BBQ Smoker

A BBQ smoker operates slightly differently than other forms of barbequing. There is an intense debate in some circles over what exactly constitutes barbequing and how it differs from grilling. “Purists” maintain that barbequing is done over a long period of time, with indirect heat. Grilling on the other hand is fast, direct heat that quickly cooks meat.

If a barbeque takes time and indirect heat, a BBQ smoker takes an even longer time with some added components. In general, smokers contain two chambers, in one chamber the coals, or in some cases a burner, smoke wood chips, such as cherry or hickory. The chips are soaked in water to prevent them from burning. So instead they simply smoke for a prolonged period of time.

This smoke is then passed into the cooking chamber, where the meat is racked or hung from hooks. This is the larger portion of a BBQ smoker. Smokers can be set up either vertically or horizontally. Horizontal smokers feature larger cooking areas, but suffer from some heat transfer issues. In a vertical smoker, the cooking area is smaller, but the heat and smoke will rise straight through the cooking area, cooking the meat more evenly.