How to use electric smoker?

[guttboy]

Hi Guys...this is WAY off AH stuff but....

I just got a Charbroil electric smoker.  It has a water pan in it and a heating element with an aluminum reflector on the bottom.

HOW the heck do I use this?????

Do I soak the wood chips then sprinkle them around the heating element?

Do I put them in the water container?

I want to be able to smoke fish and meats....

Thanks in advance...would like to put it to use tomorrow!

Ohh any tips for smoking trout would be appreciated since I have a whole freezer full!:D

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by guttboy

Do I soak the wood chips then sprinkle them around the heating element?

You can buy Alder or other flavored chips at any grocery store or Walmart, soak them overnight in a bucket of water first.  Then place the wet chips in the pan and plug in the element beneath.

I want to be able to smoke fish and meats....

Get on the net and do a search for preparing your meats.  Most meats will take 6-12 hours of soaking in a brine or marinade(refrigerated)
Space them out on the rack. The recipes you get on the net will give you the smoking times (Fish smokes relatively fast compared to beef)

I've smoked everything from bait fish (Herring) to cheese, whole turkeys, snake jerky too (not that kind of snake, SOB, settle down big guy)

[guttboy]

Thanks Ripsnort....my only question on that is...

The element has no pan per se...there is an aluminum bowl above the element about 3/4 of an inch...is that where I put the chips....or do I put them on the sheet of aluminum that is 1/2 inch below the element.  That sheet is called in the charbroil manual the "reflective sheet".

Thanks!!!

Im looking forward to the world of SMOKIN'!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards!:D

[SOB]

Originally posted by Ripsnort
I've smoked everything from bait fish (Herring) to cheese, whole turkeys, snake jerky too (not that kind of snake, SOB, settle down big guy)

Mmmmm Jerky.  I'm not sure which I enjoy more...jerky or jerky.

Guttboy, if I were you (and I know this sounds CRAZY!), I'd read the manual all the way through.  RTFM, buddy.    From your description, I'd say that it's likely the aluminum bowl that you'll wanna put the chips into.


SOB

[rpm]

Electric?!? You should use clean burning propane and propane accessories from Strickland Propane.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by guttboy
Thanks Ripsnort....my only question on that is...

The element has no pan per se...there is an aluminum bowl above the element about 3/4 of an inch...is that where I put the chips....or do I put them on the sheet of aluminum that is 1/2 inch below the element.  That sheet is called in the charbroil manual the "reflective sheet".


Regards!:D

Got a pic? Hard to tell by text description...sounds like the alum sheet is a just a "splash" pan and the bowl may be for the chips...(shrugs) Check for the manufacturer online in a google search.

[guttboy]

Read the manual...No help.  Trust me RTFM'd that thing 100 times.  I will try putting the chips in the bowl and see how that works out.

Remember this is my first attempt at smoking things....if I start enjoying it ....which im sure I will....then we can upgrade to another model...but for now this one will do just fine!


Another question....do you always have to "brine" or "marinate" the meats/fish?

Any suggestions on a good book for smoking things?

Thanks again guys!:D

[Ripsnort]

Yes.
What you're doing is perserving the meat in a salt based solution.

I personally like old fashioned Teryaki, Brown sugar and Soy Sauce mix with some fresh ground pepper.

[guttboy]

Rip sounds yummy!

Ok cant get a pic to you however....the manual which is pretty much just an assembly thing says that the bowl is a ...

6 qt water pan...the flat plate near the element is a "reflection plate"....

Ok I am thinking that you dont want water in a smoker right?  So I should be able to put the chips in that pan....question now becomes how will the chips smoke?

Sorry about being a newbie on this one and I appreciate all the help!

Mike

[guttboy]

Next question...if you are going to eat the meat that day...in the case of the trout.....can you smoke without brining?

thanks

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by guttboy
Ok I am thinking that you dont want water in a smoker right?  So I should be able to put the chips in that pan....question now becomes how will the chips smoke?

Mike

Answer was above in my first post

Originally posted by Ripsnort
You can buy Alder or other flavored chips at any grocery store or Walmart, soak them overnight in a bucket of water first. Then place the wet chips in the pan and plug in the element beneath.
[/i]

Yeah,you can smoke fish without brining it, but you probably won't want to smoke meat ever again (tastes...fishy!)  Seriously, brine it first.  6 hours min. for fish, then smoke it.

[guttboy]

HEHE got it!  Will put in the pan.....I guess some trial runs on just doing the chips might be to my advantage....

This is called a Char-Broil H2O electric smoker....

http://www.charbroil.com/smokers/h2o_smokers.asp

That has the details on it.

Any tips on how many chips to use?  Should I wait for smoke before I lay the fish on the grates?  Thanks!

[pugg666]

guttboy

typically you would arrange charcoal around the element, once the coals are red hot and ashed over and the temp inside the smoker is around 220-300 F then you start smokin
you put your soaked wood chips on the coals and add more charcaol and chips as needed.

and yes you do want some water in the smoker, you need a certain amount of humidity when your smoking or it changes the texture and taste of the meat, so ya put some water in the pan.

there are a lot of online resources for smoking, do some searches for slow cooking, smoking and barbequeing.

another thing is get 2 themometres,one to check the the temp of the meat and one to check the temp of the smoker( unless yours has one  already)

and make sure you have a lot of free time when you want to smoke