A Look At Bbq Smoke Generators

By Author: nicksmith
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Let’s take a look at some of the BBQ smoke generators available to us today. All BBQ smoke generators have one purpose in mind and that is to supply real wood smoke to the food being cooked on a BBQ grill or inside a BBQ smoker.

The simplest BBQ smoke generator is the traditional aluminum foil tray, filled with wood chips and exposed to extreme heat. As most people who have tried this BBQ smoke generator know, it is at best a pathetic excuse for a smoke generator. The reason is that the wood chips all smoke at one time thus giving a short burst of smoke and then none. When the wood chips are soaked in water before using the smoke seems to last longer but most of this smoke is nothing more than steam from the water evaporating and steam is not a good friend to smoking food. This basic structure has given rise to many BBQ products called Grill Top Smoke Boxes. These are nothing more than more permanent versions of the aluminum foil tray which are sold to the public. They are just a metal tray that is filled with wood chips and placed in a hot spot inside the BBQ grill.

Another type of BBQ Smoke Generator ...
... /b> is the detached smoke box. This is a box that is remote from the actual BBQ grill or smoker. Typically it is a metal box that is filled with smoldering wood and the smoke from this wood is routed into the area where the food is being cooked. This method is a very functional smoke generator because the smoke lasts much longer and it does not contribute excessive heat to the food being smoked. This method has been used for years in one form or another to supply smoke to the early smokehouses. A newer and more advanced version of this BBQ smoke generator is now available in a product called a SmokePistol®.(www.smokepistol.com) This patented little device uses an electrical air source to gently supply air to the smoldering wood and this results in lots of smoke coming out while very little wood is consumed. As a result, this smoke generator can deliver smoke constantly for several hours on very little wood. The little gadget also has a control knob on it to control the amount of smoke being delivered into the smoker which is probably the most important thing in smoking food.

One of the simplest and most clever BBQ smoke generators available today is a little device called a GrillKicker. This little unit is just a holder for wood cartridges. When the cartridges are lit with a match they give off real wood smoke for about ½ hour. A new cartridge can be placed into the holder and the smoke goes on. While it does not deliver as much smoke as the SmokePistol smoke generator it is a great little smoke generator for your BBQ.

Regardless of the type of BBQ smoke generator used the idea is the same. You want a smoke generator that will deliver enough smoke and that smoke should be continuous over an extended period of time.

For more information about BBQ Smokers, please visit www.outcookerproducts.com