You want to taste me that smoky flavor that comes from a smoker but you actually do not have a smoker? No worries, because you can get the flavor in a charcoal grill too. Yes it is possible to get the smoky flavor from a charcoal grill but it might not be as intense as a smoker. However, this is the best that you can do in this situation and the food is going to taste absolutely delicious too. Take a look at how you can use a charcoal grill as a smoker.
Smoker vs Charcoal Grill
The main difference that you can find between the smoker and a charcoal grill is that the smoker has fire in a separate space. It makes the heat low enough so that you can cook on slow and low temperatures. The grill is made to cook hot food and at a fast pace over direct heat. However, you can do both fast and slow cooking on a medium charcoal grill. You just need to make the fire sit on any one side of the grill so that you can slow cook your food on the other end of the grill.
What You Will Need?
There are a few things that you are going to need before you can start smoking on the charcoal grill. These are necessary items for the process and it can not be skipped. Take a look at the items that you will need.
- A charcoal grill.
- Hardwood or charcoal.
- A way to light the charcoal. A chimney starter should do fine.
- An oven safe thermometer.
- A water pan.
- A drip pan.
- Your choice of food that you want to smoke.
That's all that you are going to need. Make sure that you have them all within hands reach.
What To Do?
Here you are going to learn how to use the charcoal grill as the smoker. The process can become complicated if you do not follow the steps properly so make sure that you are following them as we have mentioned in the following parts of the article.
Build The Fire
First thing that you need to do is to get the fire going. You know how to build a fire if you are using a charcoal grill. For smoking purposes, you have to build the fire on one side of the grill. Remove the grill grates and make the fire in one half of the grill. If there is any wind then you have to build the fire in the direction of the wind. Build the fire on the windward side also known as the direction in which the wind is blowing. This will help blow the smoke towards the food and not in the opposite direction.
Assemble The Smoker
You will now change your charcoal grill into a smoker. You should start by placing the drip pan on the other side of the grill. There should not be any charcoal under the pan. Place the grill grate back. Then you need to wait a while so that the coal can get burning hot.
When that's achieved, you have to place a water pan directly over the charcoal and fill it up two-thirds with hot water. The hot water will keep the food from going dry by adding moisture to the air. Then place the food on the top of the grill, directly on top of the drip pan. Place the thermometer close to the food and then close the lid of the grill.
Adjust The Vents
Adjusting the vents is always integral part of charcoal grills. You must know about the vents and the use of the vents if you have been using a charcoal grill. However, during the smoking process you need to gave precision in your adjustments because they are going to be important for the food. You should make sure that air is flowing through the charcoal and leaving the charcoal from the top vent. The ideal smoking temperature should be around 110 to 120 degrees Celsius. Try to use the vents to maintain the temperature of the grill around this.
Maintain The Smoker
When the food is being cooked you need to make sure that the lid is closed as much as possible. Many people have the habit of opening the lid again and again when you are grilling but this should not be the case when you are smoking something. Then you also need to keep an eye on the fire. You should always ensure that the temperature of the grill is in the proper range. You should not let it fall too low or go too high because that might ruin the good food. We have already mentioned that the right temperature range is 110 to 120 degrees Celsius.
Conclusion
We hope that now you can use your charcoal grill as your smoker. We have done our very best to include all the important factors and steps that you must be taking on when you are making use of your charcoal grill as your smoker. The sad thing is that many people are unaware of the fact that you can smoke on your charcoal grill in the first place. That makes it easier to make a choice. Anyway, setting aside everything, we do hope that you enjoyed the little tutorial. It is not very hard to smoke on a charcoal grill if you can properly follow the steps. Have a good day guys and happy smoking. Do not forget to share the good food with your friends and family!
