Skip to content

Topic

Technique

Temperature control, the snake method, the stall, wrapping and resting.

Smoking is mostly patience with a thermometer. These guides cover holding a steady temperature, the stall that makes big cuts sit still for hours, wrapping, resting, bark and the mistakes everyone makes once. Start with a whole first cook, then come back for the detail.

Start hereHow to use a smokerOne cook, start to finish, in the order it actually happens.

Illustration of a hand adjusting the air vent on a smoker. — AI-generated illustration. Not a photo of a real product, cook or place.

Calculators for this topic

Smoking time planner

Work back from serving time to a start window, with a cook range and rest time for UK cuts.

Brine calculator

Grams of salt and sugar for a wet, equilibrium or dry brine, from the weight of your meat and the strength your recipe asks for.

Guides

TechniqueCornerstone

BBQ temperature chart

Smoker temperatures by style and a cut-by-cut chart of what done means, from brisket to salmon, plus how to probe and check your thermometer.

TechniqueCornerstone

Common smoking mistakes

The twelve mistakes behind most dry, bitter or late smoked dinners, from dirty smoke and lid-lifting to slicing with the grain, and how to fix each one.

TechniqueCornerstone

Thin blue smoke

Clean fire versus smouldering fire, how airflow shapes the smoke, when to add wood, and how to read smoke colour on any charcoal or wood smoker.

TechniqueCornerstone

How to use a smoker

Everything that happens in a first smoke, in order: lighting, holding temperature, adding wood, the stall, wrapping, resting and knowing when it's done.

TechniqueCornerstone

Smoker temperature control

How to hold a steady smoker temperature with vents, fuel and placement, why the lid gauge lies, and what to do when the temperature drifts.

TechniqueCornerstone

Smoker troubleshooting

Smoker won't get hot, smoke is thick and white, brisket came out dry? Short, practical fixes for over 30 common smoker problems, grouped by symptom.

TechniqueCornerstone

The stall explained

Why big cuts stop rising in temperature for hours mid-cook, the simple science behind it, and when to wait, wrap or turn the heat up.

Bark and smoke ring

What makes a dark, crunchy bark on smoked meat, what the pink smoke ring actually is, and why you can stop worrying about the ring.

BBQ rub ratios

A simple base BBQ rub written as parts, why salt should be worked out first, how to scale it for any cut, and easy variations for beef, pork, chicken and lamb.

The charcoal snake method

Set up a charcoal snake for a low-and-slow cook on a kettle BBQ: briquette layout, where the wood goes, lighting, vents and topping up.

Reheating smoked meat

How to cool, fridge, freeze and reheat leftover smoked brisket, pulled pork and ribs so they stay juicy and safe, including the vacuum bag and water bath method.

Resting smoked meat

How long to rest brisket, pork shoulder, ribs and chicken, how the cool box hold works, carryover cooking, and keeping hot food hot.

Reverse sear steak

How to reverse sear a thick steak or rump cap: smoke it low, sear it hot, cook to doneness by probe, plus kettle and kamado set-ups.

Smoking on a gas BBQ

How to get real smoke flavour from a gas BBQ with a smoke box or foil pouch, what to expect in British wind, gas safety basics and when to upgrade.

Smoking on a kettle BBQ

Turn the kettle BBQ you already own into a smoker with a two-zone or snake setup, water pan and wood chunks, and know when it's time to upgrade.

Trimming and slicing brisket

How to trim a brisket before smoking, separate the point from the flat, find the grain and slice it so every piece is tender rather than stringy.

Foil vs butcher paper

When to wrap brisket, pork shoulder and ribs, how foil and butcher paper differ, and when it's better not to wrap at all.