6
Smoker Assembly
Smoker Arrival
Your Texas Original Pits and Smokers will arrive on a pallet wrapped and held on with banding. Cut
the bands and remove the plastic wrap and foam from the s m o k e r . Remove the smoker from
the pallet. It is recommended that two people remove t h e T.O.P.S. from the pallet due to its
size and weight. Open the cooking chamber and remove the two cooking grates and ash rake. If
your cooker is ordered with options, you will find them packaged inside.
Smoker Placement
All T.O.P. smokers/grills should always be positioned on level-stable ground and never closer than
a minimum of 10 feet away from any combustible surface (wall, rail, fence, bushes, grass, etc.).
Leveling the Smoker
To level the smoker, stand in front of the cooking chamber door and place a level on the lower shelf to
help you level the smoker. You need to level the smoker from front to back and not side to side.
Leveling the smoker from side to side will offset the 5/8” slope that is built in to the smoker for
grease drainage and could cause the grease to run backwards towards the firebox.
Operating the Smoker
Initial Burn Off
Before cooking on your smoker for the first time, burn off the grill to rid it of any foreign matter.
This is also the time you will allow the hi-temp paint to cure properly. Light and operate the grill at 175°F
to 250°F with all options and grates in place with the door closed for two hours. This is also the time
for spraying or brushing oil inside the grill before heating and curing the smoker
Lighting Your Smoker
Always go through the Pre-Grill Checklist (Page 8).
Look at section “How to build a fire” for tips on creating a fire for your smoker.
Pre-Heating When Used As A Smoker
Pre-heating your Texas Original Pits and Smokers is important. Allow 45 minutes to get a coal bed built
and for the steel in the pit to heat up. Once the desired cooking temperature is reached, the pit will
be ready to cook on.
Door Position
Preheat and cooker with the door closed. This allows for faster heat-up and will keep the
cooking temperature even; the food will cook faster while consuming less fuel.
