Jonahtke; Toque Snuff does a Cheese and Bacon flavour that actually isn't awful. I suppose one could sprinkle a bit on top of a pipe (I do this regularly with the Toffee flavour to bolster aromatics that don't satisfy my nicotine needs).
Ryan, I believe I did invite you and Erin over for an impromptu barbeque last weekend - this is what came of it. Remember, June 23 (National BBQ Day); but it's very likely that I'll be smoking pretty much every weekend (any plans Sunday?).
I do prefer charcoal, but the ease of propane is winning me over. As both Martin and Mick noted, there are times when you just can't (or don't feel like) feeding the fire all day, but still want good barbeque flavour. I often serve my ribs dry, but I wanted to see how this sauce would perform as a glaze (and I was very happy with the results, obviously).
Mick; do you find the smoke-ring in your propane unit emulates the effect of a charcoal grill? I think the higher humidity might play into things; after all, the ring effect is actually a chemical reaction taking place when nitric acid is formed when the nitrogen-dioxide in the smoke mixes with the moisture (read: water) in the meat. In my mind, you should see a deeper ring than I am acheiving currently with the propane smoker vs. propane grill and boxes, due to the high humidity (despite my mopping every half-hour, it's still awfully dry in my que). If this proves to be the case, perhaps I'll add a water pan to my next round.
By the way, that trailer is awesome! I would love to own one - for now though, my next purchase will either be a Webber Bullet or an Egg; figure I should play with charcoal on a small-scale before I make the leap to smoking whole cow!
Ohin; I could go on and on for days about slow cooking on a propane barbeque. In a nutshell, however, it is really quite simple, assuming your barbeque has more than one burner.
The first thing you will need to do is buy (or better yet, make) a smoke box. If you choose to purchase one (can be found anywhere barbeque supplies are sold, for example Canadian Tire), I would suggest looking for a cast-iron box, however stainless work well with a bit of modding to reduce airflow inside the compartment (line it with foil and create your own vents). Conversely, you can simply make a tinfoil packet to hold your wood-chips (or chunks, pellets, or dust, as applicable).
There is some disagreement as to whether it is better to soak your wood or leave it dry; I like to use both methods. I'll toss about a half-cup of chips in liquid (often beer or wine for extra flavour) for an hour, then mix them with a half-cup of dry chips to load into the box. I find that I get the best results when the box is less than 2/3 full.
To place your box (or packet), remove one of the grill-plates and nest the box amongst the flame-tamers (referred to as "Flavourizer Bars" in some barbeques, namely Webber branded) or directly on the briquettes off to one side. Set your burners to high, and wait for smoke to appear. Once there is more than a thin wisp, turn off the burner which doesn't feature the smoker box entirely. Place an oven thermometer above the burner that is *turned off*, then adjust the burner with the smoker packet to bring the thermometer temp to around 220f.
You can choose to replace your grill grate, however I like to access my smoker-box for refills; which will be required every hour or so. I will often drop a couple of pieces of charcoal into each box after the first, to assist with lighting and smoke production (as you don't want to bring your temps up high again), but this isn't necessary...if your using packets, simply push them to conform with the flame-tamer and they'll catch quickly; boxes will take awhile, but will catch.
Poor Example #1
Horizontal Grill
m-m-m-m-m
x-x-x-x-x
s-s-s-s-s
Vertical Grill
m x s
m x s
m x s
m x s
m - meat
x - unlit burner
s - burner with smoke-box/packet
Poor Example #2
Normally, the smoker-box and foil-packet would go below the grill-grate; this is just to give you an idea of placement.
Good Example #3
This is my set-up as I actually run it. Note that I keep the oven thermometer close to the meat - you simply can't trust the one in the BBQ hood. A meat-probe is also a very handy tool to keep in your arsenal.
