Need Some Egg Knowledge!

SimmonsFamily

I am use to smoking meats on a pit style BBQ, old habits are hard to break. With my "old" pit, I was to stoke the fire in the firebox and just feed wood throughout the day to keep around 250. Things are completly different with the BGE. What is the correct way to lay out the charcoal and light it so it doesn't get too hot? I need info guys, all my "pit" friends are making fun of my Egg, calling it a Dutch oven. Any advice is good advice. Thanks

The Naked Whiz

Simmons you might want to read this web page on temperature control:  Temperature Control

Good luck!

ChokeOnSmoke

These are the basics I use when lighting:
1.) It makes little or no difference how much lump you use or how you light it, temp control is ALL ABOUT VENT SETTINGS.
2.) Control the temp on the way up to your target.  Once you go too far past, it harder to get the temp back down.
3.) After you get your lump lit, keep a close eye on it the first 10 minutes.  Adjust your vents accordingly.  Mine can reach 400 degrees in the first 10 minutes.  700 in 15 minutes.  It sucks waiting all day getting your pit back down to 250 after it has been humming away at 700-800!
4.) Once you see clear smoke coming out the top (not white smoke) and your temp is right, food on! (usually about 20-25 minutes from initial lighting of the lump).

Hillbilly-Hightech

I agree - you don't really control temp via how much fuel, but how much air.  Fire needs 3 things - fuel (in this case, lump), air, and ignition.  Once the fuel is ignited, fire will continue as long as there is fuel & air.

I mean, you obviously have to have "enough" fuel, but it's not nearly as important relative to the Egg compared to a pit smoker because once you dump the lump in, the Egg is superior at maximizing fuel due to the ceramic design, so all you need to worry about is *HOW* much air you're going to allow in / out. 

Think of the bottom vent as the intake & the top vent as the exhaust.  Just like in a car, a proper ratio of intake to exhaust allows for optimum efficiency.  If your car has a plugged / dirty air cleaner, the intake won't work properly, and you'll lose efficiency.  Stick a banana in your exhaust pipe & you'll lose efficiency. 

HTH,
Rob

SimmonsFamily

Thanks guys. I've been at 250 for an hour now. How long would you smoke a single rack of baby backs?

Lit

I cook my baby backs 3-1-1. 3 hours unwrapped at 250, 1 hour wrapped in foil still at 250, then unwrap and cook 1 more hour still at 250.

SimmonsFamily

Did the 3-1-1 method and they turned out unreal. Thanks all

Squeezy

I just did 4 racks yesterday at 260º for 5 hrs. without foiling at all ... they were the moistest and most tender I have ever made ... 

SimmonsFamily

I didn't wrap in foil, I made a foil "boat" and put honey and brown sugar on top and smoked for an hour. Foil on the bottom to catch sugar from falling in my Egg.