Smoking

Unknown · June 2000

I bought a medium BGE Saturday, and cooked a small pork roast on it. I used apple flavored chips soaked for an hour in water. The flavor and moistness was amazing! One small problem - at 250 degrees, the chips didn't seem to burn, so I had to open the vents (400 - 500 degrees) to burn them, then try to get back to 250 which was difficult.[p]Another question - it seemed like only the center portion of the coal was burning when I reached my target temperature (250). Should I wait until all of the coal is burning before I start cooking?

Mike Oelrich · June 2000

Hoyt Wagner,[p] I'm sure a couple people are answering you even as I type this so we'll see how many of them beat me to the punch. First, you don't have to wait until all the coal is glowing. If you do (assuming you're using lump charcoal) you will have one super-hot fire! The lump charcoal burns very cleanly and easily so there is no need to get it all fired up as you would briquettes. I routinely start a very small fire in the center to get some low-temperature smoking in before the meat has a chance to cook too much.[p] Also, you don't really want the wood to burn up quickly. You want it to smolder in there. Usually, if the BGE is at 250 (stabilized) and you put the chips in contact with the glowing charcoal, you'll get smoke. There should be no need to get the BGE up to 400-500 to get smoke. If I have a very small fire going, I don't saok the chips . . .[p]MikeO

Nature Boy · June 2000

Hoyt Wagner,
MikeO is on the money as usual. You only need a small fire to maintain 250. The fire will slowly spread, and move around a little, but it will its job well with only part of your lump pile burning at any one time. Get those chips right in the fire, and it will be smoking before you close the lid! Chunks are better for more prolonged smoke, chips will give you shorter bursts of smoke...but are effective if used at the beginning of the cook.[p]Good luck!
NB

sprinter · June 2000

MikeO,[p]"If I have a very small fire going, I don't soak the chips . . ."[p]Excellent point MikeO, I was going to post something similar to this but you beat me to it here. I've been a proponent of soaking my wood, chunks-chips-hardwood pieces etc, for a long time but did some 'sperimenting lately and have found that in a low slow fire the dry wood actually does a better job of smouldering than the soaked wood IMHO. They dont burn up that quickly either as the fire is not hot enough to make them. So, I've taken to smoking low and slow with dry wood and for the 300-400 degree fires I soak the wood. Above that wood seems to be useless anyway.[p]Troy

Char-Woody · June 2000

Hoyt Wagner, sounds like you still have charcoal briquet habits. No need for that as charcoal lump burns in a different manner. Small core of hot coals = cooking temps.
And smoking wood lump doesn't and shouldn't burn, it should smolder over and around the core heat source.
Cheers and better luck next time..you will get better and better.
C~W[p]

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