Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Youtube | Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.
Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch
Tips for more smoke?
Options
BigGreenVOL
Posts: 81
I can't seem to get any smoke flavor into my long cooks. Doesn't matter if I use chunks or chips, soak them or don't soak, adding them after getting the charcoal is started, etc
HELP!!
cooking on large big green egg if that matters. sometimes use digiq, depending if overnight or not. just getting a little frustrating. I know I won't get super smoky flavor but I should at least be getting some. I use primarily hickory plus some apple/cherry. not a fan of mesquite. thanks
HELP!!
cooking on large big green egg if that matters. sometimes use digiq, depending if overnight or not. just getting a little frustrating. I know I won't get super smoky flavor but I should at least be getting some. I use primarily hickory plus some apple/cherry. not a fan of mesquite. thanks
Nashville, TN and huge Tennessee Vols fan
Comments
-
Just add more chunks/chips later on in the cook. They just burn the same as the charcoal and you have to replace.
Large BGE, Mini Max
Wigan, UK
-
Instead of lifting the grate / drip pan and plate setter to add wood, I'll slide a few chunks in the bottom vent up against some of the hot lump pieces that fall through the fire grate. It doesn't disturb the cook, and you can keep the smoke rolling the entire cook this way if you want.South Jersey Pine Barrens. XL BGE , Assassin 24, Weber Kettle, CharBroil gasser, AMNPS
-
is it true you have to wait for the heavy white smoke to burn off before throwing the meat on? and wood in the bottom vent is a great idea. I also do add more wood during the cook, but I just slide it to the side of the plate setter and it never really gets to the fire.Nashville, TN and huge Tennessee Vols fan
-
i dont taste much smoke if i hang out near the egg when its cooking, but i can taste it in leftovers the next day.i get desensitized to the smoke flavor smelling it all day, its a problem being the cook. try staying away from the egg when its cooking
fukahwee maineyou can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it -
I experimented with wood logs and no lump. Took a while to get going but I got a lot of smoke lol.
-
Layer the lump and chunks. I don't wait till the smoke clears... Just when it smells clean.Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN
-
fishlessman said:i dont taste much smoke if i hang out near the egg when its cooking, but i can taste it in leftovers the next day.i get desensitized to the smoke flavor smelling it all day, its a problem being the cook. try staying away from the egg when its cooking
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
When I want more smoke, I use my offset stick burner. no but seriously. I think it is a combo of what was said above. You don't think it is smokey but it is. One of my biggest issues when I started using the BGE (which was my first experience with smoking altogether) was the "lack of smoke taste." I used to load tons of wood chunks which worked but it would billow smoke for 3-4 hours which also is not good. I learned with the egg less is more. Too many chunks of wood and the smoke will taste bitter.
-
What I have found recently that works well is this. Layer of lump roughly the same thickness as the wood chunks I am using. add3 wood chunks on top of that layer of lump. Add more lump to just barely cover those first wood chunks you just added, add 3 more chunks. In the end I do 3-4 "layers" like this for a total of about 9-12 wood chunks. Some might say even that is too much wood but I have found it to work well as really at the end ofa bout a 12 hour cook, only about half of those wood chunks actually burned cause the fire didn't find the other half of chunks. wtf is up with paragraphing on this site? Sorry for the lack of formatting, I did try to make paragraphs.
-
Don't bother soaking. It just delays smoking. They won't ignite anyway.
The egg smokes a bit more at 250 than 225 or lower. And even more the higher you go. More air, bigger fire.
I don't wait for the smoke to clear either but as @henapple says, only until it smells good
hickory is pretty strong. If you don't get any flavor from that, you're maybe using too little, or have it in the wrong spot
put it in the middle of the egg, rather than spread around. And instead of on top, put it up and down intermingled with the lump so it burns throughout the cook
there is no truth to the idea that smoke stops being "absorbed" after the dabled first hour. If you want a lot of smoke flavor, you meed a lot of smoke
rather than a lot at the beginning, or running too hot to generate the most smoke, it's better to go gentler for longer.[social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others] -
awesome. appreciate the help as always guysNashville, TN and huge Tennessee Vols fan
-
You ARE getting smoke on your cooks. The thing is, (go with me on this) a person who smokes cigarettes can't smell the smoke on his or her body, but the person next to them who doesn't smoke - can.
Same way with smoke on food, your cooking on your egg or Weber or whatever all day ... you can't smell it, but the person who later eats it - can.
At least, that's what I think.I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca. -
do some research on a variable burn technique. I think that will be useful in your quest to get more smoke flavor...thin "blue" smoke is all you want..if its white, its not right...Have:
XLBGE / Stumps Baby XL / Couple of Stokers (Gen 1 and Gen 3) / Blackstone 36 / Maxey 3x5 water pan hog cooker
Had:
LBGE / Lang 60D / Cookshack SM150 / Stumps Stretch / Stumps Baby
Fat Willies BBQ
Ola, Ga -
It might be true that we can get a bit desensitized to smoke while cooking, but I've had exactly the same experience as the OP and I urge him to keep trying things until he gets what he wants.
Some things (like chicken) I like only a little smoky, but some things, like ribs, brisket, pork butt, I like as smoky as I can get them. I was even thinking of buying one of those perforated pipes by A-Maze-N Smoker that they fill with wood pellets to add more smoke. But what finally worked better for me, anyway, was this, for a low-and-slow:- I fill lump to the top of the fire ring with NO wood, start the fire in one place in the center, no plate setter, bottom vent open full, dome closed but top vent off completely. Wait 15-20 minutes and start checking the dome temp, also keeping an eye on white smoke.
- When the dome temp is getting around 250°, I close down the top and bottom vents to my best guess as to where they'll need to be to maintain 250° to 275°, and let the Egg stabilize maybe another 15-20 minutes.
- Then I add hickory chunks, 4-5 or more, radially around the central fire, so that as the fire widens, more and more of the wood will smolder, add the plate setter, add the meat. I don't usually find a huge drop in dome temperature, and pretty quickly I'm back to 250° or so.
Anyway, my biggest point is that whether other people insist your food is smoky or not, if YOU don't find it smoky enough, keep on trying different things! I was in the same boat, and I'm very happy now with the smokiness of my cooks. -
@fishlessman said it right above, I often thought my leftovers had a better smoke flavor than the day I did the cook.“There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
Coach Finstock Teen Wolf -
@Theophan I am going to try your method next time. The hard part I have visualizing is that my fire always burns straight down and to the back. If all the wood is on top of unlit lump, how is it burning to produce smoke?
-
I always light my fire in 3 or 4 places, regardless of the cook I'm doing. Then, I place one chunk of smoke wood on one of the spots I just lit. Additional chunks go where it is NOT lit. Then I add the furniture and the food. That way, I have smoke from the very beginning and as the fire spreads, no matter which direction, I continue to get smoke, usually for the duration. And I never have to take things apart to add wood.
I have considered the idea of placing a chunk or two into the bottom vent as needed. I keep meaning to try that, but never have. The possibility there is changing the vent setting and the temp. And if using a temp controller, that would have to be removed and reinstalled.I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!
MichaelCentral Connecticut -
busmania said:my fire always burns straight down and to the back. If all the wood is on top of unlit lump, how is it burning to produce smoke?
Fire doesnt crawl around the top of the lump or the sides.
People used to advocate putting wood on top in top in a spiral. Think about that for a second. Let me know when you are done laughing
imagine the area occupied by the fire grate extended up thru the lump. In that space is where moat of my chunks or chips are[social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others] -
Darby_Crenshaw said:busmania said:my fire always burns straight down and to the back. If all the wood is on top of unlit lump, how is it burning to produce smoke?
Fire doesnt crawl around the top of the lump or the sides.
People used to advocate putting wood on top in top in a spiral. Think about that for a second. Let me know when you are done laughing
imagine the area occupied by the fire grate extended up thru the lump. In that space is where moat of my chunks or chips are
This is indeed what I currently do. Theophan mentioned the top method so it got me thinking. -
I have an old chimney starter that the handle has broken off...When I have some time, I'm going to cut it in half with a grinding wheel and test that using a variable burn in a circle alternating every few inches between lump and smoking wood. I am fairly certain that this will NOT work without a draft system (the wood may smolder out without it)..in theory, it will burn around the circumference of the cut in half chimney started getting a few hrs of coal, then wood, then coal, then more wood.Have:
XLBGE / Stumps Baby XL / Couple of Stokers (Gen 1 and Gen 3) / Blackstone 36 / Maxey 3x5 water pan hog cooker
Had:
LBGE / Lang 60D / Cookshack SM150 / Stumps Stretch / Stumps Baby
Fat Willies BBQ
Ola, Ga -
I get a ton of smoke flavor. I use about 4 good sized chunks throughout my lump.
Kansas City, Missouri
Large Egg
Mini Egg
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" - Gandalf -
SmokingPiney said:Instead of lifting the grate / drip pan and plate setter to add wood, I'll slide a few chunks in the bottom vent up against some of the hot lump pieces that fall through the fire grate. It doesn't disturb the cook, and you can keep the smoke rolling the entire cook this way if you want.
XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas GrillKansas City, Mo. -
Use more wood! There was a pretty cool cool graphic on here years ago that recommended putting wood throughout your lump, so that it smokes throughout the cook and you're not finding yourself having to add wood during the cook
=======================================
XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
Tampa Bay, FL
EIB 6 Oct 95 -
stike says...
He's probably right, but I'm too lazy to "arrange" things.I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!
MichaelCentral Connecticut -
Found a picture of what I would like to try...xcept I would definitely use more wood...he called this the snake method..I've always know it as a variable burn...
Have:
XLBGE / Stumps Baby XL / Couple of Stokers (Gen 1 and Gen 3) / Blackstone 36 / Maxey 3x5 water pan hog cooker
Had:
LBGE / Lang 60D / Cookshack SM150 / Stumps Stretch / Stumps Baby
Fat Willies BBQ
Ola, Ga -
2 things not mentioned above.
1st, less consequential. At lower temp in the minimal oxygen flow of an Egg, the wood won't burn. The purer charcoal of the lump grabs the oxygen. The wood slowly bakes, releasing the gases that produce the flavor. If you put a big enough chunck of wood in the Egg, at the end of 6 - 7 hours, its lump itself.
2nd, more important for taking smoke flavor is how wet the surface of the meat is. If its really wet, the smoke doesn't stick well. What is best is a "tacky" surface, called a pellicle. Happens naturally as meats, fish most notably, become a little dry. I've been complemented on the amount of smoke I get, and my method is to blot the meat w. paper towels maybe 10 min. before putting on the rub. I also do not mop the meat, or have it above a drip pan. If it looks like its getting to dry, I use a basting brush to add a very thin layer of water, while pressing down.
Hope this helps.
-
Darby_Crenshaw said:That's where ou should put the wood. In the middle, up and down. ... imagine the area occupied by the fire grate extended up thru the lump. In that space is where moat of my chunks or chips arebusmania said:
This is indeed what I currently do. Theophan mentioned the top method so it got me thinking. -
I'm like Carolina Q. I start in 3 places, let the fire get up to about 250 and the smoke clears, put in the wood chunks, and then add the meat indirect with a medium woo. Have never had a problem with inadequate smoke.Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
-
I was about to make a comment here but realized I'm too fkd up. Carry on, gents. Looks like some mtherfkn science n sh!t. Love it.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
nolaegghead said:I was about to make a comment here but realized I'm too fkd up. Carry on, gents. Looks like some mtherfkn science n sh!t. Love it.
NOLA
Categories
- All Categories
- 182.7K EggHead Forum
- 15.7K Forum List
- 459 EGGtoberfest
- 1.9K Forum Feedback
- 10.3K Off Topic
- 2.2K EGG Table Forum
- 1 Rules & Disclaimer
- 9K Cookbook
- 12 Valentines Day
- 91 Holiday Recipes
- 223 Appetizers
- 516 Baking
- 2.4K Beef
- 88 Desserts
- 164 Lamb
- 2.4K Pork
- 1.5K Poultry
- 30 Salads and Dressings
- 320 Sauces, Rubs, Marinades
- 543 Seafood
- 175 Sides
- 121 Soups, Stews, Chilis
- 35 Vegetarian
- 100 Vegetables
- 313 Health
- 293 Weight Loss Forum