Keeping temperature up with foil-covered bricks

[umbrellalady]

Hi - I am a complete newbie at smoking.  I have always wanted to smoke meats, cheeses, etc and my husband bought me a BDS six rack for Christmas.  I am thrilled but living in Manitoba with our rather cold temperatures has me concerned about temperatures fluctuating too much when I open the door of my smoker.  I read one comment about using foil covered bricks and am wondering - do I put them in the drip pan? Or on one of the racks?  What type of bricks do you use - does it make a difference?

I noticed in one picture that someone put a foil pan on the drip pan - does this affect the heat or smoker negatively?

What type of oil should I oil the racks with?

Sorry for all the questions but sometimes I am a bit of a plank... :-\

[GusRobin]

I let smeone that uses the bricks answer that. If by drip pan you mean the "v" tray -  I don'tcare what anyone tells you, never put foil on it. That is a grease fire waiting to happen. Always keep it clean and the holes and vent holes on ir clear.

I never oil the racks s I am not sure what you are referring to. You could use Pam on them I guess but soaking them in dish soap water will  usually make them easy to clean.

[Caribou]

I use one to two bricks wrapped in foil depending on what I'm smoking and how much room I have.
I only grease racks when I am smoking jerky, everything else seems to provide it's own grease. ;)
Carolyn

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi umbrellalady;

Welcome to the forum.

I use one brick, that fits next to the water bowl. You can use any of the non-stick cooking sprays, or use a small piece of paper towel soak with canola oil and rub your trays with it, all sides.

It's not safe to place a foil pan on top of the drip tray. It can block the flow of heat so that too much heat is trapped underneath the pan creating a potential fire hazard. Some place a pan on a rack underneath the food to catch drippings.

[OU812]

I use 2 bricks and place them below the V tray, they stay in there all the time.





They are solid, the one on the top of the picture is untouched, the one on the bottom I broke some of the center out to fit around the drip pan.

I dont oil the racks.

Keep the V tray clean and the drip pan full of water, you will need to refill the water about every 4 hr.

Have fun.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

In my six rack when I have the room I like to put two (foil wrapped) in a rack at the lowest position -- one is leaned against the back edge at a 45° angle, the other leaned against the front edge.  That creates a bit of a heat deflector as well.  When room permits I also run with a patio paver, about 4" x 8" x 1.5", on the top shelf (also foil wrapped).  Together that setup creates a natural convection zone in between the upper and lower racks, really helps even out the temps between the upper and lower racks, and helps stabilize temps.  But, it takes about an hour to preheat.  The top paver also acts as a rain guard, although I've never seen any signs of rain.

[TestRocket]

Hello umbrallalady and welcome to the forum,

In my OBS I use two (regular) bricks most of the time and I replace the foil when it starts getting nasty or whenever I find my dog licking them while I'm cleaning out the inside.  :D


I have sprayed the racks with a Pam type spray but I also have the non-stick frog mats you can get from Yard and Pool.

Happy smoking!

[umbrellalady]

Thanks All!  I feel a bit more confident going into smoking now.  I will let you know how I do.

Thanks for the wonderful pics as well!  They were great.

[Brisket Lover]

I've thought about using bricks myself.  What is the advantage of using the foil compared to no foil on the brick?  It seems like the foil would block the absorption of heat, taking longer to heat up.

[FLBentRider]

I've thought about using bricks myself.  What is the advantage of using the foil compared to no foil on the brick?  It seems like the foil would block the absorption of heat, taking longer to heat up.

I foil the bricks to keep them clean. I don't want a grease-soaked brick in my smoker.

I have not noticed that they take any longer to heat up. If it is really cold out, you can (carefully) pre-heat the bricks in a 500F oven for 30 minutes first.

[OU812]

My bricks are under the V pan, that way they dont get any grease on them.  ;D

[Brisket Lover]

My bricks are under the V pan, that way they dont get any grease on them.  ;D

That is how I would do it too.  I just need to get over to the hardware store to pick some up.