While every charcoal smoker is a little different (heck, even charcoal from different manufacturers is different), these charcoal tips will help anyone to maintain the ideal smoker temperature. You will need to do a little experimenting and fine tuning for your own personal smoker grill and the charcoal you use.
When lighting your charcoal, whatever you do, stay away from using lighter fluid. I do not care what anyone tries to tell you. The petroleum flavor of lighter fluid will find its way into your food. Also stay away from the charcoal bricks that are advertised as “match light”. You will get the same kind of chemical taste into your food.
If you absolutely must use lighter fluid, do not light the charcoal inside the smoker. The interior of your smoker will end up absorbing the petroleum aroma, and you will find it difficult, if not impossible, to ever get it out.
Positively the best way to light your charcoal is with a charcoal chimney starter. The charcoal is placed inside while newspaper is placed underneath. The newspaper is lit, the flame lights the charcoal bricks on the bottom and then travels up the canister. It is so simple, but you will not find a better way to light the bricks.
If you are cooking faster smoking foods, you can light the entire batch of charcoal at one time, and then dump them into the charcoal pan. For most smoker grills, this is going to provide you with two to three hours of smoking time. You can add charcoal briquettes during the smoking to extend the time.
For longer smoking times, you will want to use a progressive burn method. You do this by filling the pan with unburned briquettes or even lump charcoal. Then light between thirty and forty additional briquettes. Once they become ashed over, add these to the top of the unlit briquettes in the pan.
The charcoal will slowly burn from top to bottom, giving you a steady and controllable heat in the smoker. Adding some wood chunks on top of the unlit charcoal can also be a good idea. As the charcoal burns down, it will light some of the wood, which will add to the smoke flavor of your food.
If you prefer to smoke your food at high temperature, this method is not for you.