Easy Way to Light a Smoker Tube
A smoke tube turns any grill into a smoker. If you already have a Pit Boss or any other pellet grill, it's a great way to increase the smokey flavor in foods and cold smoke your favorite foods. Let's walk you through how to light a smoke tube in a Pit Boss pellet grill.
How to Light A Smoke Tube In A Pit Boss Pellet Grill?
Despite the popularity of smoke tubes, most people have no clue how to use a smoke tube in a Pit Boss pellet grill (I know I didn't). Lighting and using a smoke tube is so easy and affordable, you'll wonder why you never used one before.
To light the A-Maze-N smoke tube you'll:
- Fill the tube
- Light the Pellets
- Wait 10 Minutes
I picked up the A-Maze-N smoking tube at the local Ace hardware store during a Black Friday deal they had. I've only had the opportunity to use it once when I cold smoked cheese.
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So, I'm still learning how to use it and I'll be writing more articles on where to put it, what else you can cook and etc.
So, today, I want to help you learn the process of lighting a smoker tube in case you've never heard of it.
What Is A Smoking Tube?
Before we get into lighting a pellet tube smoker, let's quickly explain what exactly a smoke tube is.
A smoke tube is a metal tube, box, or container where the smoking pellets are kept.
Smoking devices come in different sizes and shapes from 6″ – 12″ tubes and smoking boxes.
I chose the 12″ inch tube because it will burn up to 4 hours when completely full.
A-MAZE-N AMNTS12-HKY Oval Pellet Tube Smoker...
- A-MAZE-N 12" Pellet Smoker Tube turns ANY GRILL into a BBQ Smoker!
- Smokes like a train for up to 4 hours on 12 oz of pellets. Great for both hot and cold smoking your favorite foods!
- Easy to use - be ready to smoke in 10 min. Lightweight & portable. Made from stainless steel.
- Add a delicious smoke flavor to any food you crave - meats, cheeses, veggies, and nuts.
- Smoker Tube is prefilled with 100% Hickory Premium Wood BBQ Pellets.
You can even get the oval expandable version that goes from 12″ – 18″ if you think you'll need more than 4 hours.
Regardless of the kind you choose, once you put the fuel in it, and light it, it will produce a decent amount of smoke. You place it in gas, charcoal, or pellet grill to infuse food with more smoke.
Why Use A Smoke Tube?
Since gas, charcoal, and pellet grills are unable to sustain smoke production and temperature under 120°F, a smoke tube is used for cold smoking purposes.
It can be used for both cold and hot smoking.
How to Light An A-Maze-N Smoke Tube?
There are several types of smoking devices to choose from, after doing some research, I chose the A-Maze-N smoker tube. The process is the same, regardless of which smoking device you own.
Pro Tip: If you have a different smoking device, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
So let's get started.
Step 1: Fill the Tube
Fill the smoke tube with pellets. When I smoked the cheese, I filled the smoke tube with applewood pellets. There's no need to purchase the A-Maze-N pellets that are sold on the official Pit Boss website unless you want to.
The smoke tube will work with the Pit Boss pellets or any pellets that are in your hopper. That said, when smoking foods, you'll want to use subtle pellets such as cherry, apple, maple, and pecan, so you'll want to ensure you have some type of subtle pellets on hand.
Using the wrong type of pellets will infuse too much smoke which can overpower the flavor of the cook and make it inedible.
To fill the tube, I held it over the 5-gallon bucket of pellets and used my free hand to put them in the tube.
Refer to the instruction manual for how many pellets to add to the smoke tube.
Step 2: Light the A-Maze-N Tube
Next, stand it vertically or lay it on the grates, to light. Some people will hold it in their hands to light it, and place it in the grill once lit.
If you notice the pellets fall out when lighting it while laying flat, stand it up vertically. Either way, once you start lighting the tube, don't touch the part that is being lit, as it is hot. I personally burnt my fingers when I first lit mine.
Use a creme brulee torch (butane) or multi-lighter of some type to light. It can take a while for the pellets to light, so you don't want to use a cigarette lighter, or you'll burn your fingers.
It will take a while for the pellets to catch fire, so don't give up. Danson the manufacturer of the A-Maze-N tube (which is the same company that manufactures the Pit Boss pellet grills), recommends using a Gel Alcohol Fire Starter, to get the pellets to light faster.
I chose not to use it because I didn't want my pellets tainted. If you're using cherry flavored pellets, be aware they will be harder to light than other flavored pellets.
Step 3: Smoke the Smoke Tube Burn
Once the pellets are lit, allow the pellets to burn for 10 minutes, to ensure they are burning well. I left the lid open while the flame was burning, but you can close the lid and it won't go out (I tested it).
After 10 minutes softly blow the flame out so you're left with just smoke. At this time, you can place the smoke tube wherever you want it in the smoker and it gets good ventilation.
Make sure you use a good pair of gloves because it will get hot after it's been burning for a while.
Once positioned, close the lid to the smoker or grill and let the grill do the work.
What to Do When You're Done Cooking?
Once you're done cooking, all of the pellets will be burnt, depending on the size of the pellet tube. If not, then you can leave the smoke tube in the pellet grill and continue to let them smoke, until all the pellets are burnt.
I personally leave the tube in the grill until it has completely cooled. If you do handle it after it's been burning for a while, make sure you use a good pair of gloves.
Final Word
A smoke tube is a great way to turn any grill into a hot or cold smoker. I've only used mine once, but plan on using it for more cooks in the near future.
You don't have to be a professional to use one. Anyone can use one to give their foods, more flavor.
Hopefully, this step-by-step tutorial was helpful to you and shows you how easy it is to light an A-Maze-N pellet tube. I suggest picking one up, (they cost about $30) to see for yourself how it can enhance the flavor of the foods you cook!
Related Articles
- 17 Unusual Foods You Can Smoke on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Source: https://smokergrillgirl.com/how-to-light-a-smoke-tube-in-a-pit-boss-pellet-grill/
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