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Wood fire in an egg?

DocWonmug
DocWonmug Posts: 300
edited September 2012 in EggHead Forum
OK, been  here a few months. Have not seen this topic. I am dying to try it, and thought I would ask you guys for feedback. Has anyone ever fired an egg with wood chunks instead of lump? My idea is to fill it fuller than with lump, light it off, let it burn for a while, and then have a nice bed of coals. The Publix mesquite chunk bag said it would work, and said it burns hotter than lump. Temp control in an egg is easy enough, so I don't see a problem there. Don't think it will hurt the egg any. On the plus side, try something new. Maybe some smoke flavor. Maybe cheaper than lump if you get the wood yourself.

Anybody ever try this? CenTex? Anybody else?
LBGE
«1

Comments

  • Never tried this (you go first let me know how it goes) 
    I think the issue might be the amount of ash, the smoke would be interesting if not thick. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Harder to control temps with real wood (IMO), harsh flavor on food would be another negative.

     

    If lump can get you 700+ temps why do you need hotter?

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

  • Yeah smitty, that is what I meant. I don't need to go hotter, I meant it would not be a problem to control.

    Don't think the smoke would be too thick. You know, like a burned down camp fire with a nice glowing bed of coals. Not sure skiddy. Maybe I will give it a try. Maybe some nice apple wood, or hickory?
    LBGE
  • Adamd
    Adamd Posts: 160
    Put a round propane burner inside the firebox lol. That will do it ;)
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669

    Harder to control temps with real wood (IMO), harsh flavor on food would be another negative.

     

    If lump can get you 700+ temps why do you need hotter?


    Smitty sounds right. The ash is going to be a bear as well.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • OK adamd.....I can take a ribbing as well as the next guy......but this was an idea I though had some merit. I will give it a try and report back here. Not sure on the ash. Could be. But maybe not, there isn't a lot of wind inside my egg, unless I am cranking on the temperature.
    LBGE
  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    edited September 2012
    @nakedwhiz tried this and reported the creosote was way too thick afterwards.
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • Adamd
    Adamd Posts: 160
    I was kind of serious as well about the propane burner. I am just not sure it will work that great because of the lack of airflow. Also will need to be able to adjust the gas flow with a valve to get control. 

    I just don't think it will work that great to get a constant temp because without a t-stat controlling the flame it will just stay on at the same level and just keep heating unless you adjust it just right once you get the temp you want.
  • Hmmm. Food for thought. I am a scientist, and do think that is a possibility. I think in my vision, the lid is open and the fire is cooked down to a nice bed of coals first. Hmmmm. I need to think. An experiment is called for.....
    LBGE
  • Adamd
    Adamd Posts: 160
    edited September 2012
    I would think you would use it more like a gas grill then also have charcoal in it along with the burner. 

    Just to think off the top of my head you will need to figure out.

    1. Air flow (dome vent full open, bottom vent full open) Don't need to adjust the airflow to get the proper temp like you do with charcoal.
    2. An easy way to adjust the flow of the gas to regulate temperature.
    3. How to reach an equilibrium point so you don't have to keep adjusting the gas valve to keep the constant temp you need. 

    Maybe it's not hard at all and I am over thinking it lol.
  • Interesting...I've thought about a wood fire too. Never thought about the creosote. Couldn't you do a clean burn after with lump to get rid of the creosote?
  • Did the "let's try and burn some regular wood" thread just devolve into let's turn our Eggs into gassers?  Sacrilege!

    To get the thread back on track... I used to do this with my Weber kettle on occasion.  Load it up with split, dried oak and burn down to a hot bed of coals/wood.  Way more trouble than burning lump but doable.

    BakerMan - Purcellville, VA "When its smokin' its cookin', when its black its done"
  • I know...just burn lump, but a real wood fire might give the egg a good seasoning. Just thinking out loud.
  • Adamd
    Adamd Posts: 160
    Well I think it did because burning regular wood in the Egg I just don't think would be a great idea. 
  • Won't hurt the egg. At most waste some time and a bad meal. Try it and let us know. I'm curious.
    Boom
  • Converting an Egg into a gasser?  I saw a YouTube video on it.

    http://youtu.be/vrrpOU6Ewrk

    Knock your socks off.  It's nothing I want to do.

    Flint, Michigan
  • Won't hurt the egg. At most waste some time and a bad meal. Try it and let us know. I'm curious.

    +1



    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    You're basically talking about making charcoal with wood in the egg, then burning the charcoal.  First of all, it would take a long time before you're ready to cook and second you'll have some nasty creosote covering the inside of the egg.

    Make the charcoal outside the egg following age old method colliers used - very slow burning of wood in a low oxygen environment.  (wood pile, cover with dirt, small air holes, burn) It can take 5 days to make a batch.  Then burn it in the egg.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Jump!  Just jump and let us know how a 100% wood cook goes.
    My actuary says I'm dead.
  • You're basically talking about making charcoal with wood in the egg, then burning the charcoal.  First of all, it would take a long time before you're ready to cook and second you'll have some nasty creosote covering the inside of the egg.

    Make the charcoal outside the egg following age old method colliers used - very slow burning of wood in a low oxygen environment.  (wood pile, cover with dirt, small air holes, burn) It can take 5 days to make a batch.  Then burn it in the egg.
    Or you could just buy a bag of lump.
    Flint, Michigan
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I cooked a chuck roast a week and a half ago and decided that I'd just throw a pecan log over the little lump I had left.  Worst mistake I've made yet on the egg.  We ate what would have been a rockin' pulled beef, but it tasted like it was seasoned with an ash tray.  Learned my lesson.  And I'm afraid I hate pecan now, and I have about 200 pounds of chunks.

    But maybe I just didn't let it ash first.  They use wood in pizza ovens.  I'm thinking the hole in the front does a fresh air purge of the pizzas so they don't taste like my chuck roast.  I don't want to experiment any further.....I might try a batch of home made charcoal one of these days.....
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    ..or I could just buy a bag of lump :)

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Screwing up a cook, in this case using a wood log, gave me some high moral ground to be snarky in this post based on my (real) (unfortunate) past experience....
    :))
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • I was amused. =D>
    Flint, Michigan
  • @nolaegghead, what did you use to make pulled beef? Pot roast? I want to make one. I've never done it before. Is the cook similar to pulled pork.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • Not sure if this applies too much, but I recently cold smoked some cheese using the soldering iron method.  I covered the stainless cup with HD aluminum foil with a bunch of holes poked in the top.  I was amazed by the amount of creosote that built up on the foil and cup.  Sticky gooey globs of it,  I would think that reducing the airflow through the Egg to control temp might cause the same effect similar to what Naked Whiz reported.  It would not be good for the gasket for sure, and would likely take several volcano burns to clear out the ceramic.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    @nolaegghead, what did you use to make pulled beef? Pot roast? I want to make one. I've never done it before. Is the cook similar to pulled pork.
    it was a 3 pound chuck roast...beautiful piece of meat.....(sniff)
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Not sure if this applies too much, but I recently cold smoked some cheese using the soldering iron method.  I covered the stainless cup with HD aluminum foil with a bunch of holes poked in the top.  I was amazed by the amount of creosote that built up on the foil and cup.  Sticky gooey globs of it,  I would think that reducing the airflow through the Egg to control temp might cause the same effect similar to what Naked Whiz reported.  It would not be good for the gasket for sure, and would likely take several volcano burns to clear out the ceramic.
    the good thing about creosote - it burns very well.  One cleanout burn and it would be gone.  It's responsible for chimney fires.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • If I attempted to cook with wood, I would burn the logs in a separate container first, then remove the burning embers into the cooking vessel. I do not know that this would be practical with a BGE.

    Here is a great video on the process. I recommend that everyone watch it, whether or not they are interested in cooking with wood:

    http://www.southernbbqtrail.com/cut_chop_cook.shtml

    Tim