Pit Curing
Curing your new pit:
A new BBQ pit should be cured like a new cast iron skillet.
You may choose to rub the inside of the pit with peanut oil, cooking oils, or even bacon grease left over from bacon cooked on the stove.
Light the pit with a low fire, around 15O° for the first 3 hours, then 220°-230° for 4 to 6 hours. Choke the smokestack control to about ½ and let it smoke heavily.
Three hours is good but the longer the better. A pit will cure without oils but the buildup of the resin base doesn’t seem to hold very well over the years.
I have made maybe 1oo,ooo BBQ pits, noticing that the pits seated with oil seem to produce better gains in ones cooking abilities.
Do not use green woods or very dry woods. They can produce very bitter tastes. NEVER EVER use green mesquite in a smoker.
During rains storms, high winds, or cold weather you can improve heat retention by using moving blankets over the smoker main chamber with great success. Do NOT cover the firebox. Please use caution when using moving blankets around fire.
