I can only obtain ~1 hour of smoke with platesetter....

Unknown

I remove the fire ring and invert the platesetter on the fire box after starting lump and adding wood chunks. Smokes great for about an hour then dies to minimal blue smoke. I wonder if platesetter is limiting oxygen enough to only allow wood to burn. I use this with a drip pan and V-rack combo for brisket and ribs, it works great at 300 degrees. I would appreciate any ideas to increase smoke and therefore, the dream of all eggers, increase the size of my smoke ring!!!!!

Unknown

Sorry, I meant to type: "...only allow my lump to burn and not my wood chunks" Damn rookie posters...!

Smokey

hubbq,[p]I would leave the fire ring in (have never removed mine while cooking). Also, you will need the extra space for more lump when doing over night cooks.[p]Smokey

Unknown

Smokey,
Thanks for the reply, my concern with leaving the smoke ring in is the proximity of the food to the dome/ thermometer.

Bamabob

hubbq, I understand that thin blue smoke is the goal for most serious BBQers. If your'e getting that, then I would say everything is fine, but I don't think I've heard of cooking without the fire ring, unless it was to sear meat at high temps.

Bob V

I think hubbq has it right - with the fire ring removed your platesetter is "smothering" the fire. You didn't mention what size Egg you have. I have a medium, and with the platesetter in have never had a problem with briskets, shoulders or rib racks. If the meat hits the thermometer, just pull it out a bit (so long as the meat isn't touching the dome...[p]For real low & slow burns, the dual probe Maverick is the way to go. When you use that, the dome thermometer is basically just plugging the hole or giving you one more thing to look at.[p]Bob V

captaincraigb

hubbq,
never heard of taking out the fire ring either. most if not all information about times and temps will be witth the ring in.

tach18k

hubbq, I usually would not heavy smoke more than 1 hour for a good smoke ring on my meats. Unless you got logs a burning I would think most chunks would last an hour anyway. No need to remove any parts of the Egg's fire box and ring.

Unknown

hubbq,
My guess is since you're removing your fire ring (I've never heard of anyone doing that for any reason) that there is not enough lump to burn much more than an hour or so anyway.

The Naked Whiz

Philntheblanks,
A firebowl full of lump will certainly last 10-15 hours at a low temperature. Agree I've never heard of anyone removing the firering for smoking, but he certainly isn't running out of lump after an hour.
TNW

jwitheld

hubbq,
for max smoke effect, put the meat on cold, small slow fire, wood chunks on top of the lump distributed so that it dosent all burn at once.
ive heard (cant prove it) that smoke ring is done at 140 deg.

Luvmyegg

hubbq,
My guess is that you are smothering your fire out. Taking the fire ring out has to decrease the amount of free air circulating around the lump. That fire ring must be 5 inches tall. That's a huge amount of airspace you are loosing. I never take the fire ring out. Just place the platesetter inverted on the fire ring and the grill on the legs of the platesetter. By the way, how do you get the grill to fit if the legs of the platesetter are so far down?