Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Egg startup

Just like to know how everyone's lights there egg and when you add your smoking wood and how long you should wait before putting your meat on. I used to light my fire with the wood in but it seemed like it gets burnt up to quick and don't  get enough smoke on my meat, then I  tried lighting lump first after white smoked disappeared  I added my wood,I got alot of white smoke when the wood started  burning,should you add meat or wait until white smoke goes away,just don't  want all my wood to burn up and not get enough smoke on my meat.

Comments

  • wardo
    wardo Posts: 398
    Light the lump, get it to +/- 75 degrees of my target temp, then I add my wood chunks and platesetter.  Then when the smoke changes smell (which is just before is changes color or seems) I add the meat.  Then away we go!
    NC - LBGE
  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
    A millions ways to do it. I light a decent amount of lump either with a chimney starter or paraffin squares. When I’ve got some nice hot coals going I’ll add a chunk or two of smoking wood and put in my grates and stones. Close down the lid and set the vents. Then it sits for another 10-15 minutes. 

    If the smoke smells nice then then the food goes in. If it smells acrid and nasty, I wait longer. 

    Chicken and pork chops get one chunk of wood. Beef ribs and beef brisket get 4-5 or whatever I feel like tossing in. 
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    First, since switching to Rockwood, I just hardly get white smoke, anymore, so that's rarely an issue for me.

    Second, I sometimes bury a couple of chunks of wood in the lump, but not always.  I light the fire and wait till the temp is about where I want it.  Then I put 3 or 4 wood chunks radially around the fire so as it expands it'll keep burning them, add the plate setter, a drip pan (or usually just a handmade foil "pan," the grid, and the meat.  Yeah, the first smoke is white, I guess, but when it's coming from the wood, which it is, it smells OK to me, and I like the way the meat tastes, so it works for me.

    When I used to use BGE (which I gather is the same as Royal Oak) lump, I always had to wait a while for white smoke to go away before I did any of the rest of that.  But I rarely have that with Rockwood.
  • Thanks guys I need more lump,I'll pickup some Rockwood
  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    I typically just pour lump in from the bag, hollow out a spot in the center down to the fire grate, stick a bacon fat soaked paper towel down there, then arrange a few longer pieces of lump over that.  Depending on whether I'm doing a low & slow or a fast cook, the number and placement of wood chunks differs.  For a fast cook, just one fist sized piece near the top center.  For a low & slow, a couple of pieces with some a bit further from the fire.  It's usually ready to cook in 10-20 min.
  • Here is how I always light my lump. It works perfectly every time and the first is going hard in 10ish minutes. I've used the other gadgets and they work fine but I don't like standing there holding anything waiting for it to be lit and having sparks popping on me. 

    For smoking wood, I put it on right before I add the plate setter most of the time. 

    https://youtu.be/L7krid7UYT0
  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
    I bury the chunks in the lump, light, once I have coals, I put in the platesetter, pizza stone, etc. if using and adjust the vents as it gets closer to the temp. I want.  For low and slow, I make sure it is stabilized for 30 -60 minutes before adding the meat.  Just because you don't see smoke, doesn't mean it isn't smoking....
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
  • 1911Man
    1911Man Posts: 366
    Shake the ash out (kick ash basket user), put one of the BGE squares in the coals (get them cheap at the local BGE seller) and let it get going. Once it's going well and I've got the target for the day prepared, I add the flavor wood chunks on the coals. Set my woo ring (with stone and pan, sitting on spacers) into position and place the meat on the grate. Set the done temperature in the remote thermometer and leave the lid closed. I'll check the lid thermometer during the cook and adjust the vents accordingly.

    Using about 4-6 chunks of wood (depending on size), I get more than enough smoke to flavor the meat. Most of the smoke sessions only last a couple or few hours. Turkey breast sections are simply done that quickly. 

    For reference, I'm using a medium BGE at this time. Not sure if I'll be getting a large before end of the year, or not. There are a few times I've wished I had more room to cook, but not enough to warrant the purchase... Yet at least. ;)

    As mentioned already, there are plenty of methods to light the charcoal. Just use hardwood lump (for the love of all that's holy/bbq). 

    BTW, If I could do the original purchase over again, I might have gone with the large. I would definitely would NOT get the platesetter/conveggorator again. Go for the woo ring from CGS and don't look back. Also the kick ash basket makes things a lot easier (getting it ready to light again). You can pull the bottom grate (that the coals go onto) that way. Better air flow and easier care. 
    Large BGE with CGS Woo Ring, stone with stainless pan, Smokeware chimney cap, Kick Ash basket and Kick Ash can.
    Living free in the 603 (Pelham).
  • PSC
    PSC Posts: 148
    paper towel soaked in cooking oil, cheapest and best way. 
  • 1911Man
    1911Man Posts: 366
    PSC said:
    paper towel soaked in cooking oil, cheapest and best way. 
    Tried that once... Agree it's cheap, if you have oil you're willing to burn. ;) But it is more messy than the squares. Plenty of ways to light the fire without resorting to either a chimney starter, or fluids (not oil). ;)
    Large BGE with CGS Woo Ring, stone with stainless pan, Smokeware chimney cap, Kick Ash basket and Kick Ash can.
    Living free in the 603 (Pelham).
  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,821
    edited July 2019
    Here's what works for me. I bury the nozzle into the lump, which stops the sparks. I wait until I see some lump get white hot which takes about a minute  and away I go. If I'm using the platesetter I put it on immediately and then the grate close the top and away I go.

    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser