How long will the Egg stay hot? To smoke or slow cook.

Unknown

I'm thinking about getting an BGE. How can you cook in it without adding more coal?

Nature Boy

Boston T,
I've done 28 hours, and have heard of much longer (even ridiculous...like 2 days) reports.[p]Bottom line is that it really IS an efficient cooker.
Chris

Unknown

Nature Boy,
How long before you must add coal?

Nature Boy

boston T,
Add the lump charcoal at the beginning. Then easily go 20 hours at 250 without reloading. Most cooks take less than 20 hours....so you reload before you start the next cook.
Good luck with your decision!
Beers to you. Flowing here in Fairfax!
Chris

WessB

Boston T,
Just as a reference..I use my eggs about 3 - 4 times a week and I burn about 10 bags of BGE lump per year..your question is to vague to answer easily..be more specific and others will answer also.[p]Wess

Shelby

Boston T,[p]A lot depends on the type of cooks you are doing. 225-250 with a full load of lump will easily go 20+ hours without having to add or even look inside. That takes some adjusting to since we are so used to opening the top to look. That's why most of us have some sort of temp probe.
If you're doing steaks and want to sear at 750, you'll burn much more fuel. I'd say most of my cooks are somewhere in between the two extremes.
Can you give us some idea of what you are trying to cook but are concerned about?

BBQBluesStringer

Boston T,
I had the same concern as you before I bought my large. Coming from the offset firebox world, I was curious how I was going to add fuel to the thing for a long, slow cooking session (as much as 24 hours). Folks here in the forum assured me that I wouldn't be adding any fuel in just 24 hours, and they were right. I recently did a 14lb turkey overnight (18 hours total) and still had enough lump left to go on for several more hours.[p]By the way, when doing the turkey overnight, I stabilized the temperature at 225 before going to bed, and slept through the whole night. When I woke at 6:30 the next morning, there was pretty blue smoke wafting from the chimney, and the temperature was... 225! In my old offset firebox days, I would have awakened to a cinder that somewhat resembled a turkey, and a cold firebox. I'm getting old and I NEEDS my beauty-sleep! The egg is the only way to go. I'm about to pony up for a second one.

Drivr

Boston T,[p]I did a 20 hour butt cook Friday night then there was still enough coals left after I snuffed it out to do a hot (750°) steak cook Saturday night.

Mr. Hyde

Boston T,[p]We have done 20+ hours on the SMALL egg without refueling. I am guessing that, since the firebox is larger, you could go even longer on a bigger cooker. We have done 18+ on a large cooker, with plenty of lump leftover (there was none left in the small after our 20+ hour cook)
[/b]

Shelby

BBQBluesStringer,
You do turkey's for 18 hours?

stike

Nature Boy,
Now, doan quote me here, but I heerd tell a while back on this VERY forum that some tuff-guy really filled his BGE with lump (well up into the fire ring) and did BACK-TO-BACK boston butts at around 18 hours each without refueling.[p]If true, that requires cajones/gumption/brass-ones.[p]

BBQBluesStringer

Shelby,
Yup. At 225 it took about 18 hours to hit the magic 185 in the thigh.

Elder Ward

Boston T,[p]72+ hours Memorial Day weekend 2000 with a fistful of lump coals that required dumping in water to leave camp site. [p]Large Egg + Mesquite Lump mostly huge limbs with every space packed with smaller pieces up to the grill.[p]Burgers, Pulled pork, Brisket, Turkey and all the breakfasts bacon,sausage & pancakes(on a gridell over the grill)plus a few steaks, burgers and chickens for other campers.[p]Fire never went out, kept vents closed in between cooks. I feel that it had to do with the lump size and fact that I never got above 275 degree the whole time and there was virtually no wind to speak of.[p]If you got em smoke em,[p]Elder Ward

stike

Boston T,
...well, to answer your question, I just did a 26 hour cook saturday into sunday, and when I pulled the last stuff off the egg, I had plenty of lump to go.[p]I did a shoulder (for pulled pork) for 20 hours, then a friend came over with a brisket which he had partially egged at his place. we tossed it on the egg seconds after taking off the shoulder, and it went 6 hours more.[p]total of 26 hours