Declare Independence to Your Smoke Source

The challenge with smoking is that the extent to which smoke is available to permeate your food is dependent on regulating the fire source in your smoking device. It involves constantly feeding it, usually with soaked wood chips or chunks. This may be the pit master’s passionate calling, but we mere mortals need to simplify without sacrificing results. And what about smoking at high-temperatures? Any temperature over 275 degrees Fahrenheit will usually not work well. Wood chips will burn down too quickly and pellet grills will not produce smoke at all at higher temperatures. What about producing sustained smoke in a gas grill for a long period of time? What if you could separate the source of your smoke being produced from the cooking vessel you are using to heat your food and and make the smoking process relatively hands off?

Well, with these to two nifty and brilliant little devices you can!

Option 1:The Smoke Daddy Smoke Generator

This device lets you add wood pellets (preferred) or wood chips that you can ignite at the bottom of the tube through a wire mesh with a blow torch. In my case, I had a hole drilled into my upright smoker to connect the device. It comes with an air pump and hose to help the flow of smoke into the smoker. Close the bottom and top lids and voila! You now have a source of delicate and consistent streaming smoke to permeate your succulent creations independent from your smoker and its temperature! From time to time simply open the top lid to add wood pellets. When done, simply disconnect the device and horizontal connecting tube and cover the hole on the smoker with a heavy magnet.

Option 2: The A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker

I use this nifty little wire mesh tray to provide smoke in my gas grill. You simply fill the tray with pellets and ignite them to create a flame for about 10 minutes. Then you blow it out and the pellets will continue to smoke from the lit embers and will follow a zig-zag trail through the tray. Now you can turn your basic gas grill into a smokin’ machine by placing your meat on the cooler (unignited) side of the grill and the smoking tray above it on the hotdog rack. The other side of the grill is turned on to provide the heat. Close the lid and your smoke tray will provide smoke for up to four hours!

Both of these devices are also designed for cold smoking, which will be a topic of another blog. Stay tuned.