For less than $70 you can easily convert a standard Weber Kettle into a smoker capable of making restaurant quality smoked ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, turkey, or salmon. If you have a limited budget or limited deck space, there is no need to buy a standalone smoker.
Here's how it works: The Smokenator is a simple piece of bent 18 gauge stainless steel that inserts into the lower half of the kettle. You can place meat on the lower and the upper rack so it is possible you can get 8-10 slabs on at once. Then you put some hot charcoal in the Smokenator, some wood chunks on top of them, and some water in the water cup.
Put the lid on, adjust the dampers, and go drink a beer. The Smokenator will pump out aromatic smoke and just the right low and slow temp for hours. I had no trouble keeping the temp under 250°F on a 100°F day. The thick steel plate blocks your meat from direct exposure to the flames becoming a large flat radiator providing indirect heat. The water bowl puts moisture in the oven which helps develop the smoke ring. Keep in mind that this is a "hot" smoker so it can't do cold smoking for things like lox or cheese. But it can do just about anything else the fancy-schmancy smokers do. A very clever, inexpensive gadget that actually works as advertised.
The Hovergrill is a grate that sits on top of the grill's top grate. It is a bit flimsy, but if you don't abuse it, it should last for years and increase your capacity significantly. It is also sold by the makers of the Smokenator.
I find another use for the Hovergrill. When I am grilling steaks I want high heat, like they get in steakhouses, so I remove the Smokenator and place the Hovergrill on top of the charcoal grate and under the cooking grate. Then I put a layer of hot coals on the Hovergrill. This locates the heat about 1" below the meat and generates 700°F or more. That's what you need to get steaks dark brown and crispy on the outside and still have them rare to medium rare in the center.
The PartyQ Thermostat
This is a really nifty addition to the Weber Kettle, especially in concert with the Smokenator.
You close the bottom vents on your kettle, and if the vents are pretty tight, and the lid is snug, the PartyQ controls the oxygen supply to the coals. It is a battery operated fan connected to a thermometer that you place next to the meat. Set the target temp, and it shuts off the air supply when the temp gets above it, and when it drops below, the fan supplies air to the coals. You need to drill a hole above the cooking grates in order to attach it, but it really turns your kettle into a temperature controlled oven!
Ordering info
Click below for discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon:
If you have a Weber Kettle grill, you need a Smokenator. The Smokenator may be the best accessory for the Weber Kettle ever. It turns an $89 grill into a $400 smoker for about $70.
Alas, there are some things I strongly disagree with in the Smokenator manual. Here are my tips for success:
The Smokenator manual says "Insert a Taylor candy thermometer or a bi-metal thermometer into one of the upper vent openings." Do not use a thermometer in the dome unless you plan to eat the dome. The side of the grill with the Smokenator will be hot, the side without will be much cooler. The temp in the dome will be a blend of the two. In addition, the temp on the bottom rack will be about 50F lower than the temp on the top rack. You must always measure the air temp where the meat will be. It is the meat that you are cooking, after all.
Besides, bi-metal dial thermometers, especially the $10 variety are usually junk. They are often off by 50°F or more. You absolutely must use a good digital oven thermometer to get this baby under control. Once you've done that you can smoke as well as any of the big units. Click here to read my buyer's guide to thermometers.
Before you start cooking, calibrate your tool. Do some dry runs without meat so you know what it is actually doing and how it reacts to changing vent openings and when coals burn down. Start by reading my article on calibrating and seasoning your new grill or smoker.
Remove all ash before using the Smokenator.
Open the top vent halfway and leave it there. Never close the top vent all the way. Start with bottom vent open all the way. Control the temp with the bottom vent only. It feeds oxygen to the coals. Try not to close the bottom more than halfway. If your lid is bent, it is letting air in and you can't control temp. Get a new lid.
The air temp outside the grill, rain, and wind can drastically impact the internal temp. You cannot rely on the settings in the manual. It was written by people in San Jose, CA, where the weather is always beautiful. The colder the day, the more lit coals you need to use. On hot days use a mix of lit coals and unlit coals. You can put hot coals on top of unlit coals or visa versa, it doesn't make much of a difference. But beware, unlit coals produce more smoke, so you will need less wood.
The more cold food in the grill, the colder the air temp in the grill will be so you will need more fuel in the form of lit coals or air or both.
Don't use lump charcoal. It varies from bag to bag and you need consistent heat. There is also too much dust in lump bags and dust impedes airflow in the Smokenator. I recommend Kingsford Competition charcoal because it does not make as much ash as standard Kingsford blue bag or other charcoals. Pick a charcoal and stick with it.
Use a chimney to light your briquets before putting them in the Smokenator. A Weber chimney holds about 80 briquets and the Smokenator holds about 60, so don't fill the chimney all the way. Fill the Smokenator with hot coals that have turned white, close the lid, and start watching the temp. Adjust the lower vent and watch the temp. Take notes. Experiment with half a chimney. Learn your tool.
Fill the water cup with water, not beer, wine, juice, etc. They don't penetrate the meat. The just waste money. If the cup doesn't settle in all the way because coals are in the way, that's OK. Fill the water cup whenever it gets low.
Add a total of about 4 ounces of wood to start. I usually put a chunk in before the lit coals. If you prefer, you can add the wood on top of the coals through the holes on either side. I recommend wood chunks not chips, as large as you can get through the holes. Mojobricks, which are made from compressed sawdust are great for this purpose. Read my article on the Zen of Wood.
Every 30 minutes use the skewer they supply to stir the coals and knock off ash, add unlit charcoals to fill it back up, and top off the water pan. The unlit coals will create smoke so you do not need to add wood. And, no, unlit charcoal will not make your food taste bad unless you use the stuff that has accelerant in it like Matchlight. Read my article on The Zen of Charcoal.
When you lift the lid, lift it straight up and don't tilt it. That will trap much of the heat under the hood and recover will be faster when you put it back on.
DonZ says he puts a loaf pan on top of the water pan and fills it with water so he doesn't have to refill the tiny Smokenator cup as often. Smart!
Cook on the upper grate most of the time.
Keep the lid on tight.
Combine the Smokenator with a PartyQ thermostat and you have one helluva machine!
If you have a Smokenator, what advice do you offer?
1) If you are looking for info, please use the table of contents or the search box, at the top of every page before you ask for help.
2) Please don't ask any questions that involve temperature unless you tell us that you are using a digital thermometer! Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F! If you are not using a good digital you have no idea what the temp really is so I can't help you. If you are still using a dial thermometer, please read this article about thermometers, then buy a good digital, and then, if the problem persists (chances are it won't), hit us with your questions. Please tell us everything we need to know to answer your question like the type of cooker you are using.
3) Please don't ask "What grill (or smoker) should I buy?" Read our Buyer's Guides and the buying checklists and follow the links. We've shared just about everything we know. Pay attention to the awards I have given my faves. We cannot pick the right cooker for your needs any more than we could pick the right car or spouse for you.
Important Info About This Website
AmazingRibs.com is all about the science and zen of barbecue, grilling, and outdoor cooking, with great BBQ recipes and techniques: Baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, steak, burgers, chicken, smoked turkey, lamb, barbecue sauces, burgers, steaks, rubs, and side dishes, with the world's best buying guide to barbecue smokers, grills, and accessories. It is edited by Meathead.
AmazingRibs.com is published by AmazingRibs, Inc., a Florida Corporation.
Our philosophy about food is simple. First of all it must taste great. It must be easy to make and emphasize fresh seasonal products with a minimum of processed ingredients. We think that people need to know why as well as how, so we spend a lot of time explaining things, and we believe that there are no rules in the bedroom or dining room.
About Product Reviews and Best Value Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals. These are highly recommended products based on features, quality, and especially value. Rest assured that when we recommend a product, it is really because we like it, not because someone has paid us to say so because we do not accept advertising from products we review. We purchase many products we review although occasionally suppliers send us samples. We have always been transparent about when we are reviewing a product sample, even before the Federal Trade Commission Required it in 2009. Click here to read more about our medals.
About links on this site. Other than clearly marked ads, links and recommendations on this site are all products, services, and websites we truly admire, and are never paid endorsements. Your suggestions are always welcome. If you would like us to link to your website, click here to read our links policy first.
Advertising on this site. AmazingRibs.com is one of the 100 most popular food websites in the US according to comScore, Alexa, and Quantcast. It is by far the most popular barbecue website in the world and pageviews increase rapidly every year. Advertising on AmazingRibs.com is a great way to build your brand or make direct sales. We do not accept ads from products we review and we keep a strict wall between editorial and advertising, so, for current pricing and availability of prime space, contact our agency, Federated Media, by clicking the logo at right. Click here for analytics, stats, demographics, and advertising options.
Our Privacy Promise. AmazingRibs, Inc. promises to never sell or distribute any info about you individually without your express permission, and we promise not to, ahem, pepper you with email or make you eat spam. Click here for more details of our privacy promise.
Disclaimer. The information on this website is for educational purposes only. All material within comes without warranties of any kind. The authors are human and capable of mistakes, omissions, or errors, so we make no guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or safety of the information. Under no circumstances are we liable for any damages that result from use of the site (so you can't sue us if you don't like a recipe or if you burn your tongue on hot ribs, OK?).
This link takes you to Amazon and tags anything you buy with a code so we get a referral fee. It works on anything from grills to diapers and it has zero impact on the price you pay. The best reasons to buy from Amazon are low prices, fast often free delivery, fair return policies, and often there is no sales tax. But clicking on that link before you shop helps us devote more time and money to you. Thanks!
Look At These AmazingRibs.com Best Value Gold Medal Winners
The prize for Best BBQ Tool at the 2012 The National Barbecue Association conference went to a simple inexpensive fridge magnet by Meathead. It includes the latest USDA recommendations as well as chef recommendations (and they often differ) as well as color photos of the different stages of doneness for red meats. The temperatures are the same for both indoor and outdoor cooks. Click here for more info and how to order it.
GrillGrates Take You To The Infrared Zone
GrillGrates are the best new product I have tested in years and the best thing to happen to beef since salt and pepper. The base superheats, eliminates hot spots, and blocks flareups. This is the concept behind the expensive new infrared grills. A must for gas grills. Click here for more about GrillGrates.
The Smokenator: A Necessity For All Weber Kettles
If you have a Weber Kettle, you need the amazing Smokenator and Hovergrill. The Smokenator turns your grill into a first class smoker, and the Hovergrill can add capacity or be used to create steakhouse steaks. Click here to read more.
ThermoWorks Pocket Thermometer - No More Guessing
A good thermometer is why I never serve overcooked or undercooked food. This one has a very thin tip with a tiny thermocouple so it gives an accurate reading in just six seconds. I cannot recommend it more highly. It will improve your cooking overnight and pay for itself in a hurry. And it is inexpensive. Click here for more about thermometers.
Steakhouse Knives
These are the same knives used at the best steakhouses (Peter Luger, Smith & Wollensky, Morton's and others). Machine washable, temper-ground, serrated, high-carbon stainless-steel, full-tang blades with excellent cutting edge retention, beefy hardwood handle, rust and stain resistant, and they stay shiny without polishing. And now they have the AmazingRibs.com imprimatur. Click here for more info on these wonderful knives.
Donate to keep
this site free!
With a $30 donation you'll get a 100% cotton brushed twill adjustable low profile cap with the AmazingRibs patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of BBQ'rs Delight wood smoke pellets. Click here for more info.
This is a really nifty addition to the Weber Kettle, especially in concert with the Smokenator.
(note that this does not fit the 18.5" kettle)
AmazingRibs.com is all about the science and zen of barbecue, grilling, and outdoor cooking, with great BBQ recipes and techniques: Baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, steak, burgers, chicken, smoked turkey, lamb, barbecue sauces, burgers, steaks, rubs, and side dishes, with the world's best buying guide to barbecue smokers, grills, and accessories. It is edited by 
About Product Reviews and Best Value Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals. These are highly recommended products based on features, quality, and especially value. Rest assured that when we recommend a product, it is really because we like it, not because someone has paid us to say so because we do not accept advertising from products we review. We purchase many products we review although occasionally suppliers send us samples. We have always been transparent about when we are reviewing a product sample, even before 
The prize for Best BBQ Tool at the 2012 The National Barbecue Association conference went to a simple inexpensive fridge magnet by Meathead. It includes the latest USDA recommendations as well as chef recommendations (and they often differ) as well as color photos of the different stages of doneness for red meats. The temperatures are the same for both indoor and outdoor cooks. 
With a $30 donation you'll get a 100% cotton brushed twill adjustable low profile cap with the AmazingRibs patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of BBQ'rs Delight wood smoke pellets. Click here for 
