THE BOOK OF SMOKE
"I want more smoke. How do I get more smoke?" You've come to the right place. *Cue the fans and the smoke machines because we're about to rock your world.* In the Book of Smoke you'll learn about all the fuel sources and add-ons that will help you achieve the smoke flavor you're looking for. Whether it's fine tuning your Premium Hardwood Pellet flavors, purchasing a Woodwind Pro with Smoke Box or simply adding a Smoke Tube to the mix, we've got what you need.
Browse our selection of BBQ hardwood flavors of pellets, wood chips, and wood chunks to smother the burning desire for more smoke once and for all.
Chapter Links
HARDWOOD PELLETS
Do you know how hardwood pellets get from the bag to your meal? After dumping your pellets into the hopper and selecting FEED mode, the auger begins to rotate. Pellets are fed through the tube and into a burn pot where they are ignited ever so slightly. A fan begins to circulate and the ignited pellets begin to smoldering and burn—thus producing heat and smoke. Our Guide to Smoking Pellets gives you a deep dive into why you should choose Camp Chef pellets.
You bought a pellet grill or smoker for a reason—for more flavor. It offers an end result that a charcoal or gas grill just can't deliver on. But now we enter the the fun part—pairing your pellets with the meal you're cooking on the grill. Similar to wine pairings! The "flavor" of the pellets has less to do with the actual flavor of the wood and more to do with the strength of the smoke flavor you get from burning it. From fruity to traditional to Charcoal inclusions—if your pellet grill is powered by hardwood pellets then you're going to taste it.
WOOD CHIPS
Burning faster than their sibling counter parts, wood chunks, wood chips are best for quick smokes. A mere handful may burn up in your Smoke Box within 10 - 20 minutes. But if you're looking to tinker and introduce new flavors throughout the cook a handful here and there will provide much amusement. If you'd rather keep the tediousness to a minimum check out the wood chunks.
PRO TIP: Soak your wood chips in water for a 30 - 60 minutes. Be sure to drain well and pat dry. This will prolong the cook and allow them to smolder. Moisture keeps combustion levels down, but can also produce not clean smoke.
WOOD CHUNKS
As stated above, for longer cooks, wood chunks will make the most sense. They won't burn up as fast as wood chips by smoldering slower. Run your grill as usual by filling your hopper up with hardwood pellets, THEN add wood chunks to your Smoke Box. Strategically use the damper value to control air flow and you'll be cooking like a pit master.
SMOKE NUMBER
When we released our WIFI controllers we also released the ability to adjust your Smoke Number. Set your Smoke Number from 1 - 10 on the controller or the Camp Chef Connect app. Your pellets will begin to smolder instead of burn, causing minor temperature fluctuations. And, as your smoke number increases your smoke output increases. Adding the ability to tailor a Smoke Number to your cook is just one of the many ways Camp Chef allows you to add more smoke flavor.
COLD SMOKING
Cold smoking is the smoking or curing of foods at a lower temp. When cold smoking you'll need to pay attention to a couple of things throughout the process—keeping your base going and s the color of the smoke. When it comes to Camp Chef grills, all of them have the ability to cold smoke by using the Smoke Tube (sold separately.) If you have an XLL Pro or Woodwind Pro you can follow our step-by-step tutorial on cold smoking with the Smoke Box.
As stated above, the Smoke Tube as the ability to cold smoke, but it's uses are two fold. The 12-inch Smoke Tube can also be used to add more flavor to your cooks. Fill it with pellets or wood chips, ignite, and let the smoke do its thing. With infusion holes scattered deliberately along the tube, it can be used with gas grills, charcoal grills, electric grills, and pellet grills. The possibilities are endless. So if you're on the fence and can't seem to give up that cheap propane grill you've had on the porch for years, grab a Smoke Tube and test the waters before making your plunge.
Watch how we use the Fan Only mode on the Apex in tandem with the Smoke Tube to cold smoke some cheese.
SMOKE BOX
We'll go to the grave talking about how the Smoke Box has changed the way we cook on the pellet grill. Compatible with Wood Chips, Wood Chunks, and charcoal lumps it's yet another way we are able to give you more smoke, more flavor. If you're into experimenting like a professional chef then the Smoke Box and damper will prove to be your best friend in this process. To allow more airflow into the Smoke Box, keep the damper is open. To cut off air, close it off.
