Does My Smoker Need a Vent in the Firebox?

Smoker Basics

• Smoking alone does not extend the storage lifetime of meat or fish. Salt-curing before smoking reduces the moisture in the product and prevents spoilage. Drying the meat slowly at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit creates a tough rind, or pellicle. During the hotter smoking phase, the pellicle absorbs smoke, adding flavor. The center of smoked fish must reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or more to be safe to eat, while meat and poultry require higher internal temperatures. The smoker must hold between 200 and 225 degrees Fahrenheit to cook properly, according to the Pacific Northwest Extension.

Smoker Parts

• The smoker's main chamber contains racks for suspending meat, fish and poultry. Simple smokers hang the meat above a firebox that rests at the bottom of the smoking chamber. A vent in the side of the smoker near the bottom admits a controllable flow of air to feed the fire. A pan of hardwood chips or sawdust set over the firebox generates intense smoke but contributes little heat. A flat pan of water in the smoker keeps the humidity high. The firebox both heats the chamber and chars the fuel in the smoker pan. A top vent lets some smoke escape.

Firebox

• The firebox primarily produces heat, not smoke. To burn efficiently, a wood fire needs a steady supply of air. A fire in an open firebox without a grate or vent burns from the top down, smoldering and suffocating as ashes build up. A fire built on a grate inside a firebox, with a steady supply of air from below, burns evenly and completely. The grate drops ashes to the bottom, and controlling the airflow determines the amount of heat the fire puts out. A firebox inside the smoking chamber needs permanently open vents. A vent in the side of the smoker adjusts the air.

Vents

• Opening and closing vents at both the bottom and the top of the smoker affects the amount of heat and smoke trapped inside, as well as the rate at which the fire burns. Closing the vents traps smoke but suffocates the fire. Opening the vents makes the fire burn hot and clean and reduces the amount of smoke. A setting that keeps the fire burning steadily and produces good smoke might not heat the food enough to thoroughly cook. After smoking the meat, finish cooking the food in an oven to make sure it reaches a safe internal temperature, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation.