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Excessive Smoke

FSM-Meatball
FSM-Meatball Posts: 215
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
NOOB Question-

I have a new Medium BGE and have been cooking as much as I can for the last week.
I am just wondering what a "normal" amount of smoke is?

I have been using the Royal Oak Lump and it seems like I get alot of smoke (without using any wood chips). I can understand an amount of smoke during the initial startup but it continues on and off for most of the cook.

I suspect that its my fire control that is the problem. Or what I am seeing is normal.

On a related topic, how long do you let the BGE warm up before cooking?
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Comments

  • stevesails
    stevesails Posts: 990
    Some times it takes more than an hour to get the smoke to burn clear... when you put the lump in , look for wood that is not fully carbonized and throw those out. You may have a bad bag of lump.

    Load it fully up for your cook. and when done shut it down.. then on your next cook you may not need to add any lump, start her up (maybe do a stir) and you will have clear smoke very fast. .
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,736
    rookie mistake putting the meat on too soon. wait a little while and start smelling the smoke from the dome, wait til it smells good and you will like the results better, sometimes it takes longer for oit to smell good, you will know when its ready
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Turk
    Turk Posts: 114
    Be sure to mix the new lump with the remainder of the lump from previous cook. I do not believe that it should take an hour to get to the good smoke. 15 minutes is my max. Is it possible that your lump has been wet. It might be a bad bag though I have never had one. Good luck and keep at it. it will work. One other thing you might try. Let it burn, dome up a little longer.
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  • ResQue
    ResQue Posts: 1,045
    Here is a good link for you:
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=697621&catid=1
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  • FSM-Meatball
    FSM-Meatball Posts: 215
    Thanks for the link.

    Part of my problem may be that I have been using fireplace starters, I may have to switch to another starting method.

    I will also try waiting a little longer before cooking.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    could also be starter cubes, which can puff out and smolder forever. if it is puffy white smoke, and doesn't smell good, and you use starters, make sure they aren't sitting there merely glowing.

    starter cubes are the only thing i think requires dome-open during start-up, to give them as much air as possible so they stay lit
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Desert Oasis Woman
    Desert Oasis Woman Posts: 5,604
    Part of my problem may be that I have been using fireplace starters

    check the label !!!!
    friend gave us big pkg and the label said "not for use with food" :ohmy:

    Have used BGE parafin cubes for past 2 year...leave lid up 10-15 minutes then close and as temp starts to rise, set upper and lower vents -- do search for Grandpa Grubs and find his list of helpful hints and how to set the vents B)

    recently started using 91% alcohol and much cleaner start and burn :)

    welcome to this wacky BGE Forum :woohoo:
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  • Misippi Egger
    Misippi Egger Posts: 5,095
    WHy am I not surprised that you are using alcohol..... :whistle: :laugh:

    Are you sure most of it is getting to the fire? :laugh: :evil:
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  • nuynai
    nuynai Posts: 101
    I use a chimney starter system. Put in some loosely crumbed newspaper, put in the charcoal, light the paper and give it about 10 minutes to get going. Works great, paper burns off and then just dump the hot coals into BGE with the other coals. Never had a smoke problem.
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  • Desert Oasis Woman
    Desert Oasis Woman Posts: 5,604
    :P

    just wait, Moonshine Baby :whistle:
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  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
    Don't forget that the fat from the food smokes too -- if you are cooking direct.

    You can have a clean burning fire after start-up and then put on most anything and the smoke will start up again and continue through the cook.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Starter cubes can smolder throughout the cook, so if you use them, keep an eye on them and remove if they stop burning and continue to smolder. I think they are better at generating smoke than generating fire.

    I always allow at least 20 minutes with new lump (used lump is probably ready as soon as it gets to temp). I find that I can light the fire first and then go in and start prepping the food. by the time the food is ready the fire is usually ready.

    the other day I cooked for the first time in awhile and it took 45+ minutes before it was burning clean enough. it still didn't smell that great but I didn't have time to wait any longer (it was dark and I had trouble seeing the smoke).
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