Avoid blasting the smoker box with fire to avoid letting the wood chips catch on fire. If you need to increase the temperature inside your grill, turn on other burners. Tips for using smoker boxes Always use good quality wood chips. A simple smoker box combined with the best wood chips will work better than a top-of-the-line box with low-quality chips. Consider the following scenario: if your grill has two burners, turn on one of them, position the smoker box over it, and turn off the second burner.

Choose a smoker box with an ideal temperature control mechanism. You should be able to adjust the heat levels as appropriate. Fill up slightly more than half of the smoker box with dry wood chips. One other way is adding wood chunks to allow it to burn more slowly and consistently. Hi, Thomas. Depends what smoker it is, what fuel it uses, any tech that it has. What model of smoker is it? Now that you know how to use a smoker box, you’ll find it’s a fun way to add a new dimension to your outdoor cooking experience. As you can see from our list above, getting a smoker doesn’t have to be expensive. You can make one from a trash can, flower pots, or even just aluminum pans and some stationery.

The first thing you need to do before you get to work is to decide what kind of smoker you are planning to build. Once you’ve got your drum, you’ll need to scrub it down and then buff the insides with fine sandpaper. The rest of the build is as simple as attaching four air intakes using readily available plumbing supplies, building a fire basket from expanded metal mesh, and attaching a handle to the lid. If the smoke flow appears to be weak or has been completely extinguished, you will need to add wood chips to the smoker box. What is the best way to keep wood chips from catching fire?

Put your started coals on the grate in the bottom of the pot and add the soaked wood chips. Place your food above it on a basic circular BBQ grill grate and pop the top pot on top to seal it. Using a smoker box includes preheating the grill, filling the box with specific wood chips for different meats, and adjusting the burners once the box is smoking. The first thing you are going to need to do is add a little water to your propane tank through the valve. It doesn’t have to be a lot of water, just enough that it will sit inside the tank where you are drilling or cutting and prevent the ignition or any residual propane. One benefit of a smaller smoker box is that it will take up less grill space. If you’re cooking for a crowd, you’ll appreciate this. On the downside, a smaller smoker box holds fewer chips or pellets, which may result in you having to refill it in the middle of grilling. Ease of cleaningBefore the first use, clean your smoker box with mild dish soap and rinse thoroughly. Crank your barbecue up to high and then place the smoker box on the grate, flavorizer bars, or charcoal — wherever the manufacturer recommends. I suggest leaving the lid open, or else any chemically infused smoke emanating from the box will collect inside your grill lid. If you are doing indirect cooking, be careful not to overheat the smoker box on the one burner. It is possible to damage the box if it is overheated. Propane and natural gas grills are all kinds of convenient, but they don’t give you that authentic smoky flavor you get from charcoal and wood fires.