No smoke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown

Help,
I TRIED to smoke my first pork butt a couple of weeks ago. I used some lump charcoal and got my large BGE up to 250 degrees. For a catch pan I used a tin pie plate filled with apple juice. On the outer edge I loaded up chunks of apple wood, put the butt on a V-rack and left it. The temp of the Egg remained between 225 and 250. When the butt reached 170 I opened the lid (to wrap the butt) and I was devistated to see that my apple chunks had not burned at all!
Since this experience I started stirring the lump when it is up to temp and putting the wood down towards the bottom and recovering the wood with the lump. I've had better luck with this method but it takes a long time to get the Egg back up to temp.
I love this smoker but need help with this smoke issue.[p]Thanks,
Double c

Bobby-Q

double c,
When I'm doing the long smokes I always build the chunks into the fire. I'll put some lump on the bottom and then some chunks in the middle, then more lump and chunks near the edge, finally I put on the last layer fo lump and then add 1 or 2 pices to the center of that and light around the edges.[p]Hope that helps.

Unknown

Bobby-Q,[p]Thanks for the response. Being new the the smoking game I thought I could just put the wood on top. Guess I learned the hard way.[p]Double C

Sundown

double c,
I always light my lo 'n' slo's in the center top of the lumpget your fire stabilized then add your drained soaked chunks (chips) of smoking wood right on top of the lit lump. Add the meat you are smoking and it will absorb almost all of the smoke it's going to in the first half hour to hour or so of cooking. Spreading chunks or chips throughout the different layers of lump may add a touch more smoke during the cook but it will be a small amount.

Marvin

Sundown,
Iwe do the same thing, except no soaking. All soaking does is produce steam until the wood starts to smoke/burn. The chips are put right on the lump where it is ignited, in a small depression made in the middle , and then covered with more lump. We also put our meat setup on at the same time the lump is lit. As Sundown said, all the smoke is taken up in the first 30-60 minutes, and when it is put on cold while the lump is slowly getting up to temp, a bit more smoke is produced and better absorbed. There are lots of other ways - all good. Have fun with the experience.

yaB

double c,
For a slow cook, start your lump right in the top center of the pile, as you probably did a couple of weeks ago. Once the fire stabilizes and is burning cleanly and at the desired temp, just jam a good-sized chunk of your smoking wood of choice right into the middle of the lit lump, reassemble the plate setter, grid(s), drip pan and whatever other stuff you want in there along with the roast, close the lid, and you should be good to go. [p]If you want an additional bit of smoke throughout the cooking period, you can scatter smaller chunks or chips through the pile of lump before you light it. As the fire spreads from the top center of the load of lump, the scattered chunks will kick in. You can't accurately predict how the fire will spread, so that's why you scatter the secondary smoking wood through the lump. [p]I've stopped soaking chips and chunks. Soaking definitely delays the start of smoking, and I've heard that it increases the possibility of creosote from the wood adding nasty flavors to the smoke. In the oxygen-starved environment inside a low/slow cooking Egg, it's unlikely that wood chunks or chips will flare up and fail to produce the desired smoke.[p]Bob

BlueSmoke

double c,
Like others below, I use unsoaked chunks. The advice I got was that meat stops absorbing smoke after it gets to 140 internal, so I typically use 3 or four chunks right on top of the lump - one in the center and the others at varying distances out.[p]Ken

Unknown

Has anyone wrapped or partially wrapped chuncks in foil?
Would this help anything?

yaB

T-BONE,[p]For a low/slow cook, I've found that wrapping in foil doesn't buy you anything. The low oxygen in the Egg keeps the smoking wood from flaring up, which is what the foil is supposed to do. The foil will melt after a while in any case, even in a relatively low-temp cook.[p]For grilling, though, whether on the Egg or other gas or charcoal grill, a tightly-sealed foil pouch with a couple of tiny holes poked in it is useful for adding smoke flavor. Since there's plenty of oxygen and a hot fire when grilling, you need some way to keep the wood chips from flaring up and consuming the smoke they would otherwise produce. The pouch provides the closed, low-oxygen environment needed. You need not wet the chips.[p]Bob