New Here - Tips appreciated

[danlambskin]

hello everyone...i just got my 1st smoker and was googling for some tips and found this forum

anyway, any tips anyone can give me would be appreciated.

this is the smoker i bought from Sears...i know it's a cheap one but i'm a casual user and do a lot of grilling too so i figured it would be a good one

Brand Name BBQ Pro
Product Name Barrel Smoker with Offset Firebox
Model Number 07115897000
MPN 20040309
UPC 72000957813

noticed the door on the firebox doesnt seam to seal real well...it seems like there's maybe an 1/8"-1/4" gap...is this a big deal

also...when smoking/slow cooking, do i want to use charcoal with just a few wood chunks tossed in? i ordered a sampler of wood chunks

 

[valkman]

Welcome to SMF! You'll find plenty of help here.

 

[irishteabear]

Welcome to SMF, Dan. Glad you joined us. Take the time and read the posts, you'll find lots of helpful info there. Feel free to ask questions.

 

[markmcrae]

Hey Dan, welcome to the smokers Forum. To answer your question about the gap in the fire box. It could affect the way that you smoke. The bigger the gap the more air that gets to your fire making it burn hotter. You might want to look into getting something to cover those gaps so you can better control your airflow thereby controlling your temps.

 

[billbo]

Welcome Dan! Take a look over in the charcoal forum for some help on the smoker.

 

[dingle]

Welcome to the forum Dan! Check out Jeff's 5day Ecourse in the left side margin. It covers the basics and is very informative. When you are ready, I'm sure there are some mods that can be made to that smoker to make it more efficient. Welcome aboard!

 

[grothe]

Glad ta have ya here Dan...Welcome!

 

[mcmelik]

You could use some aluminum foil to fill the gaps if you want to. 1/8 inch is not a lot but getting all the holes filled is the best thing to do.
As far as the charcoal and wood. Just a few pieces of wood at a time is the best . You don't want to get to much smoke. I think most here would say to use lump charcoal The briquettes can give off a little bit of an oder when the first light although I have never been able to taste it in the food.
Welcome and good smoking to you......

 

[rivet]

Yes, you're right. Get your coals going and then toss in a couple chunks with an eye towards your chimney. At first you'll get a lot of smoke, but then it should turn thin and blue- that's what you want. Be careful of using too much wood (like all the bag) for a small smoke; too much and you may not like your results. It's better off to start slowly and then decide what you personnaly like as you smoke on different times.

Be aware that after you add your chunks, even if you don't see any smoke coming out the chimney, the wood is still working. The aromas the meat picks up are invisible, and after a while there may be no visible smoke. The watchword is "if you can smell it you are smoking".

Good luck to you and congratulations on your new unit. Don't forget to do a pre-burn before cooking, and if you have any questions, ask here. We will help you.

Glad you joined!

 

[scmelik]

Welcome. I am new to smoking as well but have been around it a fair bit growing up. I think the biggest piece of advice I can give you is to just jump right in and start smoking. I have done probably ten smokes so far on my el cheapo brinkman bullet smoker and each one gets better and better because I have stated to learn my own preferances as well as my equipment. The more you smoke the more you will get a feel for it

Take some time to read as much as you can here, the wealth of knowledge is increadible

 

[mballi3011]

First welcome to SMF you'll like it here. There is someone to answer any question and like you see here alot of people to help you. So enjoy and learn my son.

 

[jaxgatorz]

Welcome to SMF !!

 

[cman95]

Welcome to SMF.