Start egg for long smoke

A-Baum · July 2017

I've had my egg for years but wondering if there's a better or more efficient way to get the egg started for a low temp cook. I use a chimney so any responses should be predicated on that. I fill up the chimney nearly to the top and get the fire started below with butcher paper. Once fire is coming out of the top I dump it on my prepared pile of charcoal and spread it out. Then I put the plate setter in and close the vents to a big more open than what I usually set it for 225-230 cooking.

Should I let the fire spread more before closing it up? Leave plater setter off for a while? I have found it is far more difficult decreasing temp in the egg than increasing it so I've done this method. But with my method it takes a long time to stabilize the temp and for the white smoke to clear out. Maybe there's no better way but I'm just checking. Thanks in advance.

RRP · July 2017

I've just never understood using a chimney for the very reasons you describe and complain about. It just seems like any time gained is then lost.

lousubcap · July 2017

Curious as to what you consider a long time for stabilization and clearing of smoke. That said, no need to a chimney full of hot lump for a low&slow cook.

A-Baum · July 2017

RRP what is the preferred method? Always open to learning.

RRP · July 2017

My preferred method may differ from others and so be it, but mine is dump my lump in, push a foil starter pack or a Rutland square in under the top lump and light. Walk away with dome raised and bottom vent wide open. Come back in 15 minutes, close dome, but still without daisy or SW and wait maybe 10 minutes and adjust my setting. Ready to rock & roll in 30 minutes from first lighting most of the time. YMMV

saluki2007 · July 2017

MAPP torch

dlogs · July 2017

I use a chimney but have had better success for long slow cooks only filling it half way. Then, after dumping it I spread it around a bit. It takes a little to get up to the number but seems to work better for me.

mgoblue0484 · July 2017

+1 Mapp Torch

lousubcap · July 2017

There are about as many ways to light the BGE as posters. As you note, the key is not to over-shoot your target temp. I pretty much follow @RRP's process, except I will load the internals and shut dome, install DFMT and close lower vent to around 1" open when I have around a soft-ball sized quantity of lump burning. Then dial it in from there. FWIW-

nolaegghead · July 2017

You are lighting too much lump with that method for a low and slow. It would work fine if you put 3 or 4 lumps of, well, lump in the chimney.

Carolina Q · July 2017

I tried a chimney once. Wound up with a raging inferno and never tried it again.

A low and slow cook doesn't need much of a fire. Most folks just put the unlit lump in the egg (with smoke wood mixed in) and light the lump in one small spot. Add platesetter and drip pan then. Leave the dome open for a few minutes to make sure it gets going, then close the dome and adjust the vent pretty close to where they will need to be for the desired temp. It takes a little longer that way (as opposed to wide open vents to heat up faster), but if you get distracted, you are less likely to come back to a 900° egg!

If you are going to stand there and watch it, then leave the vents open until the temp get within 50° or so of your target. Then close them to where they need to be. Much easier to sneak up on your target than it is to go beyond it and have to bring it back down.

Many ways to start a small fire: cooking oil soaked paper towel, Map torch, weed burner (well, not such a small fire there), electric starter, heat gun, etc.

Hans61 · July 2017

I use Weber starter cubes

they're cheap and easy

look at rons method above

I'm a little different, after the cube is gone and fire is going I thrown in PS and close lid adjust to where I know the vents should be for the temp I want once it's close I open take out PS add smoke chunks put pS back in and add grate - then I go in get the food bring out usually after the first 5-10 min of smoke I just watch for it to thin out a bit before adding the protein

WDE86 · July 2017

I use an electric starter. I pour my lump in around it, let it go until I've got about a fist-sized area of orange coals (I have small'ish fists), then remove it and put my plate setter in and drip pan.

I'll leave the vents wide open at top and bottom for 3-5 minutes, but after that I'm pretty much good to go anywhere I please temperature wise (up or down).

Teefus · July 2017

Carolina Q said:

....A low and slow cook doesn't need much of a fire. Most folks just put the unlit lump in the egg (with smoke wood mixed in) and light the lump in one small spot. Add platesetter and drip pan then. Leave the dome open for a few minutes to make sure it gets going, then close the dome and adjust the vent pretty close to where they will need to be for the desired temp. It takes a little longer that way (as opposed to wide open vents to heat up faster), but if you get distracted, you are less likely to come back to a 900° egg!

This is my approach. Sometimes I'll use some leftover lump from the last cook in the chimney and get a small, well established fire going on the air inlet side. Once it's going well I'll fill up the rest of the firebox, add wood chunks, plate setter, etc. and close things down to get the temp established. It takes a bit of time to heat up and burn off the volatiles, but on a 12 or 18 hour cook what's an extra few minutes? The pile of lump will burn like a candle from one side to the other.

Start egg for long smoke

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