How does the Egg keep foods so moist?

robnybbq · November 2012

OK - How does the Egg keep foods moist while cooking? Is it the fire of the lump for heat? The ceramic I ma sure aids in keeping the temps steady but heat is let out through the top opening.

I used to use a Weber gasser that always dried the foods out.Even at a recent tailgate, I tried grilling (Coleman Road Trip propane gas)dome chicken legs using Dizzy Pig Tsunami Spin and I hated them on the gas but love them on the Egg.

Just want to know why I am addicted to this madness of the Egg.

Browninggold · November 2012

No air leakage

nolaegghead · November 2012

Combustion generates water and the environment is well sealed so it has more humidity than conventional grills/smokers.

2C7H4O + 15O2 ==> 4H2O + 14CO2

scottc454 · November 2012

Combustion doesn't generate water in this case because you're burning carbon.

The Egg keeps food moist because less it holds the heat in, requiring less fuel to be burned. Therefore it requires less airflow than a typical metal barbecuer. Less airflow means less drying out of the food.

nolaegghead · November 2012

Lump isn't pure charcoal. It averages out to be C7H4O. But you're right - there's less airflow.

scottc454 · November 2012

nolaegghead said:

Lump isn't pure charcoal. It averages out to be C7H4O. But you're right - there's less airflow.

Ya learn something everyday. I bet Wicked Good is around C50H40.

I am now going to convert my egg to propane to get more moisture:

C3H8 + 5O2 ==> 3 CO2 + 4 H2O

SmokeyPitt · November 2012

Thank you professor! :-B

Austin Egghead · November 2012

nola where did you get the formula? Most MSDS sheets list it only as C. To your point various woods will reabsorb moisture, oak lump reabsorbs 5%.from what I have read.

Here is a post from the past :http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/454247/organic-lump-charcoal

yall might enjoy

nolaegghead · November 2012

Austin Egghead said:

nola where did you get the formula? Most MSDS sheets list it only as C. To your point various woods will reabsorb moisture, oak lump reabsorbs 5%.from what I have read.

Here is a post from the past :http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/454247/organic-lump-charcoal
yall might enjoy

I saw that formula in a couple of places - it's probably more of a ratio that a molecular formula.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal#Production_methods

Anyway, it's an impure, amorphous form of carbon. I grind up lump all the time and use it like carbon black for filling in holes in reclaimed wood furniture (mixed with latex wood filler). Lovely stuff.

Austin Egghead · November 2012

nola wrote:Anyway, it's an impure, amorphous form of carbon. I grind up lump all the time and use it like carbon black for filling in holes in reclaimed wood furniture (mixed with latex wood filler). Lovely stuff.

That was a tip on one of the This Old House Magazines several years ago.

nolaegghead · November 2012

Austin Egghead said:

nola wrote:Anyway, it's an impure, amorphous form of carbon. I grind up lump all the time and use it like carbon black for filling in holes in reclaimed wood furniture (mixed with latex wood filler). Lovely stuff.
That was a tip on one of the This Old House Magazines several years ago.

No kidding - and I thought I was being clever. ;) I actually bought a Kitchen Aid spice mill to dedicate to lump grinding....

Fred19Flintstone · November 2012

I thought the Egg keeps things moist because the Mothership includes Eggy Magic inside each one! Or maybe its elves?

nolaegghead · November 2012

Fred19Flintstone said:

I thought the Egg keeps things moist because the Mothership includes Eggy Magic inside each one! Or maybe its elves?

Magic egg...hmmm...keeps it moist.....sounds like something the ladies would like. brown-chicken-brown-cow

Skiddymarker · November 2012

Fred19Flintstone said:

I thought the Egg keeps things moist because the Mothership includes Eggy Magic inside each one! Or maybe its elves?

Fred, I think elves are part of the Keebler cookie tree before it is made into lump. I'm going with your suggestion of magic.

The answer is low air flow and a sealed hot space = little drying effect on the food, Nola equation please....

nolaegghead · November 2012

pig flesh + egg + entropy = tasty deliciousness!

Browninggold · November 2012

Some of them posts sounds like a nasty yeast infection

Fred19Flintstone · November 2012

Magic, elves or equations. What's the difference? Any which way, in the right hands, it all leads to great food!

Nature Boy · November 2012

Rob,

Here is my guess. The Egg, once it heats up, needs very little air to stay at temp. Air carries moisture with it, so the more air that flows through, the more moisture is lost.

Just a hunch, but it's what I am thinkin.

Cheers!

Chris

lousubcap · November 2012

Once you master all the above-here's the chemistry key-lots of C2H5OH-it will fix anything in the near-term. Downstream explanations may be a bit of a challenge :)>-

nolaegghead · November 2012

lousubcap said:

Once you master all the above-here's the chemistry key-lots of C2H5OH-it will fix anything in the near-term. Downstream explanations may be a bit of a challenge :)>-

Buurrrrrp (CO2). I agree (*hic*) totally.

Little Steven · November 2012

I'm scared now [-O<

nolaegghead · November 2012

Steve, when you go to bed tonight - just remember you're basically a little bag of chemicals that are reacting with each other, and somehow all that hydrochloric acid in your stomach isn't burning a hole through your PJs, bed and floor.

SteveWPBFL · November 2012

When cooking indirect the food is centered in a thermally convective volume due to the dome as well as a thermally radiative volume due to the ceramic dome, which tends to seal and cook the food evenly from all of the outer surfaces in toward the center.

Little Steven · November 2012

You guys are so analytical. Sometimes you have to let art flow over you.

nolaegghead · November 2012

I'm more artist than scientist. Scientist pays the bills though.

scaryangel · November 2012

You guys are cracking me up tonight. =))

Botch · November 2012

What's everyone's favorite rub for elf-meat?

nolaegghead · November 2012

Botch said:

What's everyone's favorite rub for elf-meat?

I prefer Gold Bond Medicated Rub for elf meat. They're a little gamey.

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