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Re: ADD CHARCOAL AND LIT PROPANE, BUT CAN'T GET...
This is a smoker and typically they you dont want it that hot unless it is stated otherwise in the manual. Smokng is an art, and requires patience. You should be smoking most thing for a whole day, if not days.
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Here's the secret. You want to get a digital thermometer with a remote you can keep in the house that reads the air temp and meat temp of the inside of the grill so you can monitor the temps. All you care about is getting the meat's internal temp to 175F and keeping it exactly on that number. When the meat first goes in you can have the air temp around 400f but over the next 2 hours gradually lower it. You can do this in 2 steps to save yourself too much effort. As the meat's internal temp reaches 150F you need to get the air temp in the smoker to 225-250 and keep it there until the meat reaches 175. That is the temp at which the connective tissue in the meat breaks down and gives it that "falling off the bone" quality we all love. Keep the meat's internal temp at 175F until it reaches the desired tenderness. If you do that you're friends will all envy you're smoker skills. Trust me you will be amazed. Now for the vents. It's very simple, Once the coals are good and hot (they should be ash colored) then add a chunk of hickory or applewood. You can buy it at the grocery store in chunks where they sell charcoal. The set the intake vent on the bottom of the fire box to about one and a quarter inches open. Then set the chimney vent so it's only open about the width of a standard pencil. The wood will start to smoke almost immediately. Once it stops add about 8-9 more lumps of charcoal and one more lump of hardwood and just keep an eye on it. After the meat reaches the desired color and looks really savory and covered in smoke then wrap it in foil and finish it in the oven at the temps I mentioned earlier. That way you can really regulate the temp evenly and get perfectly tender smoked meat. Good Luck!
Did it come with any sort of manual? That is probably the best way to start. If you haven't done it yet, hook up the propane tank to the hoses on the grill. I would say that the rack under the grill is for storing the propane tank and bags of charcoal or wood. Of course, the knobs are for turning the gas on and off. In between the left most knob and the one to it's right, there is an ignition switch type button, you press it when you have the gas turned on and with a lighter, you ignite the propane. Do NOT turn the gas all the way up before it is lit though, that is a sure way to burn some hair off or actually do some serious harm to yourself. In the charcoal section, you put maybe three inches of charcoal in the bottom of the cylinder. Use some paper or dry pine straw as extra fuel to get the charcoal started. Put a bit of lighter fluid on the charcoal then drop a match on it. I'm not too familiar with fire boxes, but from what I see, you need to use wood in the bottom of it. I can't see under the fire box, but you probably can dump the ashes out after you're finished with it. Start a fire with the wood and cook your food. If I may add a suggestion about cooking with wood, don't use nasty old rotten wood to do it. Cut some good smelling wood and let it sit for a while before you burn it. It will imbue the food with a good smell and taste. Other than that, it is up to you to learn to use your new grill. Good Luck.
Somtimes using a charcoal grill can be tricky...are your charcoal briquetts fully lit and ashed over before yo start cooking...if so..the next trick is to get a good "draw" so the grill operates properly...you have to get air in the grill thru the botom vent and out te grill thru the lid vent at just the right rate to get a nice stream of smoke thru the lid vent without flaming up under the food.You have to make sure that you have the bottom vent partially opened to allow air to flow thru...remember air in thru the bottom and out thru the top....also try to use a good quality charcoal such as "Kingsford" because they burn longer than any I've ever used....It's a trial and error thing.....PS....don't try to relight by squirting starter fluid...This is very dangerous.... hope this was helpful..
Typically there is a safety device directly above the pilot light that must be up to temp for the gas to flow. You did not specify if the pilot is lit. If not, hold the lighter at the pilot light while depressing the button for one minute. This allows the sensor to warm to operating temp, thus allowing gas flow. Once pilot is lit adjust the temperature accordingly.
Somtimes using a charcoal grill can be tricky...are your charcoal briquetts fully lit and ashed over before yo start cooking...if so..the next trick is to get a good "draw" so the grill operates properly...you have to get air in the grill thru the botom vent and out te grill thru the lid vent at just the right rate to get a nice stream of smoke thru the lid vent without flaming up under the food.You have to make sure that you have the bottom vent partially opened to allow air to flow thru...remember air in thru the bottom and out thru the top....also try to use a good quality charcoal such as "Kingsford" because they burn longer than any I've ever used....It's a trial and error thing.....PS....don't try to relight by squirting starter fluid...This is very dangerous.... hope this was helpful..
Hi, I'm a smoker expert having entered in competitions. Thermometers built into the lid are inaccurate because you want to measure the temperature at the same level the meat is at. Heat will rise and will give you a false reading at the top of the lid. Get a digital thermometer that has a cable and a probe on the end. Cut a small potato in half and stick the probe through it so the point exits the potato and is balanced when it sits on the grill. Then run the cable outside to your thermometer. Shade the thermometer from bright sunlight. If you don't want to do this you can simply get a regular thermometer that will measure at least to 225 or more. Stick the thermometer in the top vent of the smoker or if there is no vent just drill a small hole in the lid. Put the thermometer through the vent or hole in the lid and add 10-15 degrees to allow for heat buildup. Example 240 degree thermometer temp will be about 225 at meat level. You may have to experiment with these readings. Happy smoking! Go to my favorite website for smoking.....Google search " Virtual Bullet" and you should be at the Weber Bullet site. Hank
Open the bottom vent, open the top vent. Start your charcoal in a chimney starter (my favorite way). Dump in the burning charcoal. Wipe down grill grate with canola or other high temp oil. Place grate on grill, cover, set top and bottom vents to desired temp. Cook food. Cleanup.
Make sure the vents are open both on the side and chimney. If you are using as bbq light fire in the large section.The small section is for cold smoking as the heat sorce is further away. I have a brinkman myself and use it regular for smoking mackerel but have only have the large section and not the add on small box. Start as a normal bbq with bricket coals and bbq lighter fluid with both vents open. Leave for twenty mins to become ash covered this eliminates oil taste in food as it is burnt off before food is put in.Then put in oak chippings or beech, hickory,or as I find a mixture of apple and oak to be the best I use strips of wet toweling to put around main lid when closed keeping more smoke in the main box.Keep main vent half open on the left of drum and regulate air flow from vent on chimny stack only open half inch or so.If you want to get a heat bust open lid and put over coals shavings rather than woodchips this will egnite an as soon as it does shut lid down again and watch temp rise. Mine goes upto 3oo deg and settles at about 250 deg. Repeat shavings every ten mins or so to keep temps up.Fish is done perfect in about 45 mins
The problem is that you are not getting enough air into the smoker. What you need to do is drill some holes along the bottom of the smoker to let more air in. This is a notorious problem with that smoker
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