Newbee struggles

rayofsmoke

Hi all, I've had my egg for about a year now, I love it and have used it quite a bit with many good results, particularly with stuff that I've grilled, but I want to do more smoking going forward.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

I have done a few smokes, I think I’ve got ribs down pretty good, but I'm having some problems getting the egg to the correct temp for longer smokes. 

What I'm struggling with is when I use as much lump as a long smoke takes (just above the air holes) I can't seem to stop the temp from going way past my desired target (usually 225) without choking the vents completely off for what seems like forever, a few times I thought I had actually snuffed the fire out by the time the temp got back down enough.  

Hints, tricks?

 

Philly35

For a long smoke you should fill the egg with lump past the firebox and can go to the top of the fire ring. As long as the plate setter can get on there you will be good. One thing that helps me with low and slows is to get the fire to 225 slowly instead of getting a good fire going and trying to get it down. Just light it in one spot and leave the dome open till the fire goes out and shut it and wait. Make sure your dome thermo is calibrated and have some patience! The egg will pull through!

Philly35

And welcome to the forum!! There's a lot of good advice here! We have all been in those struggles at one time or another.

rayofsmoke

Thanks for taking the time to give your advice and welcoming me.

You're right, I've been waiting until the coals are white and the smoke has stopped puffing at full strength before closing the dome.

I didn't realize you could put that much lump in at one time, I was following instructions from videos that I've seen that mentioned the air hole level.

Thanks again, now can't wait to try it out tomorrow, I was going to do ribs again, but now I think I'll do a shoulder.

 

jlsm

For me, 225 is too low. At the beginning of a cook (and for me even a couple of hours) the grill temperature is 50 degrees or so cooler than the dome temperature. This means, you're really cooking at 175. Take it up to 275 and see if you can maintain that easier. 

I also don't light just in the middle. I still light in three places, close the lid after 10 minutes and watch it carefully. (I light in more than one place to increase the smoke.) I start closing it down 50 degrees before my target temp. I don't open the dome unless I'm testing for doneness, because the extra air really throws things off. (I even put the meat on before I reach temp, often at 170 or so.)

I'm a real advocate of the turbo method. I cook my baby backs in two hours with the grill temp at 310. The last time I did it, the dome temp stayed at 360 the whole time. I don't want to get into an argument about low vs. turbo here, but I notice no difference in the taste or texture. 

Even if you don't want to go turbo, do try increasing the temp just a bit. 

lousubcap

First up welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.

With regard to low&slow cooks, as noted above, within reason you cannot load too much lump.  The reason the BGE can run for in excess of 24 hours on one load of lump is because there is only a small amount of lump burning at any one time with low temp cooks.  The fire travels around the lump load during the cook.  You manage the air-flow thru the BGE and thus the fire volume and temperature.

Key to low&slow temperature control is to catch the temperature on the way up.  There are many ways to initially light the lump but I only light in one spot (just forward of center about 1/3-1/2 the way down the lump load).  I have the lower vent wide open and the dome open.  Once around a soft-ball sized amount of lump is burning I then load the platesetter and cooking grid, shut the dome and watch the temperature.  When within around 50*F of the target cooking temp (generally about 240-270*F on the dome) I set the lower vent and the DFMT to about the desired end settings and let it settle-in. 

Also, don't chase temperature:  +/- 10-15*F is close enough.  Most BGE's have a 'sweet spot" around 240-250*F.  Wait fo rthe smoke to smell good then load the meat and enjoy the cook.  FWIW-

Biggreenpharmacist

Welcome to the club. And I'm with the other guys, I'd shoot for 250-275. Results are the same except you might shave an hour orvtwo from cook time and those temps are a little easier to maintain than 225 ( at least from my experiences).

gdenby

I too thought that 225F dome was a good temperature of "smoking."  That is somewhat mistaken if one is talking about BBQ. Technically cold and hot smoking are done at lower temperatures, topping out around 180F. A reasonable definition of BBQ is that it always occurs in the presence of wood smoke, but not a direct exposure to a wood fire.

As mentioned above, the grill temperature is initially a good bit lower than the dome temperature.

 As has been demonstrated in the past year or so, meat cannot get hotter than the boiling point of water till about half the moisture in the meat has evaporated. This is the reason for what is called the stall, or the plateau. Even at 225F, the amount of time to drive half the water out of a smallish piece of meat, like ribs, will be hours. That's OK if you have the time, the smoke flavor will become more intense. With a thicker and heavier piece of meat, like a shoulder, the stall can last 10 - 12 hours at 250F.

Another minor point. As long cooks progress, and the meat warms up and shrinks from water loss, the dome temperature may creep up gradually. I find I often have the vents all but completely closed at 6 hours in to maintain a dome of 250F.

rayofsmoke

Good tips all and I will up the temp a little on the shoulder tomorrow, but I have to stick to 225 on my ribs, they come out soooo good I don't want to chance it.

I use the 3-1-1 hour method, but modified to 2.5 - 1.5 - 1 with a little smoke kicker in the final hour.

It seems tor me that a lot of good things happen in the wrapped stage, thats the reason for the extra time.

Skiddymarker

Welcomw - If you have a Maverick (or equivalent) it is great to remind you of the temps. I like set up described by @lousubcap above, and when I put in the setter I put in my pit probe as well. (Over a setter leg shaded from direct IR from lump). Set the alarm for about 25º below target grid temp and leave the vents about 1/2 open. Within 20-30 minutes the Mav is telling me we are close. 

rayofsmoke

That's a good idea too Skiddymarker, like I said all I've been doing so far was geeting the coals buring hot and clean before trying to control.

I have an "I-Grill" dual prob themo monitor (I love it BTW), but havent thought to use it until I put the meat on and not as an early warning to near temp ready time.

 

THEBuckeye

Light in one place and pay attention on the way up. Much tougher to bring the temp down than to control it going up. Then you can do a sanity check now and then. I don't use monitors - they are for the weak, the timid.