smoke issues

texegghead · February 2011

I have only had my egg for about 4 months. 3 of those months I was deployed. I've probably done about 10-15 cooks on it. I have attempted a couple of low and slow cooks but have been discouraged by the lack of visible smoke at low temps.(about 225-235 degrees)I have read and seen videos where the individual claims that they had smoke for the entire cook (10-12 hours). Once I get my egg down to cooking temperature the smoke slowly disappears until I get it above 250 where it once again smokes but then fizzles when I bring it back down. Any ideas?

BajaTom · February 2011

Do you use any smoking woods? There are plenty of different kinds of wood to use with different. Place 3 or 4 chunks in with your hot coals and you will get plenty of smoke. There is oak, hickory, misquet, cherry pecan, apple, peach.

fishlessman · February 2011

smoking wood in the egg can almost be transparent, better test would be to give it a smell. if you are not getting the smoke flavor mix more into to the lump before you light it. mixing different types of wood seems to add more flavor, hickory with cherry is always good

Florida Grillin Girl · February 2011

Just because you can't see it, it's there. Place your hand over the daisy wheel on top, and then smell your hand. It should smell like your smoking wood. Wood chunks are recommended over wood chips, no need to soak them.

stevesails · February 2011

and if you are only using lump. you dont want it to smoke at all. clear only.

texegghead · February 2011

Thanks for all the replies. I do use wood chunks and a lot of them. I'll get the egg nice and hot with a lot of wood smoke and when I get it down to temp it slowly goes away. I really can't smell it either. I'll try the hand method next time.

mbmike · February 2011

You should have some smoke out the top after putting a few chuncks of wood in your smoker, but after they burn off you will have very little if any smoke but maybe a hint of smell, If your doing a long cook most BBQ experts will tell you that meat only absorbs the taste of the wood put in for only the first hr and half. so your chucks should be put in just prior to the meat on the grill. I took a cooking class with Chris Marks well know BBQ guy said the same thing. I'v taken smaller wood chips and mixed them with the lump charcoal but first soaked in waterthis will keep the smoke going for a longer period for the smell but the meat won't absorb it. Great to have the smell going if folks are around to see and drink. good luck

texegghead · February 2011

You know I have heard the same thing about the meat only absorbing so much smoke. Maybe I shouldn't worry about it too much. I actually use a lot of wood chunks in my fire. I mix it in very well with my lump. Thanks for the input.

stike · February 2011

"down to cooking temps" implies you are shooting way over your target temp for some reason. in the process, you are probably spending all the smoking wood.

i put a bunch in if i want a lot of smoke, in the center, up and down thru the lump.

don't go above your temp.

and when you go to put the meat on, a fresh chunk or small handful of lump right over the hot lump, will give you a good initial blast of smoke. the fire will travel down and find fresh wood as it burns.

stike · February 2011

that "absorbing only so much smoke" is a pernicious myth. there is a squad of smoke-OPs guys hunting down the guy that started that myth. it's utterly false.

if you wrap the meat in foil and fully cook it, and then smoke it only at the end, you will have smoke flavor

it is only the pink 'smoke ring' which stops forming after an hour or so. but the smoke will flavor the meat continuously throughout the cook. it lands ON the meat, too. it doesn't penetrate.

Capt Frank · February 2011

I think Stike nailed your problem, if you are overshooting your desired temp you are burning up your smoking wood

stike · February 2011

mbmike wrote:

most BBQ experts will tell you that meat only absorbs the taste of the wood put in for only the first hr and half. so your chucks should be put in just prior to the meat on the grill. I took a cooking class with Chris Marks well know BBQ guy said the same thing.

those that say that are wrong. experts, maybe, but wrong :laugh:

texegghead · February 2011

Makes sense. I usually start closing off my vents before I reach my target temp so that it does not get past it, but this is where I run into the issue of the smoke slowly dwindling off. When I open the lid I see that only the middle of the lump pile is hot. I don't see how the wood on the outside will catch at all?

stike · February 2011

why is there wood on the outised if your fire never goes there?

put the wood where the fire goes, in the middle, and straight down.

spirals and spoke arrangements don't achieve anything. the fire has no idea it is supposed to travel in a spiral or that you want it to burn evenly outward toward the edge. instead, it does what IT wants to do. it burns down toward the incoming air. put your wood between the fire (at top) and the lower vent, and it will find it

texegghead · February 2011

I don't do the spiral method. I just throw it in there and mix it up. I will definitely start putting it around the middle from now on and see how that works. Thanks Stike!

stike · February 2011

if i am really after a lot of smoke (sometimes too much is, well too much), i will put in ahandful of lump on the fire grate, then a few chips or chunks, then more lump and wood, and so on, until the fire is built up. lump around the outside too, but no wood in it.

you'll see the smoke start and stop a few times. and sometimes you get less than you want. but it works pretty good.

lots of debate re chips or chunks. a pound of wood is a pound of wood, and chips don't 'burn' any faster. they smolder in the egg, so feel comfortable using what you have handy. chips, chunks, twigs, even wood scrap (as long as it is unfinished or untreated)

texegghead · February 2011

Cool, thanks.

smoke issues

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