Despite being a pellet smoker, sometimes you have to use a smoker tube, but how to use a pellet smoker tube.
The Pellet smoker is a feature-rich advanced BBQ unit that’s hard to beat. This is a great machine that is one of the best options for low and slow-cooking barbecue.
But sometimes it’s hard to match the deep smoke flavor with it. As much as it is obtained from wood or coal. You need to pay more attention, especially with larger pieces of meat like pork butt and brisket.
This was written specifically for those who want to learn how to use this cheap bbq tools with their pellet grill. It’s the cutest way to add extra smoke flavor to your food.
How To Use a Pellet Smoker Tube
Pellet grill smokers process food by pre-igniting wood pellets. Pellet grills specialize in imparting a mild, subtle smoky flavor to food. But if you want to enhance the smoky flavor further, a smoke tube is a cheap, reliable, and easy way to go.
Preparing a smoke tube is simple and be sure to preheat it before placing it in the pellet grill.
You can use the smoke tube at any time during cooking, but for best results, you should attach it at the very beginning of cooking.
- Make sure your smoker tube is clean and dry.
- Add the best wood pellets of your flavored choice to the smoking tube.
- Place the tube on the grill grates and light one side of the tube until a nice flame comes through.
- Let the fire burn for about 10 minutes so that the pellets are properly ignited.
- Switch off the flame after 15 minutes. Smoke will now come out of the smoker tube.
- Put your food on the grill and smoke your dish.
Important Tip; Make sure there is adequate airflow in the cooking chamber or the pellets will stop smoking. If you don’t see smoke, try opening the lid of the grill and moving the tube closer to the air, and make sure the pellets are still burning on their own 10 to 15 minutes after starting the fire.
What is a smoker tube?
A smoker’s tube is a perforated metal box, available in hexagon, round and square shapes, into which wood chips or pellets are placed to produce smoke.
The smoker tube is constructed with a heavy-duty stainless steel coating for long-lasting smoke. Now you don’t need to just keep refueling.
You can use a gas grill, electric grill, or in this case a smoke tube to smoke, so you can get more smoke flavor out of your pellet grill.
Check out our guide to the best cold smoke generators to learn more.
How does a smoke tube work in a pellet grill?
To generate additional smoke, fill the smoker tube with your favorite wood pellets and light them. You can even use the same pellets that are being used in the grill’s hopper. You are recommended to choose either Mesquite or Hickory
Once you get a clean and nice flame, switch off the flame and a good amount of smoke will start coming out from the pellets.
The smoker box continues to smoke until all pellets have completed their course – usually about 5 to 6 hours in a 12″ smoker tube.
It will fill your cooking chamber with clean smoke, while also infusing your food with the deepest flavor you can get from a grill alone.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Smoking Tube
Any invention has both merits and demerits and the smoke tube also has both. Know about its pros and cons before using it.
Pros
- Burns slowly for long cooking sessions
- Easily mix and match wood smoke flavors
- The cheapest way to add smoke flavor to your foods
- Excellent portability for use anywhere including camping or road trips
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Being made of thin metal, it wears easily with heavy use.
- Wood chips or pellets have to be refilled after 4-5 hours to produce more smoke.
Final Verdict
While a pellet grill is a great BBQ unit, using a smoker tube is an easy and convenient way to add a deep smoky flavor.
If you want the taste of smoking but already have a grill, you don’t need to buy an inexpensive smoker. Throw a good quality smoke tube filled with your favorite wood chips or pellets onto the grates and let it add all the smoke flavor.
Have you used a smoking tube before? Let us know how it worked for you or not.