6
The critical factors in smoking meats are tempera-
ture control, time and smoke.
A door-mounted pit thermometer for the
smoking chamber is provided with the
Stone Age smokers.
Optimal cooking temperatures vary, de-
pending upon the style of cooking desired.
Generally, slow meat smoking should be
performed within the temperature range of
200-250°F. Barbecuing and faster or high-
er-heat smoking should be performed in
the range of 250-350
°
F, and grilling should
be performed in the range of 350-450
°
F, or
higher.
Stone Age smokers are designed to operate
within the 200-450
°
F temperature range.
An internal meat thermometer should be
used to obtain the internal temperatures
shown in Table 3.
Contact with smoke is required to smoke
meat. Items should be placed on the cook-
ing grates so that they will be surrounded
by smoke.
Plan your meals, allowing for the proper
amount of smoking/cooking time. Don’t
fire up the smoker with an unrealistic plan
of serving smoked chicken an hour later.
Smoking takes time, as reflected in Table
3.
Table 3. Smoking Temperature/Time
Type of
Meat
Smoking
Temp. (F)
Typical
Smoking
Time
Internal
Temp. (F)
Sliced
Brisket
230° 1.5
hr./lb. 180°
Pulled
Pork
230° 1.5
hr./lb. 190°
Whole
Chicken
250° 4
hr. 170°
Whole
Turkey
240
°
1.5 hr./lb.
170°
Place drip pans on the shelf below the
smoking chamber of the oven to capture
excess drippings and fat. Maintaining a ½-
inch of water in the pans will also help
prevent drying out of the meat, and will
make clean up easier. You may also add
juice or other non-flammable liquids to the
pans, to add other flavors to your food.
6.0 Cleaning, Inspection and
Maintenance
As is the case with most other equipment, cleanli-
ness is the best maintenance practice and will con-
tribute to many hours of use.
WARNING: Do not clean the oven when it is
hot.
Let the fire and coals completely burn out and
cool before cleaning. It is best to wait until the
next day before removing ashes. Ashes should be
placed in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid,
and removed from all combustible materials,
pending final disposal. If the ashes are disposed of
by burial in soil or otherwise locally dispersed,
they should be retained in the closed container
until all cinders have thoroughly cooled.
Use a wire brush to clean the residue from the
cooking grates after each use.
Spot check the refractory bricks and mortar for
small cracks. It will expand slightly with the heat,
then contract as it cools. Replace refractory bricks
when the cracks open more than ¼”; or when pits
become extensive and deeper than 3/16”; or when
any piece of refractory larger than 2 inches in di-
ameter becomes dislodged.
If creosote has accumulated, it should be removed
to reduce the risk fire.
Keep the oven doors closed when not in use.
