When to add chunks (for smoke) to Egg?

Unknown

Ok.. had my egg for about a year and still think I am not always getting max smoke flavor when I want it... I am always leary about when to add chunks / food as my very first meal was "Ashtray chicken"... added too much smoke and put the bird on way too soon and it got all that first smoke and although juicy as can be it wasn't very good eatin'.[p]So now I usually add chunks in my initial coal start up and by the time the egg is ususally at the desired temp most of the first smoke is burned off.... problem is sometimes I let the egg equilibrate for longer and it seems then I miss some of the prime smoke... Or maybe I am just not using enough chunks.[p]So I know poultry will soak up the smoke but in general when do you folks add your chunks? Does it vary by what you cook..? Poultry, Pork, Beef, Fish?[p]Thanks for any help.[p]Brian

Sundown

Nardi,[p]When I start my fire I usually wait till the lump is burning the way I want it and I'm headed towards my desired dome temp. That's when I add my Hickory (or whatever wood I'm using) chunks that have been soaked for at least half an hour. At the same time I add my meal. You'll usually get all of the smoke taste you're going to get in the first hour or less of the cook. The smoke will only penetrate so far in our Egg world unlike the cold smoking people do for days at a time.
I usually play with the daisy wheel to get the max smoke I can closing it down to the point where smoke starts to come out of the bottom vent then opening it just enough for the air flow to sustain the dome temp I want. Hope this makes sense and helps.

Nature Boy

Howdy Brian
I think you are doing the right thing by adding the chunks, then waiting for the smoke to thin. You'll get ashtray chicken every time if you add your meat to the thick smoke. You don't really need to see the smoke to get good smoke flavor. When the smoke thins to a thin blue stream, the wood is still burning....just cleanly. So you'll still get a nice flavor from the smoke, but not of the thick bongwaterflavor variety. Not sure how much you are using, but I like one hefty chunk (cordless phone sized) right in the fire, and a slightly smaller one on the outskirts of the fire for later burnage.[p]I definitely go lighter with poultry and fish...both with the wood choice and the quantity....in fact I rarely use wood poultry and feesh. With beef and pork You can select a more robust wood, and use more of it, but the same rule applies with waiting for an established clean smoke.[p]At the Fiery Foods show I got me some of those BBQ Delight wood pellets to try....orange, sassafras, black walnut, JD barrels, sugar maple, pecan and more. Really wanna try the sassafras on chicken.[p]Cheers!
Chris

JSlot

Those pellets are great, Chris. I use the Apple all the time on ribs. Convenient and you can control the smoke a lot better IMHO. Interested to hear what you think about 'em.[p]Frosty Ones!
Jim

Unknown

JSlot,
Hey, I actually have some of those pellets as well... I have them from back when I was trying to get smoke in my old gasser just nevertried them in the egg yet though. If I am correct you make a little packet of HDAF and put the pellets in the poke one hole in the packet... then on to the fire... I'm guessing that there is no harsh smoke / thin smoke issue with these things?[p]Brian[p]

Painter

Nature Boy,
"But not of the thick bongwaterflavor variety"[p]Boy do I remember being a party to flavoring the bong water. Many moons ago. I decided to quit and hope my brain cells would rejuvenate themselves. Now it's the darn beer that's killing them.[p]Bob

Nature Boy

Painter,
Oops. I meant gong water. hehe.
As far as beer, and those brain cells, I figger the ones that bite the dust are usually the ones that contain stuff you don't wanna remember anyways.
Hee
Chris

drbbq

nardi,
I'm loving those pellets on my egg. I don't do the foil packet thing. I just wait until I'm about to put my meat on and then sprinkle them through the grate. I concentrate them in the burning area and sprinkle some around. The egg seems to starve the oxygen enough so they don't burn right up.
For a long cook I add them right before the plate setter. They make a little cast iron pot that I have used for long cooks too.
Candy has become my friend, but mainly because I have been stalking her product because I like them so much.[p]I think maybe she'll pick up on the advertising line "No bongwater taste".

[/b]

JSlot

That line does make you wonder if Chris was ever real, real thirsty, doesn't it, Ray?! Water, water everywhere........LOL![p]Jim

Bamabob

Beer makes you smarter. Cliff (from Cheers) explains it this way:[p]"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this...A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.*In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know,kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first.In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells,making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."