However, using our advice and a chimney charcoal starter, you should be well on your way to finding the right ratio for you. This is ideal for low and slow cooks between 6 – 18 hours. Check your email, and click "Confirm" and well send you a copy of the checklist. Which means you are able to smoke larger quantities of food. SmokedBBQSource is supported by its readers. Using the 2-zone method, you can do the majority of the cooking over indirect heat, getting it to just shy of that perfect medium-rare before searing it to a finish on the hot side, in what’s called the reverse sear method. Unlike low and slow cooking, you’ll need to get your smoker raging hot with a full chimney hot coals and then use the vents and air regulators to keep a steady temperature. Season the Device. Our favorite charcoal briquette company Kingsford recommends the following: Obviously, these are rough generalizations, and you’ll need a little experimentation to find the perfect ratios for your particular grill. This involves filling the charcoal ring with unlit briquettes, and then lighting a small number of briquettes (around 20), and pouring them over the top. **Note** This email might be in your 'Promotions' folder. When it comes to grilling, we’re huge fans of the 2-zone cooking setup. Do you have any suggested charcoal amounts for different types of cooking, or maybe a perfect set up for a particular grill or smoker? We are working to assist you as quickly as possible. Think of it as your charcoal measuring cup. This is a process that needs to be only done once, and too right after you have … Fill the water pan 3/4 full with cold water. The manual for my offset smoker says that I should burn wood in the firebox because charcoal will not get hot enough. As with most things when it comes to grilling, how much charcoal you need depends on what you’re cooking and the type of grill you have. Hot and fast smoking cooks the food at a temperature between 275 – 350°F (135 – 175°C) while imparting a smoky flavor. This method is great because the temperature will slowly rise (while you are getting everything else ready), and you can dial in the temperature with the air vents. If there is one thing to remember about barbeque this is it; make it the way you and your family love it. Here are some helpful tips on getting the perfect color and tenderness. Assuming you don’t have any fancy gas ignition systems on your offset smoker, the best way to light your coals is with a chimney starter. If you are using a classic Kettle style grill, the charcoal snake method is a great alternative setup. It also uses less fuel than traditional setups. Does the type of charcoal affect how much you should use? Easily save as PDF or print for future use. This involves placing a double semicircle of charcoal briquettes around the inside of your smoker, creating a line of charcoal two briquettes deep, and two wide. Learn more. 1 Oklahoma Joe’s Highland Offset Smoker, 1 Oklahoma Joe’s Halftime Charcoal Starter XL, 1 box Oklahoma Joe’s Fire Starters, 1 bunch wood chunks or logs, 1 box lump charcoal, 1 igniter to light the fire starters. For instance, a chunky tomahawk steak needs a good sear on the outside, but its thickness means that cooking it over very high heat will either burn the exterior or leave the center uncooked. The 2-zone method gives you more control over your cooking space, allowing you finer temperature control and the ability to cook with direct and indirect heat. One of the best methods for setting up a charcoal smoker is the minion method . For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Pros and Cons of using an Offset Smoker Charcoal Grill Pros. Get your free Smoking Times and Temperature chart: Before we can send you your free smoking chart, you need to confirm your email. This combination of high heat and short cooking time can leave you with a lot of partially burned coals. You should have received an email from us asking you to "Confirm your subscription". The same smoker is available for around $300 MSRP less than the version with the offset. Easily save as a PDF so you can refer back to it whenever you need. All you do is heap up your charcoal on one side of your grill. It’s hard to believe now, but just back in 2008 Traeger was one, Smokedbbqsource.com is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program – it is designed to provide an aid for the websites in earning an advertisement fee – by means of advertising and linking to Amazon.com products. The first thing we suggest is getting a charcoal chimney. See full disclosure. Check your email, and click "Confirm" and well send you a copy of the smoking chart. To figure out exactly how much charcoal you need in your hot zone, consider what you’re cooking and use your charcoal chimney. Unfortunately, we can’t give you any hard and fast numbers because they might not work for your particular set up, but we can suggest some ways for you to lock in the correct ratios for yourself. Make sure you click the button in that email so you can start receiving emails from us. One of the most common questions about smoking with an offset smoker is; how do you keep a consistent temperature throughout the cooking process? Memphis Grills are known for their premium quality wood pellet grills which they design, engineer and test in the USA. There’s a lot that goes into answering that question, but it all starts with knowing YOUR smoker. We promise not to spam you. difference between lump wood charcoal and briquettes, Royal Oak All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal - 15.4 LBS. He now likes to spend as much of his free time as possible hunched over a grill, reading about grills, or staring forlornly out of a window as the British weather makes it impossible to use his grill.". ; Once your coals are lit, dump them out of the chimney smoker into the fire box. As we mentioned earlier, not only is a charcoal chimney the best way to measure your charcoal, its also the best way to light it. Once you cook a few times with your smoker you will start to understand little details like exactly how much to open/close the exhaust and air intake, how many wood chunks or logs you will need for smoking different types of food, etc.