# Smoke tubes and Weber kettle temps



## kelbro (Oct 14, 2022)

I bought a couple of those stainless tubes that you fill with wood pellets. I haven't used them yet and I'm considering using either my drum smoker or 22" Weber kettle for a smoke chamber.

How hot do these gadgets get? What will the temp be inside the Weber with only one of these tubes smoking?

I'm thinking about doing nuts and cheese, maybe some sausages.

I will be testing soon but I was hoping that the experience here could guide me.


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## mike243 (Oct 14, 2022)

The outdoor temps will determine how warm it runs, also how you set it in there, if laying on the side it will burn quicker and hotter, the more vertical you place it the lower the temp and longer burn time, do a practice run, dirt cheap to burn a tube of pellets. I use the round tube and it may burn different than that style.


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## Steve H (Oct 14, 2022)

Make sure you burn off the tube before you use it for food as well. I use either a tray or tube in my weber. If it's 60 out. The weber doesn't get over 80 or so. Most of us do cold smoking in fall, winter, and spring.
Follow Mike's advice on placing.


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## kelbro (Oct 14, 2022)

Thanks. I was thinking that these would also work for jerky. I normally just cure and dehydrate but would rather have real smoke than liquid smoke.


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## cmayna (Oct 14, 2022)

For cold smoking, especially in such a confined area as a webber, I would use dust, not pellets.  Lot less heat generated.  For doing jerky, yes pellets will be just fine.


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## kelbro (Oct 14, 2022)

cmayna said:


> For cold smoking, especially in such a confined area as a webber, I would use dust, not pellets.  Lot less heat generated.  For doing jerky, yes pellets will be just fine.



So these pellets, (Pit Boss Hickory) just go into a blender and then stuff the tube with the dust?

If I'm doing a large batch, it would be the drum smoker and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't get too hot. There's some experimenting to be planned...


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## mike243 (Oct 14, 2022)

Never done the dust but have read add water to pellets let them swell up and I think you can dry them in the oven when wife wont be home for awhile or let air dry, crumbles up to dust.


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## Fueling Around (Oct 14, 2022)

I use my 22" kettle for cold smoking.  Just leave the vents wide open
I think it was about a 20°F temperature rise



kelbro said:


> So these pellets, (Pit Boss Hickory) just go into a blender and then stuff the tube with the dust?
> ...


Here's a thread by 

 daveomak
 on wetting first





						Making dust from pellets...
					

Mr T told me he makes dust all the time for some of his smoking needs..  He ground the pellets in a food processor or something..  I tried it and it seemed a little tough on the machine.. Pellets are HARD !!!.. So I threw them in warm HOT water..  in about 4 minutes they were falling apart...  I...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## Fueling Around (Oct 14, 2022)

Forgot to point you to adding a u-bolt to your tube





						U-Bolt mod for the AMNTS
					

I've been doing this since I  bought my first MES 30.Makes using the tubes more convenient and much easier to handle.Fits great in the bottom left of a MES.  More than one person has asked me why pitched?Keeps the pellets from falling out and you get a slower more consistent burn rate,which...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				




Here's my thread on making half sized tubes





						1/2 size smoke tube
					

I got my second octagonal smoke tubes that is a knock off of the original A-Maze-N tubes Purchased this one at Menard's for around $11   Open end cap is only tack welded on each flat side easy to knock lose with a putty knife.   Tube with end cap removed    Cut down with a hacksaw.  Don't over...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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