instructables
Smoking Food Using a Kettle BBQ
by kidNeutrino
Smoking food is time-intensive and certainly has
some complexity but the foundations are not very
difficult. I want to share the process I have developed
in the past ten years. Smoking (low temperature, slow
cooking) of a big cut like a whole turkey is going to
take about 12-20 hours depending on the size of the
bird and a few other factors.
I got started working on BBQ cooking methods in the
1980s when I worked for a restaurant in Land O'
Lakes Florida. At the time, I had access to large
1 2 2
1. Christmas 2017 Turkey in progress.
Smoking Food Using a Kettle BBQ: Page 1
commercial cooking equipment and very large BBQ
pits. It was fantastic, but that scale of tools is
unrealistic to own in order to feed my family and for
simple enjoyment. I have developed methods for
smoking food using a kettle type BBQ grill. It is critical
to control temperatures, the conditions in the smoker,
and timing, but you don't need to spend big bucks on
fancy commercial equipment that only does one
thing! I am just as opposed to the idea of unitaskers
as Mr. Brown.
1 1
1. Thanksgiving 2018. A dark color is common in smoked turkey,
but I have had every shade from light caramel to this dark umber.
The thermometer is critical to not under or over-cook the bird.
2. YUM!!
1. Thanksgiving 2018. A dark color is common in smoked turkey,
but I have had every shade from light caramel to this dark umber.
The thermometer is critical to not under or over-cook the bird.
2. YUM!!
 1

1. Christmas 2017 Turkey

1. Essential! At least put one of these thermometers in the vents of your BBQ.

Smoking Food Using a Kettle BBQ: Page 2

Step 1: The Controversies, the Techniques
The topic of food preparation is controversial, to say
the least, and perhaps BBQ is the ultimate
battleground of styles methods etc. So in the interest
of education (and peace), I offer these definitions to
help you understand my process. BBQ (aka
barbeque) is a wide-ranging set of cooking
techniques that are most often found on outdoor
cooking vessels. This can include using live fire from
woods, charcoal, etc. to gas and electric burners.
Live fire/wood cooking - I prefer the live fire methods
in most of my BBQ cookery. This is probably evident
in that I am talking about smoking food, but you can
develop smoking techniques that will work on your
gas appliance (another instructable for another day).
Low-n-slow - A method where the food is exposed to
low temperatures and smoke for extended periods
(12 hours is common). The number of hours is
dependent on the size, weight, and type of food you
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wish to cook with the smoking technique. The smoke
acts as a food preserving technique and slowly works
its way into the food. Temperatures for this type of
cooking range around 225 - 350 Fº. The very gentle
heat is similar to braising techniques for very tough
meats with a lot of connective tissue (which are great
candidates for smoking too).
Brine/brining - Soaking a piece of meat in a solution
of salt, sugars, spices to increase the water quantity
in the meat. This helps keep the food from drying out
during the long periods in the smoker. The chemistry
of the salt and sugar also do a preservation and
partial cook of the meat as denaturing the meat. I will
allow a big cut of meat such as a turkey will sit in the
brine for 6 hours on average. I recommend reading on
brines from your favorite cooking resources. My go-to
sources include America's Test Kitchen How to brine
meat.
Step 2: Your Ingredients

I am going to give directions on smoking a turkey. This is a family favorite for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts.

Food

Brined Turkey
Brine ingredients (water, salt, spices, herbs, etc.) See links on next step.

Tools/consumables all links are suggestions I don't get any kickbacks ;) The basics of my process is under $100 in
equipment. And these are good tools to do other types of cooking as well.

Kettle BBQ
Charcoal Chimney
Charcoal
Wood Chips/chunks
Some newspaper for starting charcoal
Matches/firestarter
Heavy duty foil
disposable aluminum cake pan (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073X3JL51)
masonry stepping stones (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pavestone-Holland-7-75-in-x-4-in-x-1-75-
in-Old-Town-Blend-Concrete-Paver-22099/100619496)
BBQ thermometer (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H1FL2L2/)
leave in type thermometer (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07477NMF4/)
Heavy Duty Gloves (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYALUB3)
cooking tools for BBQ, tongs especially (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073WVCPV4/)

Step 3: Brining a Cut of Meat

Most commercial turkeys are already 'brined'. You will
see information on the ingredients on the label that
indicate salt and water or other flavor enhancers.
Technically, you aren't going to get a lot of bang from
re-brining one of these. But I do it to marinate the
turkey with my own 'enhancers' like spices and herbs.
I just cut down the salt. But if you buy a fresh bird,
chickens, and other unbrined meats it is well worth it.
I follow the basic recipe from America's Test Kitchen.
To make the brine, I put a small amount of the water
into a saucepan and bring it to boil in order to
dissolve the salt and other items easily. And then let
this cool or you can add ice to make up the rest of the
water. I then usually use a clean trash bag in a tall
container. Put the meat in the bag and pour this
cooled brine over and into the meat until it is totally
surrounded. I gather up the bag, get the air out and tie
it.

For every 2 quarts of water use 1/2 cup salt. And then You should put this into the fridge or a cooler with ice
you can add other things that go well with the cut of for food safety reasons.
meat. Suggestions: sugar, herbs, garlic and onion,
spices.

Smoking Food Using a Kettle BBQ: Page 4

Step 4: More Preparations for Slow Burn and Temperature Control

The challenge of smoking in a kettle bbq is the
temperature control. Over the years I have developed
a couple of techniques that will help control the
temperature rises and falls.
Two hours before the smoking starts I wrap a couple
of pavers in foil and put them in the oven to slowly
heat on the low setting. These pavers will act as a
heat 'battery' both absorbing and radiating heat as
needed to smooth out temperature variations. Warm
these up to about 200˚ - 250˚ F. Just do this slowly on wood chunks. I build about three layers deep with the
low in the oven.
While that is warming, I soak chunks of wood during
this preparation time. The idea is to slow the ignition
and get the wood to smolder.
About 30 minutes before, start a chimney of coals. to
use as the starting fire. I also build a 'fuse' of the
charcoal and wood chunks. The idea again is about
temperature control. As the charcoal burns it will
ignite the next piece causing a slow controlled burn.
Line the edges of the kettle with the charcoal and
charcoal and intersperse the soaked wood.

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Smoking Food Using a Kettle BBQ: Page 6
Step 5: Let's Light This Candle.

Drain the brine from the turkey. Set aside until
needed.
Carefully transport the preheated pavers to the bbq. I
put these down in the middle of burn grate. Next, I
add a foil pan to catch most of the drippings and fill
this about halfway with boiling water to keep a humid
environment in the bbq and also another heat battery
for the smoker. You will want to do these things fairly
quickly do not lose the heat you have built up.
Put on the Grid and put on the turkey. I then open the
side grate and add some of the live coals to the fuse
end. With a little experience, you will begin to
understand the number needed to get up to
temperature. Our target is between 225˚ and 350˚ F. I
usually use about 12 - 18 depending on how burned
down the coals are. Put on the lid on and monitor the
temperature for the next 10 to 45 minutes. Add or
subtract the coals to reach a temp. in range. I have a
grill thermometer installed in the lid of my rig, you
could use a leave in grill thermometer. Try to add or
subtract live coals as little as possible to keep that
heat battery up.

https://vimeo.com/302213413

Step 6: Low and Slooooooooooooow

Once you get the temp. stable, check on the BBQ
every 45 min. to an hour. Keep the temperature in the
zone between 225˚ and 350˚ F. Be ready to start up
some more coals if the fuse burns all the way down or
the temp. begins to drop. Add in wood chunks if
needed.
My experience is that you should expect about 30
minutes per pound and so this year I am looking at 12 as an hour before carving.
hours. You can temp. the meat with an instant-read
thermometer for doneness. Different meats will need
different temperatures (look up the figures for your
cooking).
Remember that it is a best practice to let the meat
rest and that the carry-over cooking will continue to
heat the cut. I always pull it 5 - 10˚ early and leave it
to rest under foil. With a turkey that could be as long

Smoking Food Using a Kettle BBQ: Page 7

 1

1. Embedded thermometer. 1. The Smoke begins

1
1

1. Thermometer still a little low, time to add more live coals 1. Getting there.

1
1

1. That's the ticket! 1. Thanksgiving 2018 turkey reached 170˚ F at 9 hours. We pulled it to
rest under foil in an oven shut off for an hour. This dark color is common in
smoked turkey, but I have had every shade from light caramel to this dark
umber. The thermometer is critical to not under or over-cook the bird.

Smoking Food Using a Kettle BBQ: Page 8

Nice instructable. However, 12 hours at 30 min/lb would suggest a 24 lb bird. That is dangerous as
the bird will spend too much time in the "danger zone". Smoking low and slow should be limited to
a 12-15 lb bird. If you need more, cook 2 birds.
On a scientific level, you are right about danger zone temps, but I didn't have trouble with my 22 lb.
victim this past week. I use a pinch of Prague Powder curing salt in my brine as a hedge against
bacterial growth. Not sure if it is worth it. You thoughts?
I would or to suggest a food safe bucket from homedepot. Their white unlabeled buckets are food
safe unlike the trash bags. Otherwise awesome inscrutable

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