evaporates, quickly check the water level every 30 minutes.
This is entirely precautionary; at the 5/16” setting, water will
last about 70 to 90 minutes. Opening the upper vent will
increase heat production and will lead to faster water
evaporation.
Usually after about 1.5 to 2 hours, smoke production will
decrease. Stirring the coals will usually help increase
smoke production. If this doesn’t work, add more wood to
keep a light blue smoke venting from the dome.
We strongly advise that every hour you tend to the coals.
Open the kettle lid and use the skewer to shift the coals.
This ultimately means a more even and controllable
temperature. The first hour the Smokenator cavity is still
very full, but you knock the ash off the charcoal and keep its
surface area exposed to air. If you have a one touch
system, at about 4 hours, sweep the ash out of the kettle.
This can be done with the lid closed.
Many people worry about lifting the kettle lid and losing
temperature. At the most, the lid is off for only about 2
minutes and dome temperature will recovers in 5 to 10
minutes.
Shorter Cook Times and More Observations in
Temperature Management
If you cook only for a couple hours, closing off the upper
and lower vents will save your unburned charcoal and wood
chunks for the next time.
What to Expect
The Smokenator creates a huge amount of humidity in the
kettle. If you are used to other methods of low and slow