Smoking and moisture loss of meat

Smoked meats lose, on average, around 10% of moisture during the smoking process. This depends on the temperature, smoking time and humidity inside the smoker. Eliminating moisture was important when products were smoked for preservation purposes. Today, the importance of preserving meats by dehydration plays a secondary role, since the loss of liquids means reduced weight, which reduces profitability. To avoid this loss, commercial manufacturers inject water into the meat and circulate moist air through the smoker. Briquettes, sawdust, charcoal, or electric heaters produce little or no moisture. Placing a pan filled with water inside the smoker can help, and this method is very common in small barbecues or smokers. These homemade or small smokers are not equipped to receive a constant supply of moist air.

Fresh air contains moisture that cools the casings or surface of the meat. When smoking outdoors, fresh air enters and prevents drying out. No matter how beautiful a small commercial smoker may be, it will not be able to perform the same job without the help of a pan of water. Since water boils at sea level at a constant temperature of 100°C, placing a pan filled with water inside a small smoker will also help regulate the internal temperature. Keep in mind, however, that 100°C is too high a temperature to produce quality meats and sausages, so you will need to measure the temperatures and position the pan in the hottest part possible. In short, wet smoking is the type of smoking that, in an adapted way, uses a plate of water placed inside the smoker to increase the humidity levels during the process. Soaking wood chips in water an hour before smoking will produce a similar effect.

When using wood, which always has at least 20% of moisture, even when perfectly dry outside, in the first phase of combustion the wood dries out and all the moisture evaporates with the smoke. Once the wood is burned the remaining charcoal has no water, and the only moisture is brought in by the outside air. In drier climates these little tricks will benefit from the extra moisture. Remember that the surface of meats or sausages should not be wet during smoking.