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:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Lighting the big green egg

IE
IE Posts: 1
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
i seem to get an abundance of smoke form my starters. i used to be able to get my egg started in less than 10 min now it takes forever and i have trouble getting rid of the dense smoke. what has gone wrong?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
    Beckie,
    Stir your leftover coal to knock the ash through the fire grate before you add new coal. -RP
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,887
    Beckie,
    why are you blaming the starters? Sounds to me like your lump has changed maybe. Even the country of origin can affect the same brand such as Royal Oak.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • penfresh
    penfresh Posts: 103
    Beckie,[p]that's why I like my electric started...no burn off!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Beckie,
    starter cubes need a lot of air to stay lit, otherwise they simply smolder. with starters, you need to keep the bottom vent open, and the top (daisy) off, or have the whole lid open.[p]i long ago switched to other methods, but my wife found a bunch of starters on a clearance rack, and so i used one last night. half the time, a chunk of starter stops flaming and simply puffs heavy white smoke. it's not good for cooking, but you don't want to put food on during the start up anyway. once the lump gets fully involved, the starter will be consumed.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BigT
    BigT Posts: 385
    stike,[p]I still use starters on the medium egg I stashed at the gf's house (think she needs a Xmas gift from Harbor Freight lol).[p]I use two squares torn into 8-10 pieces and nestled into the lump somewhat. Remove the top, open the draft door wide, and I'm good to go in 20-25 minutes.[p]Big T
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Big T,
    the BGE starters are better than the wood sawdust kind. the paper board burns a little better.[p]BGE's are good, but six bucks a box (here)... i stopped buying them a while ago and do the paper-towel/olive oil thing.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Eggoholic
    Eggoholic Posts: 90
    Beckie,
    Buy you a MAPP torch, 45sec, open the bottom and top, 5-10min later you are at 500-600 temp
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,733
    Beckie,
    couple of things can cause that. moisture, especially if its been a few days from the last start up. too many lower temp cooks without enough hot searing style cooks will gumb things up, one of my eggs is thick with low and slow residue and starts slowly, the other does a lot of hot cooks and the interior is white and lights fast. another cause is too much ash under the fire box or the fire box not lined up properly, when is the last time you removed the firebox and cleaned under it, especially in back. not enough air flow from ash in the lump or too many small pieces
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Flashback Bob
    Flashback Bob Posts: 519
    stike,
    FWIW- I discovered the Rutland Firesarters that seem to be the same as BGE, but a lot cheaper.(12.49 for 144). And they light better than the wood/sawdust starter log things.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories