"smoker box" for grill

J

johnwilliamson062

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Have an amazon card and was sent a sale flyer including this. I have never seen one before. Does anyone know if they work? I have a propane grill already and could even pick up an extra old one REAL cheap(curbside trash day cheap).
No real explanation as to how it works though.
 
Soak a handful of wood chips in water for about an hour. Put the wet chips in the smoker box, and place it directly on the lava rocks, or the flame covers of the grill, directly over the flame. Put your food on the grill, and close the cover.
I usually let the chips start to smoke before throwing the steaks on the grill. Adds a nice smoked flavor to the meat.
Keep in mind that this is not intended to be a real smoker, just a way to add a bit of smoke flavor.
Hope this helps.
 
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ok, so not really a smoker. I can add some ships into the fire or make a real fire to get smoke flavor. A little disappointing. Thank you for the information.
 
I soak my wood chips in apple juice otherwise I do what above poster said. No it does not make it a smoker but imo it really does make a big difference in flavor.
 
I always have a bottle or two of home made wine that doesn't quite do right every year, so instead of pouring them out, I soak some hickory wood in a bowl of the wine for a few days, and use that for the grill. You can whittle some chips off with a pocket knife into a campbells soup can, cut in half, and place it on the coals, and it will send an aroma through the air that will draw every neighbor within a two block area.:D
 
I just soak chips in whatever liquid I want to use and wrap them in aluminum foil. Punch a few holes using a fork or make small knife cuts in the foil. Place package over heated side and you should get ample smoke. You may need to replace the package depending on how long the meat has to cook.
 
They do work

These have been around for a number of years, in various configurations. One of the first, that I can recall, was a cast iron box. Basically the way they work is as Yankee Doodle has described. Their aplication is for use with gas grill and you contain the ash. .. :)

ok, so not really a smoker. I can add some ships into the fire or make a real fire to get smoke flavor.
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Exactly and a little goes a long way, for this purpose. No matter what I'm grilling, I always use a lttle smoke.

Drink half the beer out of two or three cans fill them full of chips, and tada instant smoker boxes.
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Good idea but I don't want to waste the beer. As an alternative, I have cut a large coffee can in half, punched some small holes in the bottom, lay my bark chips on the bottom and set to one side of my burner. I mostly use soaked hickory bark and hard to fit into an empty beer can. Eventually the can will rust out but just cut a new one. .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Please excuse my ignorance. While I love hickory smoked food, I have no idea what a hickory tree looks like. I have about 100 acres of woods to look through. Would someone please tell how to identify hickory?

-- describe leaves, bark and size of full grown trees, please. :confused:
 
Shag-Bark

What I mainly use, is what is known as Shag-Bark Hickory. Not at all hard to spot as it's outer bark will be hanging loose and partially litering the ground. ..... :)

I know of four kinds of Hickory; Mockernut, Pignut, Shagbark and Bitternut.
In your part of the country, you are likey to run into all four. The make-up and configuration of the leaf, is important. You basically have a stem with individual leaves along it's run and a cluster of three at the end. Oh yes, they all produce nuts, like the Pecan. ... ;)

Also, keep in mind that you can smoke with just about any wood. It's just that there are some, better than others. I have also used apple, pear and peach. It comes down mostly to what is regional .... ;)




Be Safe !!!
 
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Metal box is a little thick which would make it slow to heat up I would suspect. Try reading Amazon's Customers Reviews for more information on your Smoker Box would be a good suggestion. I use commercial heavy duty aluminum foil bought from Sams Club. Been working good for me over the years. Doubled up it never burns up or melts when laid on my grills porous lava rock while folded around wet wood chips. Poke a couple small holes on the up side of the foil and my Goodness does it make smoke.
 
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I've been making aluminum foil pouches for a while with good results on ribs. I bought a smoker box the other day and will give it a try the next time on ribs. It never dawned on me to use it on steaks like one poster suggested. I'll give it a try tonight:D
 
Can't speak on the smoker box but can on the commercial heavy duty aluminum foil SSM speaks of...and it works well.

It never dawned on me to use it on steaks like one poster suggested. I'll give it a try tonight
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mquail,

Also try it with pork, chicken and fish. Again, don't know about the smoker box but the foil approach SSM posted about works wonders on some nice,fresh salmon fillets laying in a bed of lemon,onion and tomato wedges with a bit of fresh garlic,butter and beer added. ;)
 
Please excuse my ignorance. While I love hickory smoked food, I have no idea what a hickory tree looks like. I have about 100 acres of woods to look through. Would someone please tell how to identify hickory?

-- describe leaves, bark and size of full grown trees, please.
__________________
Jim Page

Jim- I cant describe the leraves but a 'shagbark hickory is just that. The bark is really 'loose' and can be peeled off a tree easily.

Google it and there will probably be pictures.

PS see post #14 above.
 
langenc,

Not trying to be a wise-guy but if you GOOGLE Hickory tree pics., you'll see them and get a better idea rather then someone trying to explain them.
 
mquail,

Also try it with pork, chicken and fish. Again, don't know about the smoker box but the foil approach SSM posted about works wonders on some nice,fresh salmon fillets laying in a bed of lemon,onion and tomato wedges with a bit of fresh garlic,butter and beer added.
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Thanks I will. I did the smoker box with some burgers and wasn't as pleased as if I'd used the foil but this was only a first try so one musn't jump to conclusions. I never got it to smoking like the foil pouches do but, again, it could have been just me being a bit too eager.

Thanks again
 
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