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How Barbecue Smokers Work

For some it's a mystery how barbecue smokers work.

But there's really not much to it Basically they use indirect heat to turn low priced cuts of meat into good eatin'! Low and slow are the watchwords. Low as in low heat. Slow or slow cooked.

But more specifically here's how barbecue smokers work.

First there's your heat source. It could be a fire box that holds the wood, charcoal or whatever. It has no direct contact with the meat. It's simply a source of heat. Ideally you want between 250 to 275 degrees for true smoking.

Then heat and smoke passes over the meat on a rack. That slowly cooks it, imparting flavor as it goes.

Finally the heated air and smoke then leave the smoker thru the exhaust chimney.

Hope that takes the mystery out of how barbecue smokers work exactly.

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Now if you're using charcoal, you'd use soaked hardwood chips to generate authentic barbecue flavor. Wet chips will smolder and smoke - but not burn. Even if sitting directly on the coals. Or you could put them in a smoker box using chips or chunks of cherry, or mesquite, or hickory, or apple.

Regardless of the heat source, with a set up like this barbecue smokers cook the meat indirectly. Instead of placing the meat over the flame and grilling it, it's smoked. See? Or slow cooked to perfection.

Anyway that's it. That's how barbecue smokers work.

Then here's some tips on how to pick barbecue smokers.

how barbecue smokers work