If you're just starting out with smoking, you'd do well to consider a charcoal water smoker--sometimes called a bullet smoker. Shaped like an upright bullet (hence the nickname), the water smoker is simple to operate, but serious enough for competition cooks, who often employ these hard-working cookers in multiple units.
The water smoker has a small footprint (about the size of a kettle grill)--an advantage for people with limited deck or patio space. The unique design and thermodynamics almost guarantee a consistent temperature of 225 to 250 degrees. One of the key attributes of this smoker--the water pan--keeps food moist, even after 8 or 10 hours of smoking. And the tri-part construction makes it easy to add charcoal and wood to the fire and access the meat.
Here are some of my tips, tweaks, and work-arounds for using charcoal water smokers:
- Use natural lump charcoal, not briquettes. That way, you can add fresh coals without pre-lighting them. Leave the access door open for 5 minutes to let the air ignite the coals. If you use briquettes, pre-light them in a chimney starter to burn off the chemical aroma.
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Steven Raichlen is the author of the Barbecue! Bible cookbook series and the host of Primal Grill on PBS. His web site is BarbecueBible.com.