You just got a new smoker and you’re ready to start smoking meat, right? Not so fast. Before you can start smoking anything on a brand new smoker, it’s important to season it. Don’t worry—it can be done in just a few simple steps.
Why do you need to season your smoker?
Similar to a cast-iron pan, seasoning is what keeps your smoker in good condition for years to come. It adds a protective layer that helps prevent corrosion and ensures you get even, clean smoke every time you fire it up.
Another reason you need to season your smoker is to burn off any chemicals left behind from the manufacturing process. Whether your smoker is store-bought or custom-made, the fabrication process often leaves behind residual chemicals from manufacturing. The last thing you want is to serve up your first brisket with a side of toxic chemicals, so it’s important to get rid of them before you start cooking food.
Step One: Cleaning your smoker
The first step in the seasoning process is to give your smoker a nice little bath. Some people skip this step, but I always like to do it, especially if I’m working with a mass-produced smoker from a big company.
Get a bucket of warm water and add a bit of dish soap. Then grab a small towel (or washcloth) and give the smoker a thorough scrubbing. Once your smoker has been scrubbed down, keep it open and let it dry for an hour or so before moving on to the next step.
Step Two: Apply Oil
Once your smoker is clean and dry, you’re ready to start the seasoning process. You will need a neutral oil for this step.
You can use any type of oil you have on hand. Canola or vegetable oil are great, affordable choices. You can also use olive oil. I personally like to use a spray avocado oil. Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil and tends to burn a bit cleaner. The spray oils just make it easier to apply over the entire interior smoker surface.
If you don’t have (or don’t want to use) spray oil, you can just take a bottle of oil and use a paper towel to coat the entire inside of your smoker.
Step Three: Fire up the smoker
Once the entire inside of your smoker is well-coated in the oil of your choice, it’s time to fire it up. Fill your firebox with the type of wood you plan to cook with and get a fire going.
You want to run your smoker around 300°F to 350°F for the seasoning process. This is a little higher than normal smoking temperatures, but just about any smoker you buy should be able to maintain that temperature just fine.
You want to let it smoke for 3 to 4 hours, adding wood as needed. You will notice the color of the inside of the smoker darken and patina during this process, which is a good indicator that the seasoning is building up.
Step Four: Cool down
After running your smoker for 3 to 4 hours and burning off all the oil, let it cool down to lock in the seasoning.
It’s fine to just let the fire burn out naturally, then you want to let it sit for at least an hour or two to fully cool down before you’re ready to start BBQing.
Now that your smoker is seasoned, you're officially ready to start your BBQ journey. Fire it up, experiment with flavors, and most importantly—enjoy the delicious results!
Bear Mountain BBQ Pro Tip
"Apply thin layers of a high smoke-point oil like canola or vegetable oil. The oil will smoke heavily and begin to darken the metal—this process is called polymerization."