How to control temperature in a smoker has set a big obstacle to many cooking lovers, preventing them from enjoying their palatable cooking upshot, which should be a mouth-watering and bold BBQ party rather than scorch and dry one.
No worries because you got this informative post. We will show you how to control temperature in a smoker effectively with the least preparation and hassle!
Without any further ado, let’s get started!
How To Control Temperature In A Smoker
1. Adjust The Vents
Basically, every smoker you see these days are equipped with both an intake damper and exhaust damper. Each delivers different features, yet still aims to control the oxygen flow, which decides the temperature variation.
The intake damper, usually compared as a door, is set near the burning materials to control the air going through the container.
Thanks to its simple operating principle, this vent is easy to regulate. Just close it off, and the fire would burn out as no oxygen is provided for the smoking process.
On the contrary, open it all the way, and you got your fire flared up. To keep your flame stable throughout the cooking process, open it partially, and remember to add combustibles whenever necessary.
The exhaust damper, might be either a flue or chimney, has 2 jobs: to release the emissions like combustion gases, heat, and smoke; and stimulate the oxygen pulling process in the intake damper.
More specifically, the fume will escape from the exhaust damper, generating a big stream of heat, which lowers the pressure and thus, pulls more oxygen through the below air vent.
Concerning this upper air vent, we advise you to open it fully at all times as the oxygen can’t reach the charcoal if there isn’t an exit for the combustion gases to escape.
2. Control The Combustibles Amount
It is clear that if you add more combustibles, the fire will expand and the temperature will increase. Simple it might seem, do you know that you should start your smoking with fully lit coal, and the same case repeats when you add more coal?
If you want to raise your smoke heat, use a lighter to lit your wood or coal first, wait until they reach the same temperature as the material inside your smoker, then add the combustibles that you’ve lit to the firebox.
Another interesting fact that you may miss that different smoking wood gives different extra flavors, and that’s why you should try some afterward-recommended wood.
Oak, hickory, and mesquite present a bold and appealing taste for pork or meet. While fruits wood like apple or cherry are ideal for poultry meet as they impart milder and luscious flavor.
3. Get A Smoker Temperature Control System
For those who would like a ‘Set it and forget it‘ smoker because they’ve been too tired babysitting the smoker all day long, an automatic temperature controller would be their lifesaver.
By connecting with your smoker through a cord, this air probe thermometer will control the smoker’s airflow to maintain a steady temp.
Equipped with a modern WIFI control, this item lets you keep an eye on smoking while reading your favorite books or even taking a shower.
4. Other Methods
Using a water pan
Extended exposure to heat is always a problem as it makes your meat dry out quickly and lose its original taste. A water pan comes as a simple yet useful way to maintain your smoker heat and offer a moist BBQ.
You can easily take a disposable pan, fill with water, put it under your firebox to add humidity to your meat, and stabilize your heat.
Avoid bad weather conditions: wind, rain, etc.
As mentioned above, it would be ideal to do some grilling and smoking on a sunny warm day as the internal heat has already been around 100 °F to fire up.
Yet, if you decide to smoke some meat on a cold day when the temp drops considerably, you need to find a well-sheltered location to avoid strong winds and easily control your temperature.
Try a ‘dry run’ on a new smoker
A dry run means you should give your smoker a trial run before you really load it up with meat. This action shows effective results in your temperature adjustments afterward, which helps you not to peek in case there is a flare-up.
How Can The Weather Affect Your Smoker Temp?
Weather is one of the top factors when considering having an outdoor BBQ party, and this plays an even more important role if you are grilling with a cheap or poor-quality smoker.
Let’s get into the central part!
On a windy day, the strong airflow would lead to a sudden flare-up as the oxygen is rapidly blown into the firebox, which stimulates the flame to burn even bigger.
Thus, it would be best if you were extra vigilant to properly control your smoker’s temp. The best solution is to find an adequately sheltered position and pay attention to your vents.
However, if you want to do some smoking in the cold or overcast weather, your internal smoke temperature can go down to 35 °F, which will take you more time to reach your desired temp for smoking.
All things considered, a nice warm sunny day would be more suitable for your BBQ party as it provides better temp control and hotter fire. Yet that doesn’t mean you are unable to enjoy your DIY barbecue in unfavorable weather conditions. And that’s why this article is written for you.
FAQs
1. What to do if you see thick, white smoke?
White smoke is an indicator showing that your materials aren’t burning properly. This might be put down to the damp wood or coal used to smoke.
To solve this problem, you should open the air vents wider so that the wood can burn faster and thus, the water left would be absorbed. If the case prolongs, try to replace the culprit with new and dry combustibles.
2. How much does an air probe thermometer cost?
It won’t cost you much to own a useful and convenient meal-saver as their price is under $5.
3. How can I keep my smoker going overnight?
This is kinda a hard question to answer accurately as there are so many factors that can affect your smoking, especially for a long time. You can bring your temp down compared to the cooking standard so that your meat can withstand long term heat.
However, the best way is that you install a temp controller, set the standard heat, and take a sound sleep waiting for your meal served the next morning.
The Wrap Up
This lengthy but helpful has set out to build a step-by-step guide for you to have a proper technique in smoking. Then, if you have grasped all our messages, will you manage the rest?
After this article on how to control temperature in a smoker, we hope you can enjoy your savory meals with exceptionally medium-rare BBQ thanks to your great skills at regulating your smoker temperature.
Let us know if you agree!
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