Cayenne are fairly thick skinned. Are you smoking for powder or just to eat . If for powder I recommend slicing them in half and cooking for about 4 or 5 hours at 200 degrees. If you want to keep the color you may want to go even lower temp for a longer duration.

Does that same recommendation hold for jalapenos when making chipotles? Whole and/or powder. Not for soaking in adobo or other sauce, just for storage.

Jal's are even thicker so might need to go a little longer. You will no they are ready when they crumble in your finger tips. I finish mine off in the dehydrator just to make sure.

I smoked and dried some peppers this year (not cayenne or jals).

I cut all of them in half, put them in foil trays, and smoked them for a couple hours. By cutting them open you get more smoke absorption by both increasing surface area and the flesh is more permeable.

After taking on smoke for a couple hours, I moved them to the dehydrator to dry.

I was happy with the way they turned out. And the house smelled awesome for about a week! LOL

If you're just interested in smoking them is to take on the smoke flavor / aroma. use a lower heat and not "cook" them.

Now, if you want to roast them as well as smoke them, then you want a higher temperature. I've done that as well with other ingredients mixed in for hot sauce.

Hi tsheets, this is the way I will try this weekend thanks, think I'll split in two, smoke cold for a couple of hours till they take the smoke flavour then put in dehydrator, will let you know how it all turns out. Cheers, Chaouen

If you've got a smoker of your own then you really can't ruin them. I have one as well that runs on charcoal/wood and I always cut the stems and tops of the peppers. This allows the smoke to get directly inside allowing the smoke flavour to really absorb. You can cut them in half as others have mentioned but then you'll lose a lot of the seeds.

Once on the smoker just basically keep an eye on them throughout the day until they've become fully dried out. You don't need a dehydrator unless you don't have the patience to leave them on the smoker long enough.

Making chipotle is a whole different thing than smoking chiles on the barby.