Questions in Retrospect

dunnharr · July 2011

I cooked my first Boston Butt on the large egg Saturday night and just had a question or two. I put it on and thought I had the temp stabilized, but left for about an hour and it had crept up to about 300. Once I got it back to between 230 and 250, it stayed there till I went to bed (about 11 hours total). When I checked it again about six hours later, it had dropped down below the point of even registering. I pulled it off, stirred the what little coals that were left, and put it on for another hour (total of about 18 hours). I then double-wrapped in HDAF and put in a Playmate cooler, and served about five hours later. It turned out great, but I was wondering if I should have done something different with the fire to keep it going the full time. I had about half new and half old BGE chunks. I'm thinking I may have been lucky this time and need to get this straightened out!! Thanks!!

gdenby · July 2011

For a long cook, it is good to fill at least half way up the fire ring.

For long cooks, I always clear everything out, and start with fresh lump. Used lump seems to burn a little differently. Don't know if it is because all the volatiles are gone, and/or that there is ash all over the surface.

My habit is to check every 4 hours. Most of the time, like the 11 hours your fire was stable, there's nothing to do. But it is good to catch the ftemp creeping up or sliding down.

Grandpas Grub · July 2011

There is a post down the list some.

skihorn · July 2011

As mentioned it is always best to clean out ash before a low and slow.

What size Egg do you have? My Large goes more than 20 hours with plenty of lump leftover. However, the one time I tried a low and slow on my Medium the fire went out after 16 hours and there was almost no lump left. At least one poster said on here that 16 hours is all he gets out of his Medium (others said they have gone longer). In any event, you can always finish in the oven.

Although I haven't tried it yet, I did break down and buy the Maverick probe with a grid temp and alarms for my next low and slow. I will just keep the monitor on my nightstand

Freddie
League City, TX

dunnharr · July 2011

Thanks - I have a large. I filled it up to the top of the fire box. Someone else said to go half-way up the fire ring. Would you agree?

Haven't heard about the Maverick probe. May need to check it out.

CrazyHarry · July 2011

I went about 18 hours on my medium but there was pretty much nothing but ash left.

lousubcap · July 2011

New to BGE but have lots of smoke time on the ol water/gassers. Matter of fact, last Sat nite I set out to smoke an 8.6# boston Butt. Cleaned fire box etc as mentioned above (always do that with a low& slow) and filled with new lump til about half way up the fire ring. Started with 1/2 fire starter cube bottom about bottom dead center (then piled on the remaining lump once ignitor burning well)at 9 PM. Stabilized at around a calibrated 250*F dome and put butt on around 10 PM. Only equipment is lower vent and DFMT. Monitored for around 90 mins and all is well. Checked a couple of times during the night and at one point the temp had moved up to around 280 and the next time down (screwed up the compensation:))to around 230-but then got it locked in around 250+/- 15 for the duration (almost). Took over 20 hours cook time to 200*F internal and that's with a boost to 290*F dome for the last 30-40 mins. Pulled sweet around 7 PM Sun.
Just checked fire box and easily have lump well over the air holes in the box-probably good for another 5-6 hours.
Hope this helps-
Bottom line-you can never load too much lump!
Checked

Longrifle · July 2011

lousubcap wrote:

New to BGE but have lots of smoke time on the ol water/gassers. Matter of fact, last Sat nite I set out to smoke an 8.6# boston Butt. Cleaned fire box etc as mentioned above (always do that with a low& slow) and filled with new lump til about half way up the fire ring. Started with 1/2 fire starter cube bottom about bottom dead center (then piled on the remaining lump once ignitor burning well)at 9 PM. Stabilized at around a calibrated 250*F dome and put butt on around 10 PM. Only equipment is lower vent and DFMT. Monitored for around 90 mins and all is well. Checked a couple of times during the night and at one point the temp had moved up to around 280 and the next time down (screwed up the compensation:))to around 230-but then got it locked in around 250+/- 15 for the duration (almost). Took over 20 hours cook time to 200*F internal and that's with a boost to 290*F dome for the last 30-40 mins. Pulled sweet around 7 PM Sun.
Just checked fire box and easily have lump well over the air holes in the box-probably good for another 5-6 hours.
Hope this helps-
Bottom line-you can never load too much lump!
Checked

I am a new egger and doing my first long and slow this weekend. Should I fill with lump to the top of the fire box? And what seems to be a good number of wood chunks to add to the lump for correct amount of smoke? Thanks to all

lousubcap · July 2011

I have been good with going well above the fire box about half way up the fire ring. Always enough lump. Wish I had the answer for the wood chunks but I got to the BGE after a serious failure of the ol water /gasser so I'm still depleting my stash of chips. I used cherry and for this last cook did about four good handfuls spread throughout the lump-had great flavor. Best advice-be patient with getting the temp stabilized.
Once the ignitor has burned then i put in the plate setter and drip pan so all the things that need to get to temp are there. Time to adjust for smoking temperatue.
When good with the lower vent and DFMT settings and all is stable time to start the cook. Once the food is on the temp will initially drop but don't tough a thing. The temp will return to the pre-meat setting and after that, sit back and enjoy the show-couple of ice cold beers do help!

Longrifle · July 2011

lousubcap wrote:

I have been good with going well above the fire box about half way up the fire ring. Always enough lump. Wish I had the answer for the wood chunks but I got to the BGE after a serious failure of the ol water /gasser so I'm still depleting my stash of chips. I used cherry and for this last cook did about four good handfuls spread throughout the lump-had great flavor. Best advice-be patient with getting the temp stabilized.
Once the ignitor has burned then i put in the plate setter and drip pan so all the things that need to get to temp are there. Time to adjust for smoking temperatue.
When good with the lower vent and DFMT settings and all is stable time to start the cook. Once the food is on the temp will initially drop but don't tough a thing. The temp will return to the pre-meat setting and after that, sit back and enjoy the show-couple of ice cold beers do help!

Thanks so much, wish me luck..

lousubcap · July 2011

BTW- here's a great link with plenty of info-check out both recipes for pulled pork and you can't go wrong.
And best of luck:)
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/recipes2.htm#pork

Braumiester · July 2011

When I do Low&Slow I fill to top of fire ring on my large, have never ran out of lump...Pete

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