Smoking meats is a very different process from grilling on a barbecue or cooking on a stove. Smoking involves lower temperatures and longer cooking times. Heat up your smoker to about 200 °F (93 °C). Follow your manufacturer’s instructions to get the smoker ready for use, such as adding water and smoke flavoring.

Some people like to cook bratwurst at a higher temperature, such as 250 °F (121 °C), while others aim for a much lower temperature, starting at 100F for an hour, then raising to 125F and 150F. These lower temperatures will mean it will take you much longer to cook the brats.
Hickory or applewood smoke is a good flavor for smoked bratwurst.
 Line up the bratwurst inside the smoker and be sure to give each wurst a little room. Be careful not to puncture or tear the casings on each brat.

Brats will cook more slowly on the bottom rack than on the top rack., Leave the smoker to cook the bratwurst for 2 to 2.5 hours. You don’t need to flip over the bratwurst halfway through. Rather, leave them alone for at least 2 hours. Every time the door to the smoker opens, the smoker loses a little heat and you’ll have to cook a little longer.

Adjust your cooking time if you are smoking at a lower temperature than 200F.
 After about 2 hours, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the bratwurst. The bratwurst should reach 160 °F (71 °C).

It’s best to use the same bratwurst every time to check the temperature. Every time you puncture it with a thermometer, some juices will escape and will make that bratwurst less than perfect.
 Use tongs to take the bratwurst out of the smoker. Set them on a plate. Be sure to use a different plate than the one you may have used to load them in. You want to avoid cross-contamination between raw bratwurst and cooked bratwurst.
Heat up your smoker.
Use tongs to place bratwurst inside the smoker.
Smoke the bratwurst for 2 to 2.5 hours.
Check the bratwurst’s internal temperature.
Remove the bratwurst.
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