The Ultimate Guide to Smoking: Where to Start
Smoking is one of the oldest ways to cook food, but that doesn’t mean you need to be a BBQ expert to get started.
With the right smoker, a few basic techniques and a little patience, you can create tender, flavour-packed food at home. From pulled pork and ribs to brisket, chicken and even vegetables, smoking opens up a whole new world of BBQ.
If you’re new to smoking, the number of different smokers, fuels, woods, temperatures and cooking times can seem overwhelming. So, where should you start?
In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of smoking, explain how to choose your setup and show you how Masterbuilt smokers can help you take your first steps towards becoming a confident pitmaster.
What Is Smoking?
Smoking is a cooking method that uses low temperatures and smoke to slowly cook and flavour food.
Unlike traditional grilling, where food is often cooked quickly over high heat, smoking is all about taking your time. Depending on what you’re cooking, a smoking session can take several hours – sometimes even most of the day.
The result? Meat that is tender, juicy and packed with layers of BBQ flavour.
But smoking isn’t just for meat. You can smoke chicken, fish, vegetables, cheese and even desserts. Once you understand the basics, there are plenty of opportunities to experiment.
Why Is Low & Slow Cooking So Popular?
You’ll often hear the phrase “low & slow” when talking about BBQ.
It simply means cooking food at a relatively low temperature for a longer period of time. This gives tougher cuts of meat the opportunity to gradually break down and become tender.
For example, cuts such as pork shoulder and brisket contain connective tissue that needs time to break down. Cooking them slowly allows that transformation to happen without rushing the process.
Low & slow cooking is also where you can really build BBQ flavour. Over several hours, smoke has time to interact with the surface of the food, creating a rich flavour and, with the right technique, a delicious bark.
Choosing Your First Smoker
One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is what type of smoker you want to use.
There are many different options available, from traditional offset smokers to ceramic grills and modern electric smokers. Each has its own advantages and requires a different level of involvement.
At Masterbuilt, two options stand out for anyone looking to explore smoking: the Gravity Series and WiFi smokers.
The Masterbuilt Gravity Series
The Gravity Series combines the authentic flavour of charcoal with modern temperature control.
Instead of manually managing a traditional charcoal fire throughout your cook, the Gravity Series is designed to make temperature management easier. Charcoal feeds through the gravity-fed system, while the digital controls help you maintain your desired cooking temperature.
This makes the Gravity Series particularly versatile.
Want to smoke a brisket for hours? You can.
Want to cook ribs low and slow? Absolutely.
Want to turn up the heat and sear a steak? The Gravity Series can handle that too.
That combination of charcoal flavour, temperature control and versatility makes the Gravity Series an excellent option if you want one grill that can cover a wide range of BBQ techniques.
Masterbuilt WiFi Smokers
If convenience and control are your priorities, a Masterbuilt WiFi smoker offers another way to approach smoking.
WiFi-enabled models allow you to monitor and control your cook using connected technology, giving you more visibility over the temperature of your smoker and your food.
That can be particularly useful for longer cooks. Instead of constantly checking your smoker, you can monitor your cook and make adjustments when needed.
For beginners, this can take some of the uncertainty out of smoking. You can concentrate on preparing your food and learning the process while your smoker helps you keep track of what’s happening.
The result is a more controlled and convenient way to explore smoking.
Gravity Series or WiFi Smoker: Which Is Right for You?
Both options can help you get started with smoking, but they offer a slightly different experience.
The Gravity Series is ideal if you want the flavour and cooking experience of charcoal combined with digital temperature control. It also gives you the flexibility to grill, roast and sear at higher temperatures.
A WiFi smoker is particularly appealing if you value convenience and want to monitor your cook digitally. It’s a great option for longer smoking sessions where temperature monitoring is important.
Think about how you want to cook.
Do you want the versatility of a charcoal grill and smoker in one? The Gravity Series could be the right fit.
Do you want a dedicated smoking setup with connected technology to help monitor your cook? A WiFi smoker may be the better choice.
Choosing the Right Wood for Smoking
Once you have your smoker, it’s time to think about smoke.
Different types of smoking wood can add different flavour characteristics to your food. Some are relatively mild, while others provide a much stronger smoke profile.
Here are a few popular options:
Apple - Mild, slightly sweet and versatile. Great with chicken, pork and lighter foods.
Cherry - Fruity and slightly sweet, with a beautiful colour on the surface of meat. Works well with pork and poultry.
Hickory - Stronger and more traditional BBQ flavour. A popular choice for ribs and pork.
Oak - Medium-strength smoke with a balanced flavour. Versatile enough for beef, pork and poultry.
Mesquite - Strong and distinctive. Best used carefully, particularly with longer cooks.
The key is not to assume that more smoke automatically means better BBQ. Too much smoke can overpower your food.
Start with a moderate amount and experiment until you find the flavour profile you enjoy.
Charcoal Matters Too
If you’re using a charcoal smoker or grill, your choice of charcoal is an important part of the cook.
Quality charcoal provides the heat needed to maintain your cooking temperature and acts as the foundation for your BBQ. When combined with smoking wood, it can help create the rich, smoky flavour associated with traditional BBQ.
For the Masterbuilt Gravity Series, using suitable charcoal helps you get the most from the gravity-fed cooking system.
Think of charcoal as the foundation and smoking wood as the flavour.
What Should You Smoke First?
If you’re completely new to smoking, don’t start with the most complicated cook you can find.
Choose something relatively forgiving that gives you plenty of opportunity to learn.
Chicken
Chicken is a great place to start.
It doesn’t require the extremely long cooking time of a brisket or pork shoulder, so you can get a feel for temperature management without committing to an all-day cook.
Try smoking chicken thighs, drumsticks or a whole chicken. Experiment with different rubs and wood flavours to find your favourite combination.
Pork Ribs
Ribs are another excellent introduction to smoking.
They give you the opportunity to practise maintaining a consistent temperature over several hours while experimenting with seasoning, smoke and sauce.
Once you’re comfortable with ribs, you can start moving towards longer cooks.
Pork Shoulder
Ready to take things a little further?
Pork shoulder is one of the classic low & slow cuts. It contains plenty of connective tissue and fat, which means it benefits from a long, slow cook.
The reward is tender meat that can be pulled apart and served in buns, tacos, loaded fries or simply enjoyed on its own.
Brisket
Brisket is often considered one of the ultimate BBQ challenges.
It takes patience, preparation and careful temperature management. Because of its size and structure, a brisket can take many hours to cook, and every brisket behaves slightly differently.
If you’re new to smoking, consider working your way up to brisket rather than making it your first ever cook.
Once you’re ready, however, it’s one of the most rewarding projects you can take on.
How to Prepare Your Food
Before you even light the smoker, preparation matters.
Start by trimming your meat if necessary and removing any unwanted excess fat or tough pieces of connective tissue.
Then add your seasoning.
A BBQ rub can be as simple as salt and pepper or as complex as a blend of herbs, spices, sugar and chilli. There’s no single “correct” rub – it depends on the flavour you want.
For larger cuts, give your seasoning some time to work into the surface of the meat before it goes onto the smoker.
And remember: you can always add more seasoning later, but you can’t take it away.
The Importance of Temperature
Temperature is one of the most important parts of smoking.
Instead of relying on cooking time alone, use internal temperature to help determine when your food is ready.
Different foods have different target temperatures, and the ideal finishing temperature can also depend on the cut and your preferred result.
For example, chicken needs to reach a safe internal temperature, while large cuts such as brisket and pork shoulder are often cooked until they reach a point where the connective tissue has broken down and the meat is tender.
This is why a reliable meat thermometer is one of the most useful tools you can own.
Don't Cook by Time Alone
You’ll often see recipes that say something like “cook for six hours” or “smoke until done”.
Treat these timings as guidelines rather than guarantees.
Weather, the size and shape of your meat, the starting temperature of the food and your cooking temperature can all affect how long a cook takes.
Temperature and tenderness are much better indicators than the clock.
Managing Your Smoker
One of the biggest lessons for a new pitmaster is learning not to interfere too much.
It can be tempting to constantly open the smoker, check the meat or adjust the temperature.
But every time you open the lid or door, you can lose heat and smoke.
Give your smoker time to do its job.
With a Masterbuilt Gravity Series, digital temperature controls can help make temperature management easier. With a Masterbuilt WiFi smoker, connected monitoring can give you additional visibility over the cook.
The more confident you become, the more you’ll learn when you actually need to make an adjustment – and when it’s best to leave things alone.
The Stall: Don’t Panic
If you start smoking large cuts of meat, you may eventually encounter something called “the stall”.
During a long cook, the internal temperature of meat can appear to stop rising for a period of time. This is common with large cuts such as brisket and pork shoulder.
It happens as moisture evaporates from the surface of the meat, creating a cooling effect.
The important thing is not to panic.
Your smoker may be maintaining the correct cooking temperature while the internal temperature of the meat appears to barely move. Depending on your cooking method, you can simply wait it out or use techniques such as wrapping the meat to help move the cook along.
Resting Your Meat
You’ve spent hours smoking your food. Don’t ruin the final step by cutting into it immediately.
Resting allows the meat to settle after cooking and can help retain moisture when you slice or pull it apart.
The exact resting time depends on what you’re cooking, but larger cuts generally benefit from a longer rest.
Use that time to finish your sides, prepare your sauces and get everyone ready for dinner.
Common Smoking Mistakes to Avoid
Everyone has a bad BBQ cook eventually. It’s part of learning.
Here are a few common mistakes to avoid:
Cooking at the wrong temperature
Low & slow doesn’t mean randomly low. Pick a target temperature and try to maintain it consistently.
Using too much smoke
More smoke doesn’t always mean more flavour. Start conservatively and learn how different woods affect your food.
Opening the smoker too often
Trust your setup and use your temperature readings instead of constantly checking the food.
Relying entirely on cooking time
Every cook is different. Use internal temperature and tenderness as your guide. Use a meat probe when possible.
Skipping the rest
Give your meat time to rest before serving, especially larger cuts.
Taking on too much too soon
You don’t need to start with a brisket. Build your confidence with chicken, ribs and pork shoulder before moving on to more demanding cooks.
From Your First Cook to Your Next BBQ Challenge
Smoking is as much about the journey as the final plate.
Start simple. Learn how your smoker behaves. Experiment with charcoal and wood. Try different cuts and recipes. And don’t be afraid of the occasional imperfect cook – it’s all part of becoming a better BBQ cook.
Whether you choose the charcoal versatility of the Masterbuilt Gravity Series or the convenience and connected control of a Masterbuilt WiFi smoker, the most important step is simply getting started.
So choose your first cut, fire up your Masterbuilt and give yourself plenty of time.
The smoke is calling.
