How much charcola/wood chunks

TXSamIam

I am a BGE rookie.  I bought my first BGE (an XL) 2 weeks ago and so far I love it.  I have been playing with it the past 2 weeks doing pizzas, steaks, burgers, beer can chicken and a few other things. This weekend I am doing my first serious smoke.  I have a 14.5 lb brisket, 4 racks of ribs, jalapeno cheddar sausage, and candied bacon burnt ends.  My brisket needs to go on around midnight on Friday in order to cook to temp and have a couple hour rest before serving.  How much lump and wood chunks do I put in to keep it going all night at 225-250 degrees?
  

I am an experienced BBQer, I have been smoking in a smoker with an offset fire box using logs for fuel fo 20+ years but the BGE is new to me. 

Carolina Q

Welcome to the nuthouse.=) For a lo n slow, always just load up the egg with lump. Up to the top, or near the top, of the fire ring. That will give you more than enough and when you shut down after the cook, any unburned lump will be available for your next cook.

How much lump is used depends in part on the cooking temp and the brand of lump you're using. Some seem to last longer than others, but any will last long enough for this cook. Here's an old pic of an 18 hour cook on my large using Wicked Good Weekend Warrior lump...

As for smoke wood, I just throw 3-4 fist sized chunks in there, mixed in with the lump. Sometimes, I don't use any.

Photo Egg

Welcome...where are you located?
Lots of Eggfests in Texas for you to visit.

bikesAndBBQ

There are a lot of YouTube videos out there that are really helpful. They show everything from how much lump to use and how to set your dampers to cleaning. They really helped me on my first few low and slow cooks. I am better at learning by seeing things rather than learning by reading. 

da87

More is better - you don't want to run out of gas on a long drive!  Here's the fire build for my brisket a couple of weeks ago - went about 20 hours total with the KAB still almost full at the end. (Photo of remaining lump is just after lighting for the next cook). Mix of 2 or 3 apple chunks and hickory chips layered in the lump - chips only because I was out of all other chunks  



And here's the remainder at the start of my next cook (just lit)

WeberWho

The amount of wood chunks depends on what you're cooking. The flavor of the wood will also depend on how much you use. I wish I could tell you the perfect amount for certain cooks but it all really depends on your own personal preference of smoke flavoring. When placing the wood chunks in the lump bury them in the lump near the top lump surface. If they get buried too low into the lump they might not even see any fire as it takes a long time for the fire to get towards the bottom of the lump. If using oak for brisket I'll use 4-6 fist sized chunks for brisket. 

TXSamIam

Photo Egg said:

Welcome...where are you located?
Lots of Eggfests in Texas for you to visit.

I am in Mansfield (DFW area).  I am looking at heading to the Eggfest in Driftwood on 4/29

Rte1985

great advice so far! I don't have anything to add.  on low and slow just load that egg up! My first pork butt i woke up at 4 am and noticed on my maverick that my grate temp had sank like the titanic!  Nothing like being out in the dark in your undies at 4 in the morn loading more lump in the egg due to underloading at the start of the cook!  Lesson learned!

Hotch

TXSamIam said:

Photo Egg said:

Welcome...where are you located?
Lots of Eggfests in Texas for you to visit.

I am in Mansfield (DFW area).  I am looking at heading to the Eggfest in Driftwood on 4/29

@TXSamIam Hi and welcome to the herd. We will be cooking at the Texas Eggfest in Driftwood. Come by and say Hi! I always load it almost to the top of the fire ring. But I have a large.
Others who have the XLarge may chime in as it holds a bit more.

TXSamIam

Thanks for the advice, looking forward to doing my first big cook on the BGE.  Even more excited to try the bacon burnt ends I am making for the first time.

bhedges1987

For a brisket I do about 4 chunks mixed through the wood

Mastro

The challenge many have with low and slow is understanding where to place your chuncks. Typically low fires burn small.  With that in mind, if your fire spreads too later to your chunks you'll continuously be burning vocs - gray or white smoke.  The key is to place your chuncks where they will start to pre-burn when you start your fire then continue at the first part of your cook, rather then burn white smoke in the middle of your cook; can happen when you open your dome later then choke it down when you close it. One of the most challenging parts of smoking with an egg verse something like a Lang.

Eoin

For long cooks I load the XL to just under the top so there's minimal clearance between the lump and the platesetter (legs up). Light in one spot as well, you don't need multiple fires for low and slow. I just throw some wood on top once it's lit, should probably try and mix it in but have never got round to doing that. There will be plenty of lump left at the end, better than running out.