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HOW TO USE
STEP 1
Fill Up the tube with your favorite wood pellets leaving 1 inch empty at the top. Bump it lightly a few times on the ground or a hard surface to pack the pellets well.
STEP 2
Use a propane torch on low to light the pellets through the open end for 15-30 seconds until a small flame will appear on the top. Make sure the pellets are burning well for 5 to 10 minutes. When the time passed, blow the flame out.
STEP 3
Lay the tube horizontally inside your smoker or grill in an area with good ventilation. Be careful as the smoker might be hot.
FAQ
Can the tube be used in a vertical position?
I know sometimes, it could prove more convenient if the tube would just be put vertically in the grill or smoker. Unfortunately, in most cases this will not work because the ashes resulted from the burnt pellets will suffocate the fire - it will simply not have enough oxygen to keep going.
It is definitely not recommended to light it from the bottom, as it will burn very, very fast and ruin everything.
I've heard of people successfully using it diagonally, but the most efficient and recommended way is to lay it horizontally.
Can I use wood chips?
Z-Smoker was designed for pellets and these will perform the best.
It can work with wood chips if they are small enough to fit in and if you pack them really good (the smaller, the better). But chips will burn much, much faster than pellets and it is harder to keep them lit - you may have to re-lit them several times during the process. Also, sometimes the chips could start flaming so you'll have to squirt them with water to put the flame out and get it back to smoking.
We highly recommend the pellets, but in the end, it is a matter of choice to decide how to make use of this great tool.
Can I partially fill the tube?
You definitely can control the smoking time by filling the tube partially.
Since it's not recommended to light the tube from the sides as the metal will warp due to the very high heat of the torch, you can bring the pellets to the top by filling the bottom half with tin foil. This way you can light them through the top opening.
A full tube of pellets will smoke for about 4-5 hours. For 2 hours fill it by half and for an hour, only a quarter or a third of the tube at maximum.
What I can do if the pellets burn too fast?
There are mainly 2 aspects that could cause the pellets burning too fast:
- too much active airflow which stokes the pellets (and can even cause an active fire) - this can be fixed by closing a little more the chip loader, door, ash dumpers, or any other air-way - careful not to close the airflow completely because the lack of oxygen will cease the burning.
- the tube being too close to the heating element or burners (depending on the grill or smoker type) - try to move it further away from the heating source.
What I do if the tube stop burning and I can't keep it lit?
There are 2 aspects that could cause the tube to stop burning: the lack of enough oxygen and the pellets not being dried enough.
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The pellets tend to absorb any humidity in the air and this can become a problem during the more humid days, especially if the bag was not sealed closed. Some of our customers like to give them 1 minute in the microwave oven to be sure they are perfectly dry, and the burning will go nice all the way and without interruption.
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The second important aspect is that there is good airflow inside the grill or smoker to supply the needed oxygen for the burning process. Try to place the tube in different locations and improve the airflow by:
- For grills: crack opening the door a little and\or the bottom dampers.
- For electric smokers: removing the chip loader and/or the chip tray, at least partially.
Make sure there's no meat placed directly above the tube. If you spritz or mop your meat, be careful so it doesn't drip onto the tube
TO BE UPDATED...
