How to season offset smoker   

Last Updated on: 21st April 2023, 12:09 am

Having a smoker in your backyard does not automatically make you the next Pitmaster. Smoking is an art that requires patience and knowledge in order to master.

This is especially true when it comes to offset smokers. 

How to season offset smoker

Offset smokers, or horizontal smokers, are used primarily for barbecue and smoking meat because they cook with indirect heat and can achieve longer cooking times with lower fuel consumption than other types of cookers. 

So instead of tossing in the towel when you feel like you’ve been doing everything right but your smoked food still tastes like smoke, here’s how to season your smoker for success!

• The first step is to remove the paint, rust, and other debris from the inside of your smoker. You can do this by using a wire brush or sandpaper.
• Don’t worry about removing all of the rust because it will add flavor to your food. 
• After you’ve cleaned out all of the debris, you’ll want to season your smoker. This means coating it with a layer of oil so that it will be easier for the heat to transfer from the firebox into the cooking chamber. 

There are two ways you can go about seasoning your smoker: hot and cold method. The hot method involves heating up oil in a pan and then pouring it over your smoker while it’s still hot .

so that it seeps into every nook and cranny. The cold method involves coating your smoker with oil and then covering it with plastic wrap overnight so that the oil seeps into every nook and cranny on its own without any heat. 

The best way to season a smoker with oil is to use the hot method. It’s simple and it works.

1. Heat up your oil in a pan on the stove until it’s hot enough that it starts to shimmer.
2. Wipe down your smoker with a paper towel and then pour the hot oil over every surface of your smoker.  The oil will seep into every nook and cranny, coating it in oil and seasoning it at the same time.
3. Let the oil cool for about 15 minutes before wiping off any excess with another paper towel.
4. Repeat this process 3-4 times until you’ve coated every surface of your smoker with a thin layer of oil that won’t drip off when you’re cooking food on it later on down the road.
5. After you’ve coated your smoker with enough oil, let it cool completely before storing away in a dry place so that no moisture can get into any cracks or crevices.

After you’ve seasoned your smoker, you’ll want to burn it in. This means using it a few times before cooking food to get rid of any lingering smells and to help the oil adhere to the metal.

Personally , seasoning my home-made smoker that i built myself and then smoking meat on it feels like best feeling in the world.

Seasoning an electric smoker

Seasoning an electric smoker is simple:

1. Wash your smoker with soap and water to remove all the oils.
2. Take a wire brush and brush the inside of your smoker to remove any rust or debris that may have collected from shipping.
3. Apply vegetable oil or olive oil on all surfaces of the smoker (inside and out). Let it soak into the metal for about 10 minutes, then wipe off the excess oil with paper towels.
4. Place your electric smoker in a well-ventilated area for 24 hours to allow it to dry completely before using it for cooking. After this, you’re ready to use your electric smoker!

Why do you season a smoker?

Seasoning your smoker is important in order to get a good flavor in your food. If you don’t season it, the food will taste like the metal of the smoker and not like whatever you’re cooking.

Seasoning your smoker also helps to prevent rust from forming on the inside of your smoker.

Best oil to season a smoker

You’ll want to use a high smoke point oil such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil. Never use olive oil because it has a very low smoke point and will burn and leave a bad taste on your food.

If you don’t have any of these oils on hand, you can also use bacon grease. Just make sure that you don’t use too much of it because the bacon grease will leave an unpleasant taste in your food.

I recommend that you use a high-quality vegetable shortening when seasoning your smoker. Vegetable shortening is much better than regular vegetable oil because it’s thicker and has a higher smoke point.

Vegetable shortening is also better for smoking food because it won’t cause the food to stick or burn as easily (and it doesn’t give food that strange “smoked vegetable” flavor).

Olive oil isn’t recommended for seasoning smokers because it has a low smoke point and burns easily. Most oils will burn at temperatures above 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

but olive oil will only start burning at temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit! That makes it a poor choice for the job.

If you’ve never seasoned your smoker before, you’ll want to use a high-quality vegetable shortening (like Crisco). It’s easy to apply and it won’t burn at low temperatures.

We recommend that you use a spray bottle to apply the vegetable shortening. You can get them at most any grocery store or drug store.

When spraying, try to cover every surface of your smoker with a thin layer of shortening.

The best way to check if your smoker is well-seasoned is by looking at the drip tray. If there are any black spots on it, then those areas haven’t been properly coated with oil and should be re-seasoned.

You should also check that the drip tray is free of crumbs and debris before smoking food in your smoker since they could catch fire during cooking and cause damage to your equipment!

A good rule of thumb for seasoning smokers is “one layer deep”. If there’s still a thin layer of vegetable shortening visible after you’ve applied it, then you know that it’s applied properly.

Now that your smoker is ready to use, let’s look at how to smoke food the right way!

How much oil do you need?

The amount of oil you’ll need will depend on the size of your smoker. If you have a large smoker, you’ll want to fill it up with at least two inches of oil so that it’s completely covered.

If you have a small smoker, one inch should be enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

You’ll also want to make sure that there is enough room in your smoker for the smoke to circulate around the food without being obstructed by the walls of your smoker.

You don’t want your smoke to get trapped inside and then escape through the venting system, which will leave an unpleasant taste in your food

How often should you season your smoker?

You’ll want to season your smoker every time you use it. If you don’t season it, the food will taste like the metal of the smoker and not like whatever you’re cooking.

If you have a gas smoker, you’ll want to season it after every use. If you have a charcoal smoker, you’ll want to season it after every 3-4 uses.

What happens if you don t season a smoker?

If you don’t season your smoker, you won’t get a good flavor in your food. Even though the smoker will be clean and shiny, it will still taste like metal.

If you don’t season your smoker, it’ll rust and collect debris much more easily. you should consider insulating your smoker to avoid the building of rust and damaging the build of your smoker.

while seasoning your smoker ,Always remember to be careful when seasoning your smoker. Make sure that you’re in a well-ventilated area and have your fire extinguisher nearby.

Also, make sure that you don’t use a flammable oil (like vegetable oil) on the inside of your smoker.

If you need to add more oil to the inside of your smoker after it’s already been seasoned, use an oil spray or a light coat of vegetable shortening instead of regular vegetable oil or olive oil.

When you’re seasoning your smoker, you’ll want to avoid using any type of spray oil. You don’t want to create a build-up of grease that’ll be nearly impossible to clean off.

You should also be sure to avoid using any type of cooking spray as well. Cooking sprays are typically made with chemicals that can damage your smoker.

Final verdict

Seasoning offset smokers is worth if done correctly. it can enhance the flavor of food while increasing durability of smoker at the same time

. you should consider following this guide to keep yourself at the safe end.

If you enjoyed this article ,then don’t forget read our article on how to build an offset smoker