How Does a Smoker Grill Work?

Types of Smoker Grills

There are two basic types of smoker grills. The first has a firebox separate from the grill chamber for the meat and is attached by an opening between the two compartments. In the other type the smoke is produced in the same chamber as the meat.

In the grill with the separate chambers, the coals and wood chips are heated in one chamber to create the smoke. The smoke then travels through an opening or tube into the other chamber, along with the heat created by the fuel in the separate chamber commonly referred to as a firebox or smokebox. With this type of smoker grill, you can add more charcoal or smoker chips, without allowing the heat or smoke to be released from the chamber with the meat in it.

In the smoker grill with one chamber, coals are placed on the two sides of the grilling chamber. Wood chips are placed on top of the coals. The meat is placed in the center of the grilling surface, with no coals underneath it.

Type of Heat Used

A smoker uses what is called indirect heat. The use of indirect heat is referred to as barbecuing, and cooking with direct heat where the coals are under the meat directly is referred to as grilling. When using indirect heat, your food will cook slower in a smoker grill than it would when grilled using direct heat. Cooking it with this lower temperature gives more time for the heat to penetrate the meat and for the smoke flavors to season it.

Using a Smoker Grill Efficiently

Soak all of your wood chips before you start your smoking. Place in a bowl and cover the top of the chips with one inch of water. By soaking the chips, they will smolder and create smoke instead of burning and creating flames, which would cause the wood chips to burn off quicker.

Since you are cooking with a lower level of heat than when grilling, it's important to maintain the heat at the same temperature. If you are using a single-chamber smoker grill, try to resist the urge to "check on your food" frequently. Opening and closing the chamber not only releases the smoke that flavors the meat, but also allows heat to escape.

Replenish fuel for your fire regularly. If you are cooking meat that takes over two hours to smoke, you will most likely need to replenish your heat source of charcoal or hardwood. In the two-chamber smoker grill, this can be done without losing heat and smoke. In the single-chamber, start your coals in a chimney starter to get them hot before placing them in the smoker grill. That way the lid will not have to be open in the meat chamber while the coals heat up. Place the coals in the meat chamber of the smoker grill quickly from the chimney starter, and close the lid. Every two hours add another 20 to 30 coals to your smoker grill.