Lava rocks ?

[puddle jumper]

I was just wondering if anyone had used lava rocks in the bottom of the smoker??
I was thinking it would help with temp swings and add to the flavoring,,,I thought I might put them on a piece of exspanded metal "under the burner or on the side of it" so you could remove them and put them back in for cleaning the smoker...

also the directions don't say anything about it but smokers I have seasoned in the past I have used Pam or cooking oil on the walls before seasoning, anyone do this with these smokers?

What do you think???
 
Thanks
PJ

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[smokeasaurus]

I don't think Pam spray is necessary. The inside walls will get black before you know it. I would heartily suggest lining the bottom of your smoker with HD foil only..........

You can always e-mail Steve and see what he says about the lava rocks............

[UWFSAE]

Agreed with Smoke about letting the actual cooking "varnish" the inside of the smoker.  After a few cooks mine had a very nice patina of smoke and baked-on flavor ... I'd argue that simply letting nature do it's thing "ain't broke" so it doesn't need fixing.

As far as lava rocks, you've got several options.  A water pan, whether filled with H20 or even sand, will help you stabilize the temps.  Even a baking stone (I found one on a "scratch & dent" sale for $5.00) will do the trick.  I wouldn't put loose rocks on the floor of the smoker as they'd be likely to tear through HD tinfoil and make cleanup of grease far more trouble than necessary; also, even in a basket as you describe they'll still get a fair coating of grease and since lava rocks are so porous they'll soak it up and might contribute to a rancid smell/flavor on the next use.  I think there are other options with equal or superior heat retention characteristics available to you.

[puddle jumper]

Thanks,
  I always like to mess around with everything I get to try to make it a little better,,,
PJ

[DivotMaker]

PJ,

I definitely agree with the "ain't broke, don't fix it" theory.  I trust that the Smokin-It designers did a great job in figuring-out what works best in our smokers, and I've personally had great success operating it per their instructions.  I always foil line the bottom and smoke box lid, and always use a water pan next to the smoke box (usually with H2O, but sometimes with apple juice or beer).  These are tried-and-true methods that work great for me.