration of their smoke, but there’s more variables to worry about as you get in the 275°F range. Beginners should stick to smoking between 225°F and 250°F.
The Proverbial Stall
The stall happens when the meat’s internal temperature stops rising for a period of time. The moisture evaporating from the meat cools the exterior creating the stall affect. This phase is crucial for developing bark. Smoke flavor is conveyed the best in a humid environment, and that creates the contradiction that is the stall. Wrapping the meat in foil or paper (often called the Texas crutch) will shorten cooking time and get the temperature rising, it may hinder bark formation.
The Maillard Reaction & The Bark
Gooey and delicious bark is key for pulled pork.
The Maillard reaction occurs when the surface of the meat is heated, causing amino acids and sugars to react creating new compounds of flavor and texture. This process develops the rich, dark bark on smoked meats, similar to caramelization but involving proteins, fats, and enzymes. The reaction begins at lower temperatures but accelerates at higher heats. Using controlled lower heat increases this reaction, giving smoked meats their distinct flavor and aroma. To enhance browning, sprinkle the meat with sugar and oil, and turn it frequently.
Is Smoking Meat Safe?
Smoking meat low-and-slow is safe if done correctly. At temperatures of 165°F and above, pathogens are killed instantly. The meat’s exterior, where most bacteria reside, will be pasteurized almost immediately once placed in a smoker at 225°F-275°F. Maintaining this temperature ensures safety, as long as the internal temperature reaches safe levels as well. It also helps that the smoke creates an anaerobic environment, further diminishing the risk of bacteria.
Thaw your meat thoroughly before smoking. Frozen meat can take too long to thaw in the smoker, making it linger in the “danger zone” (40°F – 140°F) and increasing the risk of bacteria growth. Additionally, thawing meat cooks at different rates making uneven and unenjoyable textures and flavors.
The right type of wood and smoke: The wrong type of smoke can make your food bitter and unpleasant; the best smoke is light in color, not thick and white. Your smoker is not a fire pit. The right type of wood matters, stick to using wood like hickory, mesquite, oak and fruit woods. Don’t use softwoods like pine, spruce, cedar, etc. At worst, these softwoods let off toxins you don’t want to eat, at best your food will be bitter and oily – yuk. Green wood should be used with caution and isn’t recommended for beginners. Green wood tends to infuse you meat with a more bitter taste, so until you’re comfortable experimenting, stick with seasoned (dry) wood.
The More You Know: Data is crucial for a successful all-day cooking session, and that’s where meat thermometers come in. These devices are invaluable for monitoring the internal temperature of your smoker and meat. Without accurate readings, it’s challenging to know if you’re on track or encountering issues. If ambient temperatures aren’t right, you risk staying too long in the “danger zone” or ruining your cut of meat with excessive heat. Moreover, without knowing the internal temperature, predicting when dinner is ready becomes difficult. For smoking meats like pork butt or brisket, target temperatures typically range from 195°F to 205°F, which are sufficient to eliminate harmful bacteria. The only reliable way to ensure proper doneness is by using a meat thermometer. A Wi-Fi or Bluetooth thermometer is perfect for long smoking sessions, while an instant-read thermometer is essential for quick checks. Avoid relying on unproven or less accurate methods for determining doneness.
Keep the Meat Moist: Smoke has an obsession with water—it’s like they’re best buds. The juicy secret to getting that picturesque smoke ring is keeping your meat moist. Popular choices for maintaining moisture are water or apple cider vinegar, but honestly, you can wing it with whatever you have lying around. Beer, wine, stock—you name it. Just be cautious if you’re using anything sugary because if things unexpectedly heat up, burnt sugar can ruin your bark. And no one wants bitter-bark-gate to ruin their BBQ.
Don’t Freak Out During the Stall: Ah, the dreaded stall—a BBQ pitmaster’s rite of passage. When your meat hits that stubborn temperature plateau, resist the urge to flip your smoker in frustration. Hold your ground, or better yet, employ the Texas crutch. Yep, just wrap that meat snugly in some foil or butcher paper to help it power through the stall faster. Patience is key here; your future self will thank you.
Don’t Skip on the Brine: Seriously, never pass on a brine. It’s the unsung hero of flavor and tenderness, working its magic to ensure every bite of your meat is a juicy delight. Whether it’s a simple saltwater brine or something fancier with herbs and spices, give your meat some time to soak it all in. You’ll notice a world of difference when it’s time to chow down.
Get Started – Recipes & Rubs
Recipes
Below are recipes for the two most popular barbecue meat choices; brisket and pork shoulder. These are basic and straightforward recipes designed to let you master basic barbecue techniques with confidence. Cheers!
Beginner's Brisket Recipe (KISS)
Top Geek
Wrapping the brisket helps speed up the cooking process while reducing novice challenges that arise when attempting to maintain a proper charcoal pit environment for an extended duration of 10+ hours. Allowing the brisket to sit overnight in a dry salt brine is another way to protect the meat against less than ideal pit environments.
Place brisket in smoker until internal meat temperature reaches 165°F (about 7 hours)
Remove brisket to wrap in butcher paper (or aluminum foil) place brisket back in smoker/grill until the point (thickest end of the brisket) reaches 200°F.
Check for doneness by probing the flat (thinest end of the brisket) for tenderness. Once tender remove brisket.
Leave brisket wrapped and allow it to rest for at least 45 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
If you brine the brisket do not add the salt into the rub.
Keyword bbq, brikset, charcoal, smoking
Beginner's Classic Pulled Pork (KISS)
Top Geek
Simple, tasty, and plentiful. This is the easiest and most basic pulled pork recipe, perfect for just about any occasion. It’s a lot simpler than many others, making it the perfect choice of smoked meat for sandwiches, slathering with sauces, etc.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and rub the resulting blend all over the pork butt, massaging and patting it into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
Start your grill or smoker, bringing temperature to 225°F.
Place pork butt in smoker until internal meat temperature reaches 201°F (about 9 hours).
Remove pork butt from smoker, wrap in foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes before pulling.
Notes
Skip the salt if the meat has already been brined.
To speed up the cooking process you can wrap the pork butt in foil or butcher paper for two hours when it begins to stall (around 165°F); once internal meat temperature reaches 185°F unwrap and continue cooking until removing from the smoker when internal meat temperature reaches 201°F.
Keyword boston butt, pork butt, pork shoulder, pulled pork, smoking
Rubs
Salt
Properly seasoning meat can mean many things to many people. The one thing everybody can agree on is salt.
Salt does two things: it penetrates the meat and helps tenderize it, making it easier to chew and more pleasant to eat. It also makes it juicier, helping moisture migrate further into the meat and stay there during cooking, so it doesn’t dry out too quickly.
Second, salt adds flavor. Rather, it “brings out” the flavor. An old saying in culinary circles is that meat is flavorless in the absence of salt and fat. Thankfully, a good barbecue recipe has all three.
A good rule of thumb when deciding how much salt to apply, go with about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound or if using table salt go with 1/4 teaspoon per pound.
Adding salt to meat suppresses bitter flavors, enhances sweetness, and helps increase taste bud usage. The result? The meat tastes that much better.
After salt, the most important seasoning is pepper. Pepper adds some spice that helps balance out the salt, ensuring a well-rounded profile on the palate.
Brines
For most brines, all you need is a hefty dose of salt applied evenly into the meat, and given adequate time to penetrate. This is commonly called a dry brine. Salt is about the only seasoning that will penetrate the meat. Additionally, salt literally attacks tough proteins to help break them down through a process called denaturation. I often wonder about dry brine recipes that call for seasonings and herbs since so little of their aromatics will be pulled into the meat.
Brining is best for poultry and fish since these meats contain very little fat which is what makes meats rich and juicy. A brine is really salty, but don’t worry, if done correctly the meat will not taste over salted.
A wet brine, on the other hand, is a solution of salt and other spices – mixed into water. Sometimes it also contains acids, such as vinegar or lemon juice, to further tenderize the meat. Letting the meat marinade in brine for several hours (sometimes up to 24) allows it to absorb more moisture, as the salt penetrates the meat and brings water with it. This moisture will remain during cooking, translating into a juicier finished product.
Be careful not to overdo it or you’ll end up with mushy, unappetizing meat.
Salt and acid soften the outer layer of the meat, and leaving it unattended for too long can cause it to break down too much, resulting in a soft texture that just doesn’t look – or taste – the way we’re expecting.
Dry Rubs
You’ll want to add a rub to your meat just before smoking it. Unlike salt, the herbs and spices in dry rubs don’t penetrate the meat and stay solely on the surface. For that reason, they don’t need to be applied more than a few minutes before throwing the meat on the smoker. Rubs are usually made with just a few ingredients; you want to add flavor without overpowering the meat. The base of a good rub is usually salt, sugar, pepper, garlic, and onion. From here you can add any spices or herbs you like to make your very own unique flavor.
Dry rubs are used in a lot of regional barbecue styles. Santa Maria Tri-Tip, for example, uses a mixture of black pepper, lots of garlic powder, onion powder, and some cayenne and maybe paprika for a tangy, spicy flavor. Many dry rubs also include sugar, which adds some sweetness and helps the meat caramelize.
While the simplest barbecue recipes usually just call for a liberal coating of salt and pepper, many traditional recipes from different corners of the country call for a dry rub – a hefty mixture of spices and herbs, in addition to salt and pepper. Pretty much everything from chili powder to jerk seasoning is a dry rub and finding the right one is mainly a matter of personal taste; experiment with some of your own recipes to find what you like you best. We’ve hand picked a few rubs to try out below.
Brisket / Beef Rub
Yields 1/2 cup (prefect for 1 brisket or 1 Prime rib)
If possible, add a 1/2 tsp of kosher salt per pound 8 - 12 hours in advance to allow for the salt to be absorbed into the meat. If the meat has not previously been salted, add the necessary amount of salt to the rub (1/2 tsp per pound).
Poultry / Turkey Rub
Yields 1/2 cup (Prefect for smoking the Thanksgiving turkey)
No need to add salt. Most turkeys are already injected, basted or "flavor enhanced" in some type of salt solution. If you have a turkey you're sure has not undergone one of these factory type processes, you can apply a dry brine of 1/2 tsp of salt per pound, 10 - 12 hours before you plan on applying the rub and smoking it.
I have always been a believer: “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life”. I’ve been lucky enough to use my professional experience in the meat industry over the past 20 years to create a business where I love to go to work.
Smoking Meat Geeks is all about bringing people together that enjoy food as much as I do. We provide a place for everyone to share thoughts, ideas, and recipes; to be a go-to spot for cooking inspiration. Feel free to leave a comment, say hello, or provide any tips. There is no right or wrong input, as long as you’re engaging, you’re a Meat Geek!
First time smoking meat I will take your advices wish me luck . I will let you know how it turns out
Very informative, thank you for the effort you put into that article. Nevertheless, one question sticks in my mind. First you wrote, wetting the wood is not necessary and then later you wrote to out the wood at least for an hour into water when smoking on charcoal grill. Why is that?
Wetting the wood isn’t necessary for propane/electric smokers (and even depending on the articles you read may not be recommended) because you want a clean burn while moisture will prevent this from happening. It will also dampen the aromas of the wood chips. In a charcoal grill however the heat is much higher and putting dry wood will result in them burning quickly and requiring more wood.
We’ve been updating this article for the last three weeks. It should be done by the end of the month. We will no longer be advising that you should soak wood/chips.
I am new to smoking. I’m using a older model Char Broil offset grill. So far I have cooked 2 pork loins. The first one I just cut off the fat put rub on and off I went. I poured way to much charcoal and used fluid to start. It came out tough. The second I had watched some videos and read some articles and realized some of my sins I bought and used a chimney with only 70 briquettes and mostly kept a 230 temp once in awhile it would drop to 150 and would have to scramble to get the temperature back to 230. It tasted good at the end but was chewy. Over cooked I would say. I need to buy a decent thermometer that has a outside reader so I know when the meat hits that perfect mark 146. I realize now that smoking is a ART that has to be mastered. Happy grilling yall.
Welcome to the beginning of an amazing journey. Offset grills can be tricky when it comes to maintaining a consistent temp. You’re right about grabbing a thermometer; it will give you an accurate idea of what’s going on with the meat and pit. Here’s a link to our main page on thermometers: https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/meat-thermometers/.
Now with that out of the way, two things: 1. Consider smoking a pork shoulder/butt on your next session, I think you’ll be much happier with the final result here’s our writeup on the process: https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/smoked-pork-butt/. 2. Instead of shooting for 146°C (295°F) shoot a little higher, like 200 – 205°F, at 295°F collagens are still in the process of breaking down. Best to all the tasty homecooked meals that await.
First time smoker. Made my own uds with propane burner. Burner gets wood smoking then I turn off the gas and let the wood do the work. Does that sound efficient? Brand new at this
Congrats on jumping in head first. The idea behind a UDS is a “set it and forget it” type approach, otherwise known as RONCO technology. Using wood is a whole new beast and can pose a few initial problems. I personally have never used wood in my UDS, mostly because mine are designed to keep charcoal going which requires less air flow. The main issue is temperature control. Wood burns less predictably than quality charcoal. I know people do use wood in their UDS but I think it’s a matter of dialing in the air flow or using a thermostatic controller (https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/fireboard-2/) to regulate air flow. Additionally, you’ll want a door that would allow to easily add in more wood for longer cooks. All in all, the plans we feature on our site (https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/ugly-drum-smoker-plans-uds-build/) for building a UDS do not include the proper air flow needed for burning wood and I haven’t seen any plans for constructing them in this manner so you’ll likely have to play around with the amount of air you’re allowing into the barrel. So to answer your initial question, I know it can be efficient (using wood in your UDS) but it will take some tinkering around to get it right.
I am a meat geek. I am trying my first ever brisket next weekend. I am using a green egg and some oak wood. A USDA prime brisket and you tutorial and I am on my way. I can’t wait.
Thanks for sharing and good luck my friend. Check this group out (https://www.facebook.com/groups/BGEBBQers); it would be helpful to get inside tips from your fellow eggers.
I’m in the process of building an outdoor pizza/ bread oven, it’s thick masonry, where you burn a fire inside, pull out the ashes, and then bake. I was wondering if there is any way to configure it or the chimney to smoke and preserve meat? Thanks
Great article! I usually grill my barbeque using direct heat, but my wife hinted that she’d prefer some fall-off-the-bone ribs. I purchased an offset box and added it to my grill yesterday so that I could cook using indirect heat for the first time this morning.
My temperature was consistently about 275°. The ribs were on the grill for almost three hours, which was a tad bit too long. Once I was done, my internal temperature was around 180°. I’ll probably need to invest in a thermometer for the next time. I’m also going to try to reduce my temperature a little more so that I can keep the meat on there longer.
I had some good bark starting to form, which was amazing! I’d never seen that happen before.
I used hickory wood and you’re right – I had to keep adding it to continue to produce smoke, which I didn’t mind. Thanks to your article, I knew not to do too much at one time. Every 15 minutes or so, I’d just reach into my wood chips, grab a handful, then throw it on top of the coals.
The meat smells differently. Its texture is different. It’s very different from the way I usually cook it, a nice change of pace. One other bonus is that I wasn’t worried about flare ups!
The information you provided gave me a great level of confidence this first time. I look forward to doing more in the future! Thanks a million!
Your work here is quite fullsome, dare I say complete. Your patience, passion, and professionalims is justification for your title of Top Geek.
Thank you for your generosity in sharing with us your experience, preferences, and your advice. You will have saved many from costly pitfalls, cringing palates, and crumbling egos.
Before reading this, I had tried to smoke a pork loin in my ceramic grill (a commendable copy of the ‘green egg’), using hardwood lump charcoal, with soaked chips. I was semi-successful. Using the vents, I was obvioulsy in an experiment. The temperature was a tad high, and the meat was quite smoky.
Now armed with your generous work, I am ready to try all manner of proteins (fish, bacon, briskets…) in all 4 seasons.
Thank you for everything you have done, and do, in encouraging the plebes!
The Pit Barrel Cooker and utilizing a combination of “charcoal and wood chips (not chunks)” seems an excellent chance for me to use the knowledge that you have posted on the web page to ensure that I have the most effective, simple, and proper way of “smoking” brisket and chicken. My question is: Should I use wood chips (or chunks) only, or would the “smoking effect” for beef, chicken, and seafood, be better with a combination of both wood chips and charcoal?
Pit Barrel Cooker works great as a set-it-and-forget-it (https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/pit-barrel/) using charcoal. It takes a good amount of “dialing in” when it comes to using straight wood. Moreover, smoking chicken or fish are best done with light smoke which lends itself to charcoal without wood (chips or chunks). When smoking beef or pork, I’d recommend following Pit Barrel Cooker’s instructions using charcoal, mixing in wood chips/chunks.
We have an ugly barrel smoker with 2 racks. Headed to a family reunion and plan on doing 4 briskets. Is there a limit as to how much meat you can put in a smoker at a time? We have extra racks that would keep them from touching and allow circulation, but I am still afraid it may change the flavor because of sharing smoke between twice the meat and will it change the overall cook time? What are your thoughts?
Great articles, thank you! You cleared up one thing I ran into on my first attempt, before I read your article: the stall. I had never heard of it before and it really had me baffled! One thing I am not clear on is how long you should have the smoke production going? Thanks for sharing your vast experience!
Using the Pit Barrel Cooker, one of our favorite contractions for smoking a turkey.
Smoking foods involves using indirect heat to cook meat at low temperatures over a long period, unlike grilling, which uses direct heat. Here’s a condensed guide on smoking effectively.
First time smoking meat I will take your advices wish me luck . I will let you know how it turns out
Happy smokin’ Mark!
Still smoking??
Very informative, thank you for the effort you put into that article. Nevertheless, one question sticks in my mind. First you wrote, wetting the wood is not necessary and then later you wrote to out the wood at least for an hour into water when smoking on charcoal grill. Why is that?
Wetting the wood isn’t necessary for propane/electric smokers (and even depending on the articles you read may not be recommended) because you want a clean burn while moisture will prevent this from happening. It will also dampen the aromas of the wood chips. In a charcoal grill however the heat is much higher and putting dry wood will result in them burning quickly and requiring more wood.
We’ve been updating this article for the last three weeks. It should be done by the end of the month. We will no longer be advising that you should soak wood/chips.
You have given a ton of info that was very helpful. First time and looking for positive results. Will let you know.
Great info and well wrote
I am new to smoking. I’m using a older model Char Broil offset grill. So far I have cooked 2 pork loins. The first one I just cut off the fat put rub on and off I went. I poured way to much charcoal and used fluid to start. It came out tough. The second I had watched some videos and read some articles and realized some of my sins I bought and used a chimney with only 70 briquettes and mostly kept a 230 temp once in awhile it would drop to 150 and would have to scramble to get the temperature back to 230. It tasted good at the end but was chewy. Over cooked I would say. I need to buy a decent thermometer that has a outside reader so I know when the meat hits that perfect mark 146. I realize now that smoking is a ART that has to be mastered. Happy grilling yall.
Welcome to the beginning of an amazing journey. Offset grills can be tricky when it comes to maintaining a consistent temp. You’re right about grabbing a thermometer; it will give you an accurate idea of what’s going on with the meat and pit. Here’s a link to our main page on thermometers: https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/meat-thermometers/.
Now with that out of the way, two things: 1. Consider smoking a pork shoulder/butt on your next session, I think you’ll be much happier with the final result here’s our writeup on the process: https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/smoked-pork-butt/. 2. Instead of shooting for 146°C (295°F) shoot a little higher, like 200 – 205°F, at 295°F collagens are still in the process of breaking down. Best to all the tasty homecooked meals that await.
First time smoker. Made my own uds with propane burner. Burner gets wood smoking then I turn off the gas and let the wood do the work. Does that sound efficient? Brand new at this
Congrats on jumping in head first. The idea behind a UDS is a “set it and forget it” type approach, otherwise known as RONCO technology. Using wood is a whole new beast and can pose a few initial problems. I personally have never used wood in my UDS, mostly because mine are designed to keep charcoal going which requires less air flow. The main issue is temperature control. Wood burns less predictably than quality charcoal. I know people do use wood in their UDS but I think it’s a matter of dialing in the air flow or using a thermostatic controller (https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/fireboard-2/) to regulate air flow. Additionally, you’ll want a door that would allow to easily add in more wood for longer cooks. All in all, the plans we feature on our site (https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/ugly-drum-smoker-plans-uds-build/) for building a UDS do not include the proper air flow needed for burning wood and I haven’t seen any plans for constructing them in this manner so you’ll likely have to play around with the amount of air you’re allowing into the barrel. So to answer your initial question, I know it can be efficient (using wood in your UDS) but it will take some tinkering around to get it right.
Fine way of describing, and pleasant piece of writing to get information concerning my presentation subject
I am a meat geek. I am trying my first ever brisket next weekend. I am using a green egg and some oak wood. A USDA prime brisket and you tutorial and I am on my way. I can’t wait.
Thanks for sharing and good luck my friend. Check this group out (https://www.facebook.com/groups/BGEBBQers); it would be helpful to get inside tips from your fellow eggers.
I’m in the process of building an outdoor pizza/ bread oven, it’s thick masonry, where you burn a fire inside, pull out the ashes, and then bake. I was wondering if there is any way to configure it or the chimney to smoke and preserve meat?
Thanks
Great article! I usually grill my barbeque using direct heat, but my wife hinted that she’d prefer some fall-off-the-bone ribs. I purchased an offset box and added it to my grill yesterday so that I could cook using indirect heat for the first time this morning.
My temperature was consistently about 275°. The ribs were on the grill for almost three hours, which was a tad bit too long. Once I was done, my internal temperature was around 180°. I’ll probably need to invest in a thermometer for the next time. I’m also going to try to reduce my temperature a little more so that I can keep the meat on there longer.
I had some good bark starting to form, which was amazing! I’d never seen that happen before.
I used hickory wood and you’re right – I had to keep adding it to continue to produce smoke, which I didn’t mind. Thanks to your article, I knew not to do too much at one time. Every 15 minutes or so, I’d just reach into my wood chips, grab a handful, then throw it on top of the coals.
The meat smells differently. Its texture is different. It’s very different from the way I usually cook it, a nice change of pace. One other bonus is that I wasn’t worried about flare ups!
The information you provided gave me a great level of confidence this first time. I look forward to doing more in the future! Thanks a million!
Griller Greetings, Top Geek!
Your work here is quite fullsome, dare I say complete. Your patience, passion, and professionalims is justification for your title of Top Geek.
Thank you for your generosity in sharing with us your experience, preferences, and your advice. You will have saved many from costly pitfalls, cringing palates, and crumbling egos.
Before reading this, I had tried to smoke a pork loin in my ceramic grill (a commendable copy of the ‘green egg’), using hardwood lump charcoal, with soaked chips. I was semi-successful. Using the vents, I was obvioulsy in an experiment. The temperature was a tad high, and the meat was quite smoky.
Now armed with your generous work, I am ready to try all manner of proteins (fish, bacon, briskets…) in all 4 seasons.
Thank you for everything you have done, and do, in encouraging the plebes!
Andrew
first time pellet griller thanks for all the good info i saved your article to my favorites so I could refer back to it again later
The Pit Barrel Cooker and utilizing a combination of “charcoal and wood chips (not chunks)” seems an excellent chance for me to use the knowledge that you have posted on the web page to ensure that I have the most effective, simple, and proper way of “smoking” brisket and chicken. My question is: Should I use wood chips (or chunks) only, or would the “smoking effect” for beef, chicken, and seafood, be better with a combination of both wood chips and charcoal?
Pit Barrel Cooker works great as a set-it-and-forget-it (https://smokingmeatgeeks.com/pit-barrel/) using charcoal. It takes a good amount of “dialing in” when it comes to using straight wood. Moreover, smoking chicken or fish are best done with light smoke which lends itself to charcoal without wood (chips or chunks). When smoking beef or pork, I’d recommend following Pit Barrel Cooker’s instructions using charcoal, mixing in wood chips/chunks.
We have an ugly barrel smoker with 2 racks. Headed to a family reunion and plan on doing 4 briskets. Is there a limit as to how much meat you can put in a smoker at a time? We have extra racks that would keep them from touching and allow circulation, but I am still afraid it may change the flavor because of sharing smoke between twice the meat and will it change the overall cook time? What are your thoughts?
Great articles, thank you! You cleared up one thing I ran into on my first attempt, before I read your article: the stall. I had never heard of it before and it really had me baffled!
One thing I am not clear on is how long you should have the smoke production going?
Thanks for sharing your vast experience!