Gravity Feed Smokers are an indirect heat fired smoker. This means there is a fuel source off to the side and not directly under the cooking space. Natural air movement and gravitational draw is used to move the heated air thru and across the cook chamber and out the stack.
A Gravity Feed Smoker works on the principle of a sealed environment. The amount of “fire” is controlled by the amount of oxygen that is allowed in from the ball valve. The chute (full of fuel) cannot ignite all of the charcoal in the chamber at one time, because there isn’t enough oxygen available for combustion. This is known as “oxygen depletion”; so oxygen only exists in the area of fuel in the bottom 4 to 6 inches of the chute and atop the fire grate. Next, the exhaust stack creates a natural draft which pulls air into the firebox from the ball valve, it then moves across the fuel and through an into the area where there is a “tube” that allows the heat/smoke to transfer from the firebox into the cook chamber.
Once inside the cook chamber, the divider plate evenly distributes the air and heat and allows the natural convection process to begin. Once this process has started air and heat movement naturally drafts up, around and out through the exhaust stack. So by controlling the amount of oxygen that is fed in, we can control the amount of “fire” or the temp in the cook chamber.
Once inside the cook chamber, the divider plate evenly distributes the air and heat and allows the natural convection process to begin. Once this process has started air and heat movement naturally drafts up, around and out through the exhaust stack. So by controlling the amount of oxygen that is fed in, we can control the amount of “fire” or the temp in the cook chamber.
The heat/smoke moves through the cook chamber of a gravity feed much slower than in a typical offset stick burner smoker.
Therefore the cook chamber doesn’t dry out as much either — this creates a nice moist cooking environment that doesn’t tend to cause meat to dry out as fast while it is cooking.
