Adding Charcoal for Long Cooks?

MoOzarkEgg

I see some cook times of 20 to 22 hours.  I've had my egg for only 5 months now so excuse the "rookie" question, but how does one add charcoal for this long of a cook or does the BGE keep the temp for that long?

stike

you don't.  if you wanted, you could go 40 hours without re-loading.  and you'll never need to go that long

MO_Eggin

Load the lump to the top of the fire ring for long low-slow cooks and you should be fine.

boatbum

I run 22+ quite a bit, with no reload. I tend to light the fire and stabilize for an hour or more before a long cook. Sometimes a bit longer if the wind is gusting.

OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO.

Find some Wicked Good Charcoal. Build a smart fire with the large pieces at the bottom and medium pieces on top.  I pretty much hand select my lump for long cooks.  And do what everybody else said.

wickedgoodcharcoal.com

Hi54putty

wickedgoodcharcoal.com

+1

mustgrill

I am still a rookie to the BGE but not to q? On my first (virgin) cook I did a 11 pound butt. I filled the fire box up to the max and then a few inches. I cooked that butt 17 hours and I still had enough lump for 3 or 4 more hours. Without a doubt you can get 20 hours at 225-250.

 

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ribmaster

I have yet to run out of lump on a cook. I saw a review that gave the BGE demerits for not having a door to add lump.

Fact is the ceramic mass and fire control allows the BGE to not need the addition of lump on most cooks.

Rocket15

What about adding wood for smoking?

The Naked Whiz

If you need more wood for smoking that you normally might place on top of the charcoal, place some down in the charcoal so that it will smoke later in the cook when the fire reaches it.  Still no need to disassemble everything mid cook.

boatbum

Big difference I found with Egg, due to the control of airflow - not all the charcoal burns at the same time.   Areas of charcoal may be 12+ hours in when they start to burn.   Wood chunks distributed through out will start to smoke as the fire moves in the firebox, enabling continuous multihour smoke ( if thats what you want) without adding wood.    I have had two other smokers ( one vertical, one side box ) which worked just the opposite.   Whatever was in the firebox was burning.   So, if you wanted smoke 2 or 3 hours in - you had to keep putting wood in ( soaked wood to slow it down).   With the Egg load once, dont worry about soaking the wood chunks and it will work great.

 

MoOzarkEgg

Thanks folks for all the feedback.  Very beneficial.