Using a smoke tube

[rlozinak]

I have a pellet smoker and I am wondering if a smoke tube would help with the smoke flavor. How do you lit them? Do people use them?

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I don't usually use one, but I know quite a few people do especially on brands that run temp too tight and/or just don't smoke well. I've actually seen quite a few people recently with a very popular brand suggesting TWO smoke tubes and saying it helps a ton. So to each their own

What I do use one for is cold smoking during the warmer parts of spring and fall, and it does impart a smoke flavor on it's own, but also can be very dirty smoke if it burns wrong. I fill about 3/4 full, lay it down on the grill, then use a culinary torch until a small bit of pellets are burning. Some people say let the flame burn itself out, but I think that's when I get too much dirty smoke from too many pellets smoldering. I prefer to let it burn a minute or two, then blow it out.

For your particular grill you will have to experiment with placement. The wrong spot can lead to it going out prematurely or over igniting the pellets int he tube.

[bbqLuv]

I do not use a smoke tube in my Traeger. Never really felt the need. A friend on Amazing Ribs posted about putting the item to be smoked during the warm-up cycle. I may have to give that a try.
As far as lighting a smoke tube follow directions, use a gas torch, or a starting cube. I have watched BBQers do that on YouTube.

I am interested in how it turns out for you. I Look forward to your report on the results.
Happy Grilling to you and BBQ too.

[Dadof3Illinois]

I have a smoke tube and one of the amazing tray things. I use them all the time and think it does help. They can be finicky to keep lit sometimes. I use a torch to light and let them burn for a few mins before blowing the flame out and getting the smoke going.
I’ve also crushed up a piece of charcoal and put it in the end and lit it to help keep it going. I like using mine now that I’ve figured out how to keep it going.

[Rod]

Back in my pellet grill days I used Inferno gel to get the tube going per the instructions for the (I think) 'amazin'tube". Fill the thing about 3/4 full of pellets. Lay it down (I used a metal milk crate). Squirt a healthy amount of the gel on the slope of the pellets and light. Get a good hearty flame going and then blow it out after about 5-10 minutes. Pick up with gloves upright and place on grill.

Can't say it made much of a difference, but everyone's taste buds are different. It's still super clean burning pellets.

Pro tip (as they say), get one that is not round. If it's square or hexagonal you can place it anywhere on your grates. Round will roll around unless it's between the rungs of the grate.

[lostclusters]

I use a small charcoal basket lined with aluminum foil. I put about 8 briquettes and about 4 lit briquettes and a couple wood chunks.

[HawkerXP]

I haven't for some time, but this is how I used to do it....

[ofelles]

I'm never looked that purdy!

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

I've used 'em a time or three. Didn't notice a lot of difference in my Yoder, but the time I tried to do cold smoking on some cheese crackers they came out nasty and bitter from really dirty smoke - I tossed 'em in the trash.

I've found I need to keep the fan going on my Yoder to keep airflow, or the tube chokes out, if I'm not running heat, too, but like I said, I haven't tried that much because my experiments with cheese crackers, cheese blocks and whole eggs weren't to my liking.

[RiverJeff]

When I bought my Grid Iron I bought all the bells and whistle's included was what they called a Blaz'n smoker, this smoker unit is shaped like a V wide open on top with a sit on top cover to close the unit, so I will place a layer of pellets down first then a cut piece to fit of split oak 3/4 x 3/4 than last layer of pellets to cover split, start with propane torch at the bottom of V at provided hole, once lit this thing just lays there and smokes, I think it truly adds smoke flavor as I have done this with mesquite once, ribs where really overbearing strong! Don't know if the smoke tubes will hold as much as the Blaz'n holds about 1/3 pound. I like it!
Jeff

[Murdy]

I used to use one on one side of my gasser and one of those metal boxes you fill up with soaked wood chips on the other. Between the 2, I got a little smoke flavor. I would fill the tube with pellets and light it with a Mapp gas torch, then keep it upright like a candle until it burnt out.

[Murdy]

WillTravelForFood -- One of these things: https://www.bbqguys.com/weber/7576-s...eel-smoker-box
I usually soaked the chips for 20 minutes or so, put them in the box, then set it right down on the burner. This was for a gas grill.

[WillTravelForFood]

Murdy - just wondering, because https://amazingribs.com/more-techniq...ur-wood-first/ says not to soak your wood

[Murdy]

I recall that. Back when I was doing it, I was just getting into smoking and not sure if I'd found this website yet. However, I have seen people advocating both ways since.

[WillTravelForFood]

We use an A-maz-ing Smoke Tube with pellets on our gasser regularly. Use a higher-end culinary propane torch to light it (not the $19.99 creme brulee unit, but one that uses those larger cooktop propane canisters.

We also put pellets in alum foil, and put chips in a cast iron box. All sorts of options available here.

We like the smoke tube -- and we know that there's a limit to how much "smoke" you're going to get on a gasser in general.... but we've found for us, the smoke tube does add some add't flavor to the cook vs not using it at all.

In a gas situation, it's not going to give you a smoke ring or anything like that. But you will get enough smoky taste to know it was there.

[big_mack]

I haven't for some time, but this is how I used to do it....

I have tried one of those as well but I found it imparted too much of a skunky terpene taste.

[HawkerXP]

That was from my dirty fingers.

[Waiting for the Worms]

With my Camp Chef pellet pooper, I used a smoke tube all the time. What I would do is stuff a piece of charcoal in the bottom, and then fill it up with wood chips. Once it was ready to go, I'd light the charcoal with a propane torch like plumbers use for soldering pipes. The charcoal would make sure the chips get going, and stayed going. The trick is to make sure the charcoal is well and truly going, and check on it about 45 minuets into the cook just to make sure the chips haven't bridged in the tube. To me the big advantage of the smoke tube was being able to control heat and smoke as two separate things which allowed me to run higher temps, without losing smoke flavor.

[jehlydonuts]

I use the tubes with pellets for cold smoking in a kamado (fish mostly) and find it works great. Light the top of the tube so it burns for 10 mins then blow out and lay on side. It takes about 6 hours for mine to burn through. For fish, wrapping in paper for 24 hours gets rid of any bad smoke flavor, which the pellets may impart. I have also stuffed the tube with small wood chips, but that took all day to get enough small pieces, and still gave the fish a "new smoke" taste.

Let us know if it works for you!

[DrJimmy2112]

I used a smoke tube on my Weber gasser until I I got a Grilla. I find the smoke profile on the OG is plenty enough for me