How to get good smoke on a charcoal grill
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 พ.ค. 2019
- Except for the meat, good smoke is the most important ingredient in your BBQ. We give you tips to get good smelling smoke on your bbq using charcoal and wood and avoid some of the common mistakes new pitmasters make. You'll end up with great tasting Barbecue and an amazing smoke ring to prove it. These tips work great with the Slow 'N Sear on the Weber Kettle, but the principles work on any smoker.
I recently made a tri-tip for some friends and they wanted to know what I put on the meat. It was dry brined, with a simple rub, but the smoke is what made it amazing. They couldn't believe it!
To find out more about the ideas presented in the video, checkout AmazingRibs.com:
amazingribs.com/more-techniqu...
Adrenaline BBQ's Premium Salt-Free Rubs:
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Find more info on the Slow 'N Sear here: www.abcbarbecue.com/slow-n-sear
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Good info! Nicely done video! The smoke myth is a big deal, with a lot of people thinking more is better when in all reality, clean smoke is better!
Thanks Tom much appreciated!
SnS Grills hey guys. I’m confused. How can you get a clean smoke throughout if you have wood chunks that will catch during the cook? And what if you continue to add wood chunks during the cook? Won’t this lead to a bad smoke throughout ?
@@danielploy9143 are there any tricks to getting back into the sweet spot faster?
I have found airflow is key. Bottom vent wide open. Also top vent wide open. I honestly don't care too much to manage temp by using the vents, but rather by using less fuel and tending to it throughout the cook by adding more fuel accordingly. That has resulted in much better tasting results for me
If you cook on your Weber long enough, you will find out that all you said in this video is absolutely correct. Thanks for the video.
Much obliged!
yup
This definitely helps out alot. I love your videos. It makes me look like a professional smoker. God bless you all.
Thank you!
Great video Ryan. Lots of great tips. I remember watching an episode of Good Eats back in the day that talked about this Good Smoke topic. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! That was a good episode. I really liked how Alton teaches the science behind why we should do things a certain way.
@@GrillTopExperience Me too. Yeah that was a good one for sure!
Wow! Amazing video! I’m not sure how it took me this long to watch it. Tons of great info here. I am definitely guilty of using too much smoke in the past. A bag of wood chunks last me forever now. I might only get visible smoke the first hour of a cook but I can still smell it for a couple more hours.
Thanks Ryan! Still learning the smoking techniques so this was an awesome 101 to answer the questions I didnt know to ask.
Thanks! We were hoping to save people some trouble. I've made my fair share of bad bbq.
Top video I always pass it on to friends that start smoking. Helped me out also.
Awesome video! Such good info explained simply!
I agree with the dry chunk wood method; I have been doing it this way for years.
Awesome and thanks for watching!
Outstanding production, Ryan!
I think the Weber premium kettle is the most versatile cooker you can buy... well done video I agree with everything you discussed especially the color of the smoke...it’s sad that some people disagree with me on this and prefer a bitter creosote taste😔
Good video! Thanks for the info.
Thanks!
New subscriber here, thank you for the video.
Thank you so much for making this video very step-by-step simple you just taught me good smoke from bad smoke temperatures and everything will be trying this tomorrow making jerk chicken you just got SUBSCRIBED 🇺🇸👍🏾💯😜🙌🏾
Good, and very informative video.
This is so well done and so to the point. Great job! There's no fat to trim off this video ;)
We try to keep these videos as tight as possible. Ryan does great work. Thanks for watching.
You needed to do a better job of explaining the hotter temps in the 1st section, as people may think they cannot get a good, clean, blue smoke at the lower cooking temps of 225-275 for smoking.. the fire itself maybe hotter, but the grill is still in the 225-275 range..
Hmmm I kinda see what you're saying. We'll pin this so others know as well!
@@SnSGrills if I didn't know any better, I would think Ryan was saying you cant get good smoke at the cooking temps that you usually "smoke" at.. That in in order to get "good" smoke I would need to cook at 650f to 750f.. he would just need to explain the the temp inside the grill may be different than the actual fire temp which is higher...
@@FireWaterCooking Did you watch a different video? When did he say anything about that?
@@springram3235 at :58 through 1:45 . he never stated that the temp of the grill will be different than the actual fire. If I was new to smoking I would think I could not get good smoke at 225-275..
Yes. Thank you that confused me but this comment answers my question
Just got a new 26 inch Weber. The larger slow and sear is on my list. You going to make it 2 piece like the 22 inch one some day?
Nice vid, Ryan! Great advice!
Thanks Josh!
Thanks Josh. We were hoping to save a few people from some of the mistakes I've made.
@@GrillTopExperience Mistakes are how we learn! Thanks for the advice!
Thanks for the great video. You mentioned that you like to add the meat on short cooks like chicken while there is still blue smoke in order to get a more smoky flavor. Does that mean you should wait to add the meat on long cooks like ribs until the smoke is almost clear?
Most of the tips here I've heard before, but it's nice to get some emphasis. There are a whole lot of people out there who don't understand good smoke vs bad smoke. I never knew that about celery seed, good info! This guy does a great job. But for some reason, I keep thinking I'm watching Matthew Broderick / Ferris Bueller. :-D
Ryan is a smart guy who makes great videos. We all learn a little something in his videos. Thanks for watching!
“Wooooooo were smokin now boys!!!” Yeah that’s me! Lol 😂
Thanks for watching, Joseph!
I love my S&S xl! I ain’t gunna lie, I wish y’all made one for the PK original tho 😕.
Watched literally hundreds of videos on smoking meat with charcoal on different cookers. Most are all so basic with very little new and often misleading information. This video actually tells you how to create and control the SMOKE! Finally. Liked and subscribed. Thank you.
So if I want to get my wood burning hot for a cleaner smoke, yet cook at 225-250, should I use less charcoal and keep my vents open wider?
Currently I use a 2x2 charcoal snake. Maybe I’ll go to a 2x1 instead... But if I did that, I’d end up lifting the lid more often to add fuel, which is not desirable.
What to do...
Great video, wish I saw this two years ago but good to know I’ve reached the same conclusions independently through trial & error!. I would add i tend to keep my top vent wide open and adjust the bottom to just barely cracked and approach target temp before I start shutting off the top vent
Getting to know your cooker is always a necessity, know how much book smarts you're armed with in the beginning. BS (book smarts) CAN lessen the pain, though. Thanks for watching!
How do you get “good smoke” with the slow n sear, since new coals are continuously lighting during the cook?
So do you add the wood chunks after the charcoal smoke has died off or do you add the wood chunks with the charcoal and then wait for all the smoke to die off ? Is so how is there any smoke flavor from the wood once it’s burned out ? Thanks
Ryan, when loading a Slow & Sear with say 20% lit and 80% unlit charcoal for a low and slow cook, does the unlit charcoal emit unwanted white smoke during the cook when it starts to ignite?
Also, what's the difference in smoke between a kettle and a kamado grill?
This is a really good question that should be answered.
When you first add unlit charcoal to the kettle, you'll notice a lot of white smoke. However, that doesn't happen once the fire gets going and the unlit charcoal in the kettle get's lit. Why? The charcoal in the basket goes through the dehydration process before it lights and is already hot when the flame gets close enough to ignite it. You'll get the white smoke when you add cold charcoal, but not for charcoal that has been sitting in a lit Slow 'N Sear.
@@GrillTopExperience thanks for that answer! Does the same principle apply to the wood if you have a couple chunks on there?
@@stephenramsey2575 bury your chunks under the charcoal that follows the intital dump. Same concept as the charcoal as explained above in that it gives the chunks time to warm up, and thus the desired combustion happens faster, resulting in less time for clean blue smoke to start emiting. You can also warm up chunks by placing on them on top of your kettle before adding to your bed of coals.
Hi how do you use a smoker box box with chips on a weber grill?
With the temperatures needed to produce blue smoke inside a Weber kettle, is it even possible to do a low and slow brisket??
I just went to the website to get a slow and seat and didn’t see one for the 26in Weber. Do y’all make that size?
This is great. You mention the best smoke is done with fire high temps. How does this work when you’re cooking ‘low and slow’ at the 250-275 range, which is typically the ‘smoking temp’? Don’t these two things contradict?
Hello Ryan, thanks for the video. I do have a question though. When I use my Weber kettle to smoke meats that take longer to cook, e.g. pork butts, ribs, etc. No matter what I do, I always get dirty smoke when adding more wood, or refuelling the charcoal basket. I find it kind of contradictory to get the temp to 600+ degrees to fully combust the wood and at the same time maintaining the grill temp at around 250. If you could provide some extra info as to how to refuel the charcoal basket and/or add new pieces of wood while avoiding the generation of dirty smoke, that would be great! Thank you.
1:57 this should be gospel. If smoke smells bad, foods gonna taste bad. If smoke smells good, then WE'RE SMOKING NOW BOYS!!!!!
Yes, such a simple concept, no need to complicate it🔥
Great video. Very informative.
Thanks Chris!
Wait, who is Ryan? He is a natural on camera and this is a great video!
I'm Ryan! I appreciate the support and the feedback, Bruce. I'm pretty sure my neighbors think I'm crazy when I talk to myself in the backyard.
Can you explain further the use of celery seeds? 5:15
Where can I get some consistent 2-3" wood chunks? Love the channel and just got your slow n sear but have only been using wood chips need some chunks to be able to place on the slow n sear. Sorry if this has already been talked about in the thread I haven't found it
I found the chunks at Home Depot (California) next to the chips.
Is it normal to have black smoke coming out when starting up charcoal grill using charcoal chimney?
Nice yard bro.
Thanks, we've had a lot of rain lately and I give a lot of credit to the lady who lived here before me. She picked some good flowers that come back year after year.
Very nice info. Thank you! Smoke on 👉 💨
-Jonathan
Texas 2.5 BBQ Thanks Jonathan!
So the charcoal fire in a Slow N Sear can maintain 650-750* F ( the range stated for clean smoke) and still allow low and slow cooking on the other side of grill?
Yes that's correct. There are many other ways to get clean smoke out of a grill, but the Slow 'N Sear definitely makes it easier and more consistent (in grills that it fits).
@@SnSGrills I just can’t get my 22” to get to 700 degrees. What am I doing wrong? Coals are hot in chimney before I dump them, vents wide open too and bottom. I hear people getting to 700 with half chimney is that possible? Thoughts? Do I need to crack the lid open as well?
Thank you for your advices. Is it possible to get to thin blue smoke while doing the snake method? Wood will start burning in a domino like style, same as the briquettes, which will delay the fully burn of it (?). I usually put the first chunk in the beginning and when I'll get thin blue smoke after like 15 minutes I put the meat. But what if I want to get a second chunk? Till it gets to thin blue smoke 30 or so minutes will pass with bad smoke and the meat inside. Is there a way to avoid it?
Greetings from Greece!
Apparently to avoid the unwanted dirty smoke from the wood, you have to preheat it first, this dehydrates it and won't smoulder which gives you that dirty smoke. It will burn quicker and give that clean smoke when it finally catches from the coal.
Correct me if I'm wrong as I am just reading through the comments to find an answer to this
I am so torn between this setup and the Weber Smokey Mountain. Can this setup maintain a steady sub 225F cooking temperature? If so, how about w/o water?
Sarah Scott yes, I cold smoke salmon at 170 degrees in the Kettle. All you do is use less charcoal and adjust the vents accordingly.
Hmmmm, I was hoping for a bit more explanation on when to finally start cooking and how long it took to finally achieve the clear clean smoke. That’s my dilemma. I’m not sure when to add my protein to the smoker and if I wait 30min to 1hr for clean smoke, will my wood be gone by then?
It's of course a very big topic and hard to cover everything in a short vid. What you're asking is addressed though where we demonstrate the visual and the sniff test. If the smoke is thin blue/clear and it smells like wood is smoking, you have smoke! Trust your eyes and your nose!
One of the great things about cooking with wood and charcoal is there are a lot of variables. The time it takes to get good smoke depends a lot on your fuel, how you light it, and the conditions. It often takes 30 minutes for me to get good smoke out of a kettle. ABC's look and sniff test is a better way to tell.
If you need to top up fuel in a long cook would you remove the meat until the smoke is blue again?
Good question! You don't need to remove the meat, just be quick about topping off so the fire doesn't have a chance to start burning uncontrolled. The quicker you put the lid back on, the less bad smoke you'll have, and it's not a big deal to have a little off smoke when you top off.
UrbanFarmDweller You don’t want your fire to grow/spread when the lid is open. You want a small intense fire, not a large poorly burning fire. If the fire spreads when the lid is open, then you will not have adequate oxygen supply to feed that fire when you close the lid.
Ryan you could read the Phone Book to me and I would be satisfied-Great video!
That's funny! I think I would be pretty good at putting people to sleep ZzZzZz....
This is still clear as mud to me🤨
Just wing it... if it looks like they've announced a new pope, take your meat off and wait for the smoke to thin out.
@@samlewis967 Haaaa!!! Love the analogy! Bravo!
Do you find it better or worse to wet meat with water or olive oil or butter before smoking?
When used as a binder both work. I feel like I get better bark with oil so that's what I use.
Adrenaline Barbecue Company thank you. I’ll stick with oil then.
Does lit/unlit method e.g. minion method create bad smoke?
No a briquet lighting a briguet works the same way as the outside of a briquet lighting the inside of a briquet. It's constant/consistent airflow that keeps the smoke clean.
Nice video. What kind of lid holder do you use @ 2:55?
It comes standard on the newer, larger, Weber grills. Since you can purchase replacement parts, online, you could add one! (If you are handy!)
There's also a hinge that you can install. I have one on my kettle and love it!
👍👍👍
Back at ya!
So do you think it's possible to have clean smoke using the snake minion method?
Absolutely.
I thought good smoke had 5 leaves? Sorry…. Great video brother great information.
What about re-filling the charcoal on longer cooks and your food is still on the grill?
Not an issue if you follow our guidance in the video (keep the lid closed as much as possible, and when open, do so for as little time as possible).
@@SnSGrills thanks mate, I'll rewatch it 🙂
why does the smoke taste much stronger the next day, is it because it’s cold ?
I'm still a little lost, why is it that when going low and slow the new charcoal and wood chunks that burn don't produce heavy white smoke?
I think its because the coals and wood is hot so it burn easier and cleaner rather than just fresh out the bag
love how meatheads article links to this
Almost like it was meant to be🔥
This is not smoking, this is bbq without gas 😂
We disagree.. smoking on a kettle is an art form.. when you do it right it will win awards at any competition, when you do it wrong you will be eating nasty BBQ. You can can't argue smoking on a kettle grill ;)
I always just threw on wood chunks and slapped my meat on when the temp was good xD
We're smoking now boys 😂😂😂😂😂
Is it pointless to smoke all 6 hours on a 6 hour cook or can I call it quits after say 2 or 3 hours?
I love throwing wood in there and smelling the wood burning but I also want to save some money on all this wood I'm burning through...
“Smokin” - Jim Carrey
Anyone have tips for adding more charcoal and wood during long cooks (8hrs or more.) I know the hinged grate is gotta be helpful but how do i add more wood without introducing the acrid compounds that occur while it gets up to temp? Taking the food off the grill and letting it get back up to proper temp doesnt seem like a very good method.
Use smaller chunks or chips and put them in the hottest part of the fire. Or just buy a pellet smoker and not worry about it
Pecan is the best for brisket.
My fav as well!
I like treated pine for brisket. I use plywood for pork though.
Question: it's very hard to keep wood in the burning bush stage on a kettle grill. Im not sure why, perhaps not enough oxygen, perhaps the size of the chunks relative to coal. How do people do it here?
I always end up with smoldering wood which produces tons of billowy white smoke... not the desired thin blue smoke.
With constant airflow the white smoke will eventually dissipate and you’ll be left with blue or even clear smoke (both are good). Air leaks make it difficult to keep the constant airflow needed for clean smoke. Make sure all air is getting in through the intake and out through the exhaust vent. Reach out if you have any other questions🔥
@@SnSGrills oh! I saw your comment and went to try it today! As far as I can tell, the first time, my wood had not gone thru that initial burn, and quickly reducing airflow kept it in this initial smoldering phase that billowed smoke. But today this didn’t seem to happen that much as I torched the wood for longer and put it more in the center of grill and waited longer to finally put the lid on…. Carefully making sure there was still a small flame going on the wood as I put the lid on. Seemed to stop the white billowing smoke that I had last time. But will have to try again to experiment more!
@@SnSGrillsare you the man the myth the legend Ryan?
all that and got the ADVERTIZING in there like a sweet drifting smoke...
Colin Butler Yep! Thanks for watching.
I think an amazing confidence builder for new cooks is the snake method. It's nearly impossible to screw up.
Agreed. And we go over some of the pros and cons of that method Vs the SnS here: th-cam.com/video/yDO9EMRgLws/w-d-xo.html
Well I used the long snake method on my first cook and burned down my neighbors house
What about the snake method were it catches the next brickette and chuck of wood on fire
A briquet lighting a briquet works the same way as the outside of a briquet lighting the inside of a briquet. It's constant/consistent airflow that keeps the smoke clean.
@Flatus Antiquitous the proximity of adjacent charcoals when fire (heat and ignition) is transmitted from one to another is very similar to the proximity of the outer surface transmission of heat/ignition to the inner surface of a briquet in a controlled airflow environment. And the controlled airflow is key. If you have it, there isn't much difference in the outgassing and the resulting smoke.
So what about Harry Soo's emphasis on placing the wood beneath the charcoal to ensure clean smoke and not the smoke you get from open flame due to too much oxygen? Ref: th-cam.com/video/dOctn85Y-nk/w-d-xo.html
With best
So what if I have a pit full of meat and need to throw in another log...what specific instructions do I follow then...
You pull the log from a burn pile so it burns clean from the beginning. Rich my guess is you already knew that though and are taking our video, intended for backyard enthusiasts using charcoal/wood and highly controlled airflow, out of context.
Whoa! ABC for the snark win!
FYI the Sodium Nitrate molecule is the same regardless of the source, whether it`s from celery seed or not.Just say`in.
Yes but when sodium nitrate "fixes" the myoglobin to retain it's pink color that's different than when nitrogen oxide from the smoke "fixes" the myoglobin. Still get what at least looks like a smoke ring either way, and we eat with our eyes, so I say go for it!
Spatchcock those birds!
I knew a lady who used to start her coal with gasoline! Shed pour it out of a cup right into the grill on the coals, i didnt know she did that untill one day she had a lil accident pouring that shit on already lit coal & ended up lighting herself up instead & i asked what happened, she was running around on fire like the stuntman from saving private ryan! Suffered terrible 3 & 2nd degree burns.
Lol looks like you were burning trash on that drum.
i dont get it. how do you know if you have good smoke or to little, it looks the same
@@danielploy9143 my nose must have skipped that day in school cause its doenst know
@@danielploy9143 i think the smell of burning tires and skunk is pleasant. My nose cant be trusted as to what a pleasant smell is. On a more related note, i have never thought the smell of burning wood, any wood, is unpleasant.
Disappointed there was no explanation on method on how to get the slow and sear to clean smoke. This was a generic explanation that would work on my stick burner but no tips on the slow and sear.
Whuh? These tips work GREAT on the Slow 'N Sear. Not sure why you're not seeing that.
You might want to check out the Adrenaline BBQ Company's video on lighting the Slow 'N Sear. If you follow those steps, you'll get good smoke: th-cam.com/video/ABtv2xeV60A/w-d-xo.html
That aint smoking the food. That is smoking yourself up lol
I usually like your videos, but not sure about this one. I also watch Harry Soo’s video on smoke which appears to contradict what you are saying about smoking.
Hmmm I'm not sure about that. What do you feel is a contradiction?
Watch his January 2018 review of smoking a brisket on the Weber Summit. He puts his wood chunks under the coals so they can smolder to create good smoke. You might be saying the same thing, but the two techniques sounded very different to me.
@@rickcormier9160 I've seen that video and Harry and I (Dave here) have talked about his technique. I don't think what we're saying is contradictory. You can get clean smoke using either technique, but we have gone into more detail regarding the whys and hows.
Don’t tell me now something simple as cooking on a BBQ is science
everything is science.
Adrenaline BBQ is WACK!
Back at ya Marcus!
Adrenaline BBQ in my opinion makes everything unnecessarily complicated. I’ve had great results on BBQ in my Kettle without thinking about all these sciency details. BBQ is science but not an exact one. It’s also an art form. There are many ways to get great results.
Just practice and learn from experience. These guys make everything sound as if their way is the only way that works.
Nerd