HOW DO I SMOKE WITH THIS THING?

Unknown

HOW DO I SMOKE WITH THIS THING? I HAVE SOAKED THE WOOD CHIPS FOR DAYS IN WATER.I LET IT SMOKE SLOW AND LOW BUT THE CHARCOAL ALWAYS GOES OUT.HOW DO YOU GET THE TEMPERATURE LOW AND KEEP IT? I WOULD LIKE TO SMOKE FOR 10 TO 20 HOURS IF I COULD. WHAT ARE GOOD SMOKING TEMPERATURES AND HOW DO YOU KEEP THEM? PLEASE HELP ME BE A SMOKER.

sprinter

GARY GRAVES,[p]Give us a little bit more information on what you are trying to smoke and we'll be able to help a whole lot more. Typically I'm able to keep temps constant for 20-22 hours at about 200-225. This is quite adequate for smoking boston butts and briskets. Its easy to do, just let us know what you're trying to cook. Are you using lump charcoal or briquettes?[p]Troy

KennyG

GARY GRAVES,[p]There's no need to soak your chips for days. 30 minutes max and half a handfull are all you need for most cooks. Give us more info and we will try to help. 225* is your best temp for most low and slow smoking. Trying to maintain temps below 200* is neither easy nor necessary on the Egg.[p]K~G

Mike Oelrich

GARY GRAVES,[p] I'll give you some tips if you promise to stop yelling ;-)! (All caps can sometimes be a little too loud to read . . .)[p]1. Before you light the fire, stir up the coal from the previous cooks really well -- make sure the holes in the firebox grate are unobstructed. IF the holes are blocked at the beginning, your fire may not last through the cook.[p]2. Start a small fire in the center of the lump pile and let the BGE get up to 200F or so on the dome thermometer. (I'll sometimes continue at 150-170F, but 200F should be a bit easier the first time). Close down top and bottom vents quite a bit.[p]3. Open up the BGE and add your soaked (or unsoaked -- with a small fire, I don't normally find it necessary to soak them) to the fire. If you soaked them, shake them out a bit first so you're not dumping a big handful of water onto the coals along with the chips. Keep in mind that for a whole pulled pork cook (normally 20-24 hours), I use about two handfulls of chips and a couple of unsoaked chunks. Don't need much more than that.[p]4. Add food once the smoke starts.[p]5. Adjust temperature gradually up into the 200-225 range by slowly closing the bottom vent as the temperature rises.[p]Shouldn't be more to it than that.[p]MikeO

BlueSmoke

GARY GRAVES, When I run my Brinkmann I shoot for 230 to 250*. With the Egg I work the 275 to 300* (dome temp) range and get even better results. I think the key is to use indirect heat.And flavor wood - more often than not I put a couple of chunk of unsoaked hickory out at the edge of the firebox - out there it get hot enough to smolder but not hot enough to burn.