Smoker Temperature Control – Controlling Smoker Temp Tips
How to control your smoker temperature when your smoking and cooking barbecue. Simple tips and information about how to control the air flow into your smoker – and how that effects your smoker and your cooking process. Regardless of what type of smoker or grill you use, these tips will improve your ability to control your smoker temps. Malcom Reed Connect on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Find me on Google+ Follow me on Instagram
Smoker Temperature ControlHave a Question About This Recipe?
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Malcom,
Thanks for all the great info. The one that answers question about pit temperature was very helpful. Up here in the cold north the outside air temp can raise cane with temps. Just another thing to practice up on. I use a wind shield to protect the pit from cold winter winds. I cook out on the grill and smoker in “almost” all weather. Thanks again looking forward to more recipes from you. Those Memphis Ribs are the best!!
Tom Albrecht
Greenfield, Wisconsin
How do you know what the temperature is in your pit?
jm
You can always go buy a cheap oven thermometer and sit it on your grate.
Malcom, I’m a disabled veteran who loves to bbq. I have really learned a lot from you. Thank you for your videos, recipes, and advice. Hopefully one day I can have a real smoker and even a good thermometer…lol but you have taught me how to use with what I’ve got. When brisket reaches the stall point do you recommend wrapping it in foil? Thank you sir.
SGT. T
TEXAS
You can wrap it, it will shorten the stall time. I’ve gotten really great results using butcher paper to wrap my briskets – so I recommend giving that a try.
Hey Malcom,
Will the white butcher paper work as well as the red? I can’t seem to find it…
No, white butcher paper has been bleached or treated – you want to use a natural untreated paper.
Malcom,
I’m using your BBQ dry rub for the first time. A friend of mine told me that’s the only seasoning he use. I’m smoking a 13 lb boneless pork loin. I have the pink butcher paper. Do you think that’ll be better then foil?
I don’t wrap pork loin – https://howtobbqright.com/2017/05/15/smoked-lemon-pepper-pork-loin/
You can get red butcher paper from AMAZON.
Thanks, Malcom sharing this good information about the smoker. You also attached the best video. This video gives the best info practically. I need information about best pellet smoker for the money. Thanks again.
I have found Malcom’s videos to be an excellent resource in taking my BBQ smoker skills to the next level. Your ideas and recommendations work and even though I have been cooking for years I continue to learn a lot. Thanks for making these instructions available and I appreciate your passion to this great southern pastime!
Hi Malcom – inspired by your videos I got myself a monolith kamado grill. Currently halfway through smoking my first pieces of meat, 2 whole chickens. Do you have any tips to lower temperature in the pit? finding it very easy to come up to temp but harder to lower once I am too hot.
thanks in advance
Sam D
London.
yeah – check this out https://howtobbqright.com/2017/05/24/smoker-temperature-control/
Malcome what size vortex for the Large By Green Egg?
Here is a chart: https://howtobbqright.myshopify.com/pages/vortex
Malcom,
Absolutely love your videos. I have been serious about bbq for the last 10 years, and have learned a bunch from you.
It surprises me in Michigan, while cooking in February, that single digit outside temps, don’t impact the grill too much. The wind is what I find the most challenging when trying to manage the fire in my stick burner.
Mike Hager
Howell Michigan
hello
Malcom when I add unlit charcoal to my smoker in the middle of a smoke. I am getting a good quantity of white smoke after I add unlit briquettes until they are lit. I have the air intake/exhaust wide open but am concerned that this is hurting my meat.
Is this normal? If not is there something I can do to fix it? Switching to lump charcoal, lighting the briquettes before adding to the fire box, etc?
Thanks,
you can always preburn the charcoal then add the hot coals to the fire. You’ll end up burning way more charcoal in the long run but it will fix the smoke problem.
I have watched several of your videos. I have a stand up box smoker. I am getting better at regulating the temp in the smoker. I am still having problem with the meat temp. It stalls out and never really gets to the 195 temp. So the shoulder is brought in and finished in the slow cooker. I can not figure how to get the temperature correct. Smoker runs between 225 and 250.
All big cuts are going to stall out around 160 internal…. just keep cooking and let it do it’s thing.
On all of your videos I don’t see you putting lighter fluid on your charcoal. Is it not necessary?
I don’t have any lighter fluid at my house. I use paper, wax cubes or tumbleweeds
Hi – please forgive the dumbness of this question but i just don’t get it… I have a weber kettle. on the lid the temp gauge is on one side and the exhaust is opposite. When i set up a two zone with wood chucks on the coals i have the exhaust over the meat on the cool side so the heat comes up and takes the smoke over the meat and up out the exhaust. trouble is when i do that the temp gauge is directly over the coals which gives an inaccurate reading because in is over direct heat and where the meat is is much cooler – what am i missing ??? apologies again for this dumb question !!!
Darren, I have the same grill/smoker. I have purchased a Bluetooth thermometer, Grill Eye, that has probes you can clamp to the grill grates and insert into food. I usually clamp one probe about 2” away from the meat and I feel like it gives an accurate grate temp.
Awesome info on how to control the temp when smoking. Thank you
Malcom – Long time watcher here.
Question: I notice that you only add a small amount of wood to your charcoal once you start the smoke process. I find myself using 12″ to 16″ split logs for my smoke. Am I over doing it?
Also, once you wrap, what fuel are you using to keep the smoker to temp? Charcoal, wood, etc.?
Malcom, I am using pecan chips in my Pit Boss propane smoker, do you recommend soaking the chips or not? Also do you ever use the water pan?
Malcom, do you recommend soaking wood chips for smoking and do you use the water pan? Thanks