Smoking on the Big Green Egg

mdagenais

I love my big green egg, except for one thing.  I typically use mine for smoking where you need for larger meats at least 6 hours of continuous smoking.  Problem is even using chunk hardwood like oak, I can only get 1 to 1.5. hours of smoking, then it stops.  So I have to pull the meat off the grill and add more chunk hardwood.  To get six hours that is a pain as it takes 3 to 4 times. Looking for tips on how to get longer smoke times?

Chubbs

Build your fire with chunk of wood dispersed. As it hits new lump it hits new wood for smoking.

canegger

I agree with chubbs. Posted the same comment as chubbs but can't delete it

tjv

are you looking for smoke flavor or bark on the meat?

t 

Skiddymarker

The other consideration is needing 6 hours of smoke, assuming you are not cold smoking. Within 2-3 hours any meat i've done has a pretty decent smoke ring. 

Unlike a traditional smoker, the meat is still getting smoke even when you can't see any. Chunk/chip dispersion is the answer, as the fire works its way down to the chunk it starts to smolder. Light your fire from the top and let it burn down to new lump and smoke wood. Much easier to control long smoke if you light from the top. 

gerhardk

The other thing to remember a lot of what you see and think is smoke is really steam so if our chunks have been in the fire box for a number of hours all the moisture may have evaporated.  What I do is smell my hand, then hold my hand above the daisy wheel for 5 or 10 seconds and then smell again.   Do you smell smoke if so you are still smoking.

Gerhard

SmokinDAWG82

Agree with Skiddy, meat takes on most of the smoke it is going to within the first 2 hours. I bury chunks through the lump so it starts up as it burns but I have never added more during 12 to 16 hour cooks and I get plenty of smoke

Skiddymarker

SmokinDAWG82 said:

Agree with Skiddy, meat takes on most of the smoke it is going to within the first 2 hours. I bury chunks through the lump so it starts up as it burns but I have never added more during 12 to 16 hour cooks and I get plenty of smoke

Further to burying chunks, if you shut down the egg and re-use the lump. make sure any smoke wood left in the fire box "goes with" the next cook. Did some mesquite ribs, shut it down, then has some burgers the next cook. They were mesquite smoked as some chunk was still in the fire box - not a bad thing, just unexpected. 

bud812

gerhardk said:

The other thing to remember a lot of what you see and think is smoke is really steam so if our chunks have been in the fire box for a number of hours all the moisture may have evaporated.  What I do is smell my hand, then hold my hand above the daisy wheel for 5 or 10 seconds and then smell again.   Do you smell smoke if so you are still smoking.

Gerhard

I ain't gonna smell my hand, ya never know where it's been !!  

Little Steven

Gerhard has it right about the smoke. Once the fire is established and VOC's burned off the burn is very efficient. You won't neccessarily see the smoke but the flavour is there.

SPRIGS

I always understood the smoke ring was not smoke penetrating the meat but rather a chemcial reaction. I guess I was of the mindset that smoke particles continue to stick to the surface of the meat and that it is those smoke particles that impart the smoke flavor.

MrCookingNurse

Little Steven said:

Gerhard has it right about the smoke. Once the fire is established and VOC's burned off the burn is very efficient. You won't neccessarily see the smoke but the flavour is there.

What he said. Just cause you don't see it, don't mean it ain't there.

SPRIGS

Posted the above accidently.

So is my understanding wrong? Seems odd that a lot of Q'ers continue to apply smoke per say to a brisket or shoulder for 12-13 hours if it isn't adding any smoke flavor to the meat. Educate me here as I am just trying to learn. Thanks.

gerhardk

I think the theory is that the smoke flavour continues to build throughout the smoke but that the smoke ring only develops as long as the meat is below 140ºF (might be wrong on the exact temp)

Gerhard

U_tarded

SPRIGS said:

Posted the above accidently.

So is my understanding wrong? Seems odd that a lot of Q'ers continue to apply smoke per say to a brisket or shoulder for 12-13 hours if it isn't adding any smoke flavor to the meat. Educate me here as I am just trying to learn. Thanks.

It will keep sticking. Think of it this way some. People smoke hams that are already smoked and cured. But it still takes on more flavor. smoke ring stops forming at 140 but the smoke particles will flavor until either a) you pull it or b) it's out of fuel. If it stopped giving you flavor at said 140 you could just throw it in the oven and it would be no different.

Browninggold

How about something like this. I know pellet grill BBQs use this http://www.amazenproducts.com/Default.asp

SPRIGS

gerhardk said:

I think the theory is that the smoke flavour continues to build throughout the smoke but that the smoke ring only develops as long as the meat is below 140ºF (might be wrong on the exact temp)

Gerhard

That was my understanding. I have been having the same problem with mine. Nest low and slow I am going to try the burying chunks throughtout the coal. I figure if I load up the lit coals with 2 chunks I should get a good 2 hours or so of smoke. I will try burying a few chunks just a few inches below the surface where I light and then around the outside perimeter a few inches from the outside. Hopefully that will prolong the smoke.

smokesniffer

Thanks for the great info everyone. I am wanting to do some cold smoking soon, this info helps.

mdagenais

Thanks to all for your comments as I started this off!  Dispersing the wood throughout makes sense and I understand the meat once it reaches a certain temp does not take on any/much more smoke.  Although I do believe it takes more than two hours, especially for large cuts of meat.  I use to just use only wood on a Oklahoma Joe smoker and there is a difference as for instance my smoked chickens had much more smoke flavor than the Big Green Egg provides.  Another question, you say disperse the wood within the chunk charcoal.  Has it been soaked in water or just mixed in dry?

michigan_jason

From someone only some of us know...

michigan_jason

There is no difference between soaking your wood chips other than needing to "steam" the meat in a grill other than the egg. The egg provides enough moisture retention so we do not need the moisture from soaking our chips. Same smoke.

Ragtop99

mdagenais said:

 Although I do believe it takes more than two hours, especially for large cuts of meat.  I use to just use only wood on a Oklahoma Joe smoker and there is a difference as for instance my smoked chickens had much more smoke flavor than the Big Green Egg provides. 

You can up the number of chunks you use if you want it more smokey.  The fire tends to burn straight back first so be sure to mix a chunk in that direction.

bayoudoc

I am smoking my first turkey. Think I understand to mix lump charcoal (royal oak) with hickory for cooking time of 6 hours for 12lb bird. Need to fill the wood/lump charcoal to the top of the rim and light from the top. How long does it take to get to 225 ? Bayou doc needs to know

shadowrider

bayoudoc said:

I am smoking my first turkey. Think I understand to mix lump charcoal (royal oak) with hickory for cooking time of 6 hours for 12lb bird. Need to fill the wood/lump charcoal to the top of the rim and light from the top. How long does it take to get to 225 ? Bayou doc needs to know

Personally, I'd not do a turkey at 225.  The thick part of the breast will be in the danger zone too long at that low of a temp.  I'm doing mine at 325-350 and looking at 15-20 minutes per lb.

Bobh83

Awesome inför everyone.  I'm smoking a ham on wednesday, then a full clean out and a turkey on Thursday with no smoke.  New to the egg, but challenge accepted.  Food keeps getting better and i'm only 3 cooks in.  I came here to read about smoking though, so great thread.

bayoudoc

Any tips for the ratio of the lump charcoal to the hickory woood? Thanks for the tip on the temp/cooking time.