How do you keep a smoke going evenly during a long cook

Unknown · December 2007

Am having trouble finding a method to keep an even smoke while cooking on my LGE. Seems as tho it smokes ok for a couple of hours then stops. Any suggestions?

Wilby · December 2007

jim.patterson,
One way is to use large chunks of wood and soak them for 24 hours in water. That way they won't dry out and burn up so fast.

Sundown · December 2007

jim.patterson,[p]For the most part the meat will absorb most of the smoke it's going to in that two hours. The cooler the meat the more smoke it will absorb. I put mine in the fridge for an hour before I put it on. (Talking butts and shoulders here, not steaks and chops.)[p]For the best results I get the lump going evenly so there is no smoke coming out of the top vent. Then I add my smoking woods DRY and immediately put my meats on close the dome and GO![p]I've tried soaking the woods but that only goes to make additional steam which is what we don't needs. There will be a few others chiming in with their take on it. You pick what works best for you and GO TO WORK! Good luck.

billt · December 2007

jim.patterson,
put chunks in different spots and levels in the lump as it burns down it will cause the chucnks to smoke at differnt times don't soak. i have only used hickory and find that two or three lumps is plenty. i cannot comment on other woods, but it easy to use too much hickory and the results are ugly.
bill

tach18k · December 2007

jim.patterson,
a good rule of thumb is only enough wood to "smoke" for an hour, more than that may cause the meat to taste bitter. some people refer to smoking their ribs for 5 hours, what they may mean is they are cooking for 5 hours and not fully engulfed in heavy smoke

Rascal · December 2007

jim.patterson, Can't hep you here.. As a newbie, I'm reading: chips, chunks, soaking, not soaking... I dunno. Everyone has their own thing.... Like most have done here, just start experimenting and make small adjustments along the way. In the end, it has to satisfy your palate and make you smile! 8 - )[p]Rascal

Grandpas Grub · December 2007

jim.patterson,[p]good methods are suggested below. Some flavor woods I am only able to get in chips here this time of year. Chunks are better IMO.[p]I take the chips and soak them for about an hour. Then make several AF tub's.[p]I make up to 4 of them by forming a miniture oval bowl as it were, probably 4" x 2". The size will depend on how much you want in each AF pouch. I put about 1/4 to 1/2 palm size of wet chips in each pouch. I also put some water in with the chips. The water has to steam off then the wood has to somewhat dry before it will smoke.[p]Bring the foil up and seal it on all sides so it doesn't leak on the lump. Poke some holes in the top of the pouch for the steam and then smoke to get out of the pouch.[p]I place 1 pouch very close to glowing lump and the others away from the burning lump. I then take a palm size of damp chips and about 1/4 palm size of dry chips and put it on the lump along side of the pouches and into the burning lump.[p]The smoke will begin imediately, and continue to smoke as the chips dry out.[p]This is going to give a heavy smoke to whatever is in the egg. It might be too much smoke for poultry or fish.[p]

Unknown · December 2007

Sundown,
Tnx for the info Sundown. Some of the other posts have indicated that the smoke probably doesn't last the full cook.

stike · December 2007

Sundown,
ok, you. time to try to put this myth to bed (AGAIN)![p]smoke will flavor the meat at any time during the cook, even if you cook the whole thing in the electric oven and smoke it for only an hour at the end.[p]it also doesn't really get 'absorbed' into the meat.[p]it'll land on the meat, and the nitrites in the smoke will get absorbed as nitric acid (no flavor in it, though, it just reacts with myoglobin to make the pink ring). that is what gives you the smoke ring, as long as the surface temp of the meat (i.e. where the ring forms) meat is 'cold'(below 140). it doesn't mean smoke is getting 'into' the meat.[p]to paraphrase...
smoke will flavor the meat at any time.
the ring will form if the meat surface is under 140 (usually during the first hour or so).
smoke flavor is not absorbed by the meat, but the nitric acid which forms when nitrites land ON the meat will move into the meat[p]friday would have been good for fred's franks/ where were you?[p]i had three, by the way, but they were cooked at home. jumbos, too. b u r p p p p

icemncmth · December 2007

jim.patterson,[p]My last pork butts I cooked for 19 hours..and smoked the whole time....[p]I used dry chips....and lots of them...[p]On a low and slow your chips won't catch fire and burn because there isn't enough O2.....[p]I also use chunks of wood. Mostly pecan because I have pecan trees. I trim the branches and let them dry a year...[p]I use large chunks...about the size of a baseball....

How do you keep a smoke going evenly during a long cook

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