If you’re just getting started with smoking, I recommend using a smoker box. This is because it’s easy to start with a smoker box and then graduate to a full-size smoker if you want to.
A smoker box is simply a metal grill tray that has been pre-seasoned or seasoned and placed on the grill over the coals. (It doesn’t matter which side of the grill this is placed on; it’s not critical.)
Sembling Your Smoker Box – Offset Smoker
First, you need to assemble the smoker box. The box will come with a cover but it’s not necessary.
To assemble your smoker box, cut a piece of heavy-duty foil large enough to wrap around your box. Place a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil inside your box, overlapping about 1/4-inch on all sides (this will be your smoke shield). Next wrap both ends of your foil with heavy-duty aluminum foil (again, overlapping about 1/4-inch on all sides).
Then place a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil over this smoke shield (again overlapping about 1/4 inch on all sides), then put your lid on top and screw on the handle.
Place the lid in direct contact with coals or heat sources to preheat the smoker box.
Once the box is ready, place your meat and other ingredients on the smoker box. Place your water pan on top of the lid, if you are using one.
Add Some Smoky Flavor To Your Food
The smoker box gives you an easy way to add some smoky flavor to your food without adding tons of smoke.
It’s a great way to add a little bit of smoke to your food while keeping the heat level low enough so that it doesn’t burn your food.
I like using my smoker box for adding just a little bit of smoke flavor to my foods.
Some people like adding a lot more smoke flavor, but I find that the amount of smoke flavor I get from my box is more than enough for me.
If you are looking for something that will give you more of a kick, try using the box on its side or upside down during the cooking process.
You can also use it as an accessory in your chimney starter by placing it on top of the charcoal and stacking charcoal around the bottom and sides to create a makeshift chimney starter.
How To Use a Smoker Box On Charcoal Grill
Box In order to use your smoker box on a charcoal grill, you need to make a few adjustments.
There is no way to adjust the temperature of your box.
The amount of smoke that comes out of your box is controlled by the amount of charcoal you are using and the size of the box. The larger and deeper the box, the more smoky flavor you will get.
A full-sized Weber kettle can produce over 100 square inches of fire space on top of which you can add 2-3 pounds of charcoal. This will give you around 12-15 feet between coals and an air gap that is about 3 inches in height.
Conclusion
There are a few different ways you can use a smoker box on your charcoal grill.
You can use it as a smoker itself, put it on its side or upside down, or use it as an accessory in the chimney starter.
The main advantage of using a box on your charcoal grill is that it will give you more wood smoke flavor than you would get otherwise.
It also has many practical uses such as creating an air gap and providing a place to stack your charcoal.
FAQs
Q: What type of charcoal should I use?
A: You want to use high-quality hardwood charcoal. The higher the quality, the better the heat retention.
Q: How can I get more heat out of my smoker box?
A: You can either put it on its side or upside down. Or you can add a chimney starter to make it more efficient.
Q: Can I use my smoker box with gas grills as well?
A: Yes, but your results will be less than optimal because of the way gas grills work. They do not produce enough heat to properly smoke food.