In addition opening the lid on your smoker will drain away a lot of heat in a very short space of time so always leave the lid down unless absolutely necessary.
Control heat on smoker.
Low heat 250 350 f open.
Medium heat 350 450 f open.
Off fully closed.
Temperature control in a charcoal smoker is vital to maintain the low heat necessary to produce tender meat with a smoky aroma.
If you notice it is dying down and the temperature is dropping then add another chunk of wood.
Bthey re a great way to help prevent the impact of flare ups or wind on your internal temperature.
If you re lookin you ain t cookin.
Low and slow smoke zone 225 275 f 1 4 1 8 open.
They help take out the guesswork on how your smoker s vents should be set and let you get on with more important and fun things.
A steady smoking temperature is necessary for fully cooked tender smoked meats.
High heat 450 550 f fully open.
That means no hot spots no flare ups and no ruined meat.
For most low and slow cooking that means we need to know how to get our smoker to between 225 250 f and then keep it there for 4 16 hours.
This might seem like a lazy easy way out but i love smoker controllers.
Check every 15 20 minutes and adjust whatever is needed.
How to use air vents to control smoker temperature.
Remember the golden rule.
The key to offset smoker heat management is keeping an eye on the charcoal fire.
The water will help absorb the heat and regulate the temperature.
Smoker controllers work by using something called a variable speed blower.
In most cases you ll want to use hot water but if the smoker is getting too hot switch to cold water.
In short your water bath helps smoker temperature control by dampening the effect of sudden fluctuations.
Leave the firebox door cracked open until the wood has caught fire.
Depending on the size of the pan your smoker and the temperature expect to refill it every 3 to 4 hours.
Remember to keep the inside of your bowl and ash catcher clean to promote good air flow throughout your grill.
The expression low and slow is used by barbecue pit masters to describe the smoking process in which meat is cooked for hours at a temperature of 200 to 225 f.