I mentioned in another thread that I use a smoke pot to insure that I get the best smoke on a cook that can possibly be done. People wanted to see what this smoke pot looks like, how to use it, and what problems it solves. This post attempts to answer those questions.
First off, getting a consistent smoke on a cook is one of the age old problems we face. We try and get our smoke wood in the path of the fire, but how do you know before hand where and how your fire spreads? You don't have a clue, so we generally spread our smoke wood in the lump hoping that the fire hits several pieces during the process of the cook.
I use two different kamados made by the same manufacturer ... Komodo Kamado and I got this smoke pot idea from their forum. It was posted there by a mathematician who is quite the kamado cook. This is his and I merely copied it and employ it with great regularity. This idea is not original with me; it is, like most really good ideas, borrowed (more like stolen, but let's not spilt hairs!).
First this smoke pot is nothing more than a 2 qt. cast iron dutch oven with holes drilled in the BOTTOM. It is important that the holes be drilled in the BOTTOM, NOT the top! I always make certain to nestle this pot down into the burning lump at the very beginning of the cook. Now the reason you want the holes drill in the bottom of the dutch oven is that the smoke produced is forced down into the fire underneath the smoke pot. By forcing the smoke down into the fire below it is that the fire actually burns up the volatile organic compound (VOCs) that produce that harsh heavy gray smoke that is so rancid. The smoke is forced out the bottom of the dutch oven, the VOCs are burned off, and what is left is the thin blue smoke we all seek!
This smoke pot solves another problem of knowing where to place your smoke wood. It's right in the pot directly over the burning lump. This means you get mostly a consistent amount of smoke during the most critical part of the cook, i.e. at the beginning and middle of the cook when the cook is coolest and adsorbs the most smoke via condensation of the smoke.
So, without further commentary here are some pictures of the whole concept.
Here is a top view of the basic 2 qt. dutch oven.

This next picture shows the holes drilled in the bottom of the dutch oven. I used a 1/8" drill for these holes. Now please note that I really screwed up and drilled too many holes. You really need no more than 4 holes.

Here is a better picture of those holes.

Now here is a picture of the smoke pot right before I put it in the lit charcoal. NOTE: When you place the smoke pot in the lit charcoal, make certain that the lid is on the dutch oven essentially making it a closed system. Using the lid closes the system and forces the smoke produced down through the holes in the bottom of the dutch oven and that produces the thin blue smoke we seek.

Note that in this case I used both chunks and pellets. In this case I was using oak and apple to get the flavor profile I wanted.
This next picture shows the entire smoke pot placed among and over the lit charcoal. Yes, under that pot the fire is burning. The reason that pot looks small is that the firebox of my 32" Big Bad Komodo Kamado, aka TheBeast, is really large!

And finally, here is the "Money Shot" at the end of a 20 hour cook. Notice that all the smoke wood and pellets have been burned and converted to charcoal. I simple dump the contents of the smoke pot into the charcoal basket to be completely consumed during the course of the next cook.

Now, I use this 2 qt. cast iron dutch oven in TheBeast, my 32" KK. If your kamado is smaller, and it most likely is, you can use a smaller cast iron dutch oven and accomplish the same thing. I believe that Lodge makes a 1 qt. dutch oven that will fit nicely in "Classic" sized kamados, i.e. 18" or so.
I use this smoke pot exclusively when I'm laying smoke on a cook. I don't have to worry about how or where my fire will spread; I don't worry about digging out unburned smoke wood at the end of the cook or before the next cook; I don't worry about that heinous harsh smoke produced at the beginning of a cook; I get instant thin blue and it continues throughout a very large portion of the cook. This method gives me a consistent smoke flavor on each and every cook.
Give it a try. I guarantee you'll love it. This smoke pot solves every problem we kamado cookers face when trying to put smoke on a cook.
Oh, by the way, that lump looks wonderful doesn't it? Nice large pieces, wonderful size distribution, it's dense and burns hot, and finally it has a very mild odor that doesn't interfere with the main flavor I"m trying to attain from my smoke pot contents. It's FOGO and it's the best I've found in over 20 years of kamado cooking.
Questions?
First off, getting a consistent smoke on a cook is one of the age old problems we face. We try and get our smoke wood in the path of the fire, but how do you know before hand where and how your fire spreads? You don't have a clue, so we generally spread our smoke wood in the lump hoping that the fire hits several pieces during the process of the cook.
I use two different kamados made by the same manufacturer ... Komodo Kamado and I got this smoke pot idea from their forum. It was posted there by a mathematician who is quite the kamado cook. This is his and I merely copied it and employ it with great regularity. This idea is not original with me; it is, like most really good ideas, borrowed (more like stolen, but let's not spilt hairs!).
First this smoke pot is nothing more than a 2 qt. cast iron dutch oven with holes drilled in the BOTTOM. It is important that the holes be drilled in the BOTTOM, NOT the top! I always make certain to nestle this pot down into the burning lump at the very beginning of the cook. Now the reason you want the holes drill in the bottom of the dutch oven is that the smoke produced is forced down into the fire underneath the smoke pot. By forcing the smoke down into the fire below it is that the fire actually burns up the volatile organic compound (VOCs) that produce that harsh heavy gray smoke that is so rancid. The smoke is forced out the bottom of the dutch oven, the VOCs are burned off, and what is left is the thin blue smoke we all seek!
This smoke pot solves another problem of knowing where to place your smoke wood. It's right in the pot directly over the burning lump. This means you get mostly a consistent amount of smoke during the most critical part of the cook, i.e. at the beginning and middle of the cook when the cook is coolest and adsorbs the most smoke via condensation of the smoke.
So, without further commentary here are some pictures of the whole concept.
Here is a top view of the basic 2 qt. dutch oven.
This next picture shows the holes drilled in the bottom of the dutch oven. I used a 1/8" drill for these holes. Now please note that I really screwed up and drilled too many holes. You really need no more than 4 holes.
Here is a better picture of those holes.
Now here is a picture of the smoke pot right before I put it in the lit charcoal. NOTE: When you place the smoke pot in the lit charcoal, make certain that the lid is on the dutch oven essentially making it a closed system. Using the lid closes the system and forces the smoke produced down through the holes in the bottom of the dutch oven and that produces the thin blue smoke we seek.
Note that in this case I used both chunks and pellets. In this case I was using oak and apple to get the flavor profile I wanted.
This next picture shows the entire smoke pot placed among and over the lit charcoal. Yes, under that pot the fire is burning. The reason that pot looks small is that the firebox of my 32" Big Bad Komodo Kamado, aka TheBeast, is really large!
And finally, here is the "Money Shot" at the end of a 20 hour cook. Notice that all the smoke wood and pellets have been burned and converted to charcoal. I simple dump the contents of the smoke pot into the charcoal basket to be completely consumed during the course of the next cook.
Now, I use this 2 qt. cast iron dutch oven in TheBeast, my 32" KK. If your kamado is smaller, and it most likely is, you can use a smaller cast iron dutch oven and accomplish the same thing. I believe that Lodge makes a 1 qt. dutch oven that will fit nicely in "Classic" sized kamados, i.e. 18" or so.
I use this smoke pot exclusively when I'm laying smoke on a cook. I don't have to worry about how or where my fire will spread; I don't worry about digging out unburned smoke wood at the end of the cook or before the next cook; I don't worry about that heinous harsh smoke produced at the beginning of a cook; I get instant thin blue and it continues throughout a very large portion of the cook. This method gives me a consistent smoke flavor on each and every cook.
Give it a try. I guarantee you'll love it. This smoke pot solves every problem we kamado cookers face when trying to put smoke on a cook.
Oh, by the way, that lump looks wonderful doesn't it? Nice large pieces, wonderful size distribution, it's dense and burns hot, and finally it has a very mild odor that doesn't interfere with the main flavor I"m trying to attain from my smoke pot contents. It's FOGO and it's the best I've found in over 20 years of kamado cooking.
Questions?
Comment