Cooking Tip:
Line the water tray with aluminum
foil before each use. This will make
it easy to clean and help your water
tray last longer.
To make adding water easier and
safer, use a clean watering can with a
long spout.
Cooking Tip - Damper Adjustment:
• While making adjustments, open
door enough to view the flame.
• For better performance, rotate the
smoker to where the front or back
of the cabinet is facing the wind.
This allows the adjustment of the
dampers to be more effective and
accurate.
• The dampers should never be fully
closed.
• Opening a side damper allows more
oxygen to be consumed by the fire,
fueling the flames and causing an
increase in temperature.
• Opening the top damper helps to
exhaust both the heat and smoke.
• The key to effective smoking is to
watch your heat indicator on the
door and adjust the dampers
accordingly. Temperature is best
controlled by different damper
adjustment configurations.
Care and Maintenance
IMPORTANT:
Before each use, clean and
inspect the hose and the connection to
the LP cylinder. If there is evidence of
abrasion, wear, cuts or leaks, the hose
must be replaced before the smoker is
used. Refer to the “leak test” instructions
in the LP Tank connection portion of
this manual. See rating sticker on side of
appliance for regulator model number
CAUTION:
All care and maintenance
procedures are to be performed only
while the smoker is turned off and
cooled.
Keep appliance area clear and free from
combustible materials, gasoline and other
flammable vapors and liquids.
Do not obstruct the flow of combustion
and ventilation air by covering air
openings on side of burner housing or
completely closing the air vents.
Clean the water tray and cooking grids
with hot, soapy water. Rinse and dry
thoroughly. Coat the water bowl and
cooking grids lightly with cooking oil or
cooking spray.
Frequently check and clean the venturi
and burner for insects and insect nests. A
clogged tube can lead to fire outside the
smoker. Also make sure the smoker does
not have any foreign objects obstructing
the flow of combustion and ventilation
air.
To clean the inside and outside of
the smoker, simply use a damp cloth.
Spray-washing with a water hose is not
recommended. All moisture should be
wiped away and not allowed to stand
inside or on top of the smoker. Carefully
remove the grease pan, dispose the
grease, and wash thoroughly. Once
cleaned, you may prefer to lightly coat
the interior of the smoker with cooking
oil of cooking spray.
If rust is present on the exterior surface of
the smoker, clean the area with steel wool
or emery cloth and use heavy duty, heat
resistant paint.
Never apply additional paint to the
interior of the smoker. If rust is present
on the interior of the smoker, clean it
thoroughly with steel wool or emery
cloth and lightly coat the area with
cooking oil or cooking spray to help
minimize recurring rust.
When an LP tank is not connected, and
to help prevent dirt or other foreign
particles from clogging the HVR, hang the
end of the HVR hose from the side handle
using the supplied S-hook.
Inspect the flame at the burner. A good
flame should be blue with yellow tip 1”
to 2” in length. If flames are excessively
yellow and irregular, oil residue and food
deposits may be collecting on the burner.
Try cleaning the burner surface and the
holes to improve the flames. Bad flames
may also be caused by poor HVR-to-
venturi attachment.
To protect your smoker from weather,
always keep your smoker covered while
not in use.
Long-nose Gas Match Lighting
1. Repeat steps 1 thru 5 of the Ignitor
Procedures above.
2. Remove the Wood Chip Tray from
inside the smoker. Insert a long nose gas
lighter next to the burner drum, making
sure it sits over the burner. Quickly turn
the control knob to the light position. If
the burner does not light within 4 or 5
seconds, turn the control knob off, wait 5
minutes, and repeat the process.
Shutting the Smoker Off
CAUTION
: The smoker can become
very hot while in use. Do not touch any
portion of the smoker except for the door
handle and burner control knob. It may
be necessary to use protective gloves.
Turn the burner control knob off by
pushing in and rotating clockwise. The
burner flame should then go out. Turn off
the LP cylinder valve by turning the knob
clockwise until it stops.
Following all warnings and safety
precautions before removing meat from
the smoker or preparing the unit for
storage. Follow instructions in this manual
for proper storage procedures and the
important warnings and safeguards on
pages.
Burner Flame Check
• Light burner; rotate knob(s) from HIGH
to LOW. You should see a smaller flame
in LOW position than seen on HIGH.
Always check flame prior to each use. A
blue flame with little or no yellow flame
provides the best heat. If you have a
yellow flame clean the unit following the
Cleaning instructions on the back of this
instruction manual.
If the flame is accidentally extinguished,
turn the appliance off and wait 5 minutes
before attempting to ignite.
Cooking Instructions
Fill the wood chip box with flavoring
wood chips and place the box inside the
smoker as instructed in the assembly
section of this manual. Refer to the
section that explains flavoring wood for
recommended use of flavoring wood.
Place the water tray inside the smoker
in the lowest rack position as explained
in the assembly section of this manual.
Carefully fill the water tray with water or
marinade up to 1 inch below the rim.
A full tray will last for approximately 2-3
hours. Do not overfill or allow water to
overflow from the water tray.
You are now ready to light the burner.
Refer to the Lighting Procedure on the
previous pages of this manual. The heat
from the burner will allow the wood chips
to burn, causing the flavoring smoke
to accumulate. Adjust the dampers to
control the heat.
Place the food on the cooking grids in
a single layer with space between each
piece. This will allow smoke and hot
moisture to circulate evenly around all
the food pieces.
Smoking for 2 to 3 hours at the ideal
constant cooking temperature of 200°F
to 225°F will get the best results. This
temperature is according to the heat
indicator mounted on the front of the
smoker. For more tender and heavily
smoked meat, a lower temperature may
be preferred. If time is critical, a higher
temperature range is recommended.
Check water level periodically and add
water if low. For best results and to
retain heat, avoid opening the door of
the smoker while in use. When the door
must be opened, only open it briefly.
The smoker will quickly resume cooking
temperature after the door is closed.
Always use a meat probe thermometer
to ensure food is fully cooked before
removing it from the smoker.
After each use, and after the smoker is
cooled, carefully remove the grease pan
from the bottom of the smoker, empty
the grease, and clean the grease pan.
Ideas For Wood/Meat Combinations:
Fish:
Alder
Cherry
Cedar
Pork:
Apple
Mesquite Cherry Oak
Maple
Peach
Pecan
Beef:
Hickory Mesquite Pecan Cherry
Poultry:
Alder
Oak
Maple Peach
Cooking Tip - Flavoring Wood:
• Medium-large wood chips work best
inside the wood chip box.
• Use dry hardwoods such as hickory,
pecan, apple, cherry or mesquite.
• Most fruit or nut tree woods produce
excellent smoking flavoring.
• Do not use resinous woods such as pine
or plywood. These usually produce
unpleasant flavoring.
• Let your taste be your guide -
experiment with different types and
quantities of wood chunks, chips or
sticks. You can even mix woods.
• To produce more smoke and to prevent
fast burning, pre-soak the wood chips in
a separate bowl of water for at least 30
minutes. To extend the chip burning
time, cover the chip tray with aluminum
foil. Pierce several holes throughout the
foil to allow smoke to escape.
• Most smoke flavoring occurs within the
first hour of cooking. Adding wood chips
after the first hour is typically not
necessary unless extra flavoring is
desired.
Low Temperature Smoking:
• When smoking at low temperatures for
jerky of fish, use a tuna can or tin foil to
place the chips in and set directly over
the burner. You will need to soak the
chips and cover with foil to keep from
burning.
• Use wood shavings instead of chips or
chunks. Leave door open and turn on
high for several minutes until chips
begin to smoke. Then turn down to
cooking temperature.
This may have to be repeated several
times during the cooking process in
order to keep the shavings smoking.
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