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Sustaining smoke for long periods

Waver
Waver Posts: 5
edited October 2012 in EggHead Forum
I'm planning on doing a pastrami next week.  I will buy a brisket, or plate if I can find it, and start the corning process first.
I understand that a pastrami can take all the smoke you throw at it.
When I do a butt or brisket my smoke stops after a few hours.  Should one:
Leave it alone and continue with the low and slow?
Try to add more wood chunks to reintroduce smoke to the cook?
Learn a better method of distributing chucks in the beginning to increase smoke time?

I have actually used a formed piece of aluminum foil like a chute to slide chips between the plate setter and fire ring to avoid having to lift the whole grill, meat, plate setter.  Anyone ever try that?
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Comments

  • I would add more and mix it in more at the start of the cook and then if you need to add more, bust out the tin foil chute and add more. You can't really over smoke a brisket. At the very least I've had way more that needed more smoke and I can't remember one that was too smoky for me.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • r270ba
    r270ba Posts: 763
    bust out the tin foil chute and add more
    Love that idea!
    Anderson, SC
    XL BGE, Father's Day Gift 2012 (Thanks Fam!!!)
    Webber Kettle and Webber Summit Gasser
    Want List: Thermapen, Small BGE, Wok, Adjustable Rig, Food Saver, More $

  • Love that idea!
    +2  Will be trying that out this weekend for sure.

    Damascus, VA.  Friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail.

    LBGE Aug 2012, SBGE Feb 2014

  • xraypat23
    xraypat23 Posts: 421
    take nice sized chunks, think baseball size, and put them all throughout your firebox. If you want continuous smoke, at least 7-10. 
  • That wood chute idea is pure genius. Bravo, sir.
  • Waver
    Waver Posts: 5
    Thanks for the feedback everyone.  The foil chute works pretty well but I want to find someone to bend me up a piece of sheet metal that will last!
    I'll try putting big chunks through out the lump.
  • Use soaked chunks and chips.

    The chips will produced lots of smoke at the beginning.  That is crucial time of the smoking session, as the meat is cold or cool and the pores are wide open and receptive to absorbing the smoke.  As the meat starts to warm up, the pores tighten up and don't absorb the smoke as readily as they did when it was cold.

    So, pour on the smoke in the beginning and don't worry after 4-6 or so hours about the smoke.
  • FanOfFanboys
    FanOfFanboys Posts: 2,615
    Use soaked chunks and chips.

    The chips will produced lots of smoke at the beginning.  That is crucial time of the smoking session, as the meat is cold or cool and the pores are wide open and receptive to absorbing the smoke.  As the meat starts to warm up, the pores tighten up and don't absorb the smoke as readily as they did when it was cold.

    So, pour on the smoke in the beginning and don't worry after 4-6 or so hours about the smoke.

    someone more eloquent than I will chime in but the first part of your post is incorrect, the rest is correct. That 'smoke' you see at first is mostly the steam from soaking burning off. The smoke that imparts flavor is mostly unseen but goes throughout cook as long as wood is avail.
    Boom
  • DocWonmug
    DocWonmug Posts: 300
    @FanOfFanboys, what did you mean steam from "soaking"? As in soaked chips? I get plenty of visible smoke from dry chips and chunks. As a trained visual opacity tech, smoke and steam look different.
    LBGE
  • booksw
    booksw Posts: 470
    Some cooks at eggtoberfest were using a product called "fruita" to keep the smoke coming 

    Anyone here try it?  Seems pricey to me but maybe its worth it.

    Charleston, SC

    L/MiniMax Eggs
  • pezking7p
    pezking7p Posts: 132
    lol@ the chute...but I'm definitely going to be trying it!
  • Waver
    Waver Posts: 5
    I finally took a piece of rain gutter, cut it so it is 3" wide with about 1/3" edges and made a few snips to bend it.  It works pretty well, then my uncle, a retired machinist did one better.  It's 2" wide, 24" long, 3/16" enamel coated steel. Thanks Richie!
  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    xraypat23 said:
    take nice sized chunks, think baseball size, and put them all throughout your firebox. If you want continuous smoke, at least 7-10. 
    This is good simple advice.  Even golf ball size chunks in that number should do the trick.  Done right, there is no need to open the lid and disturb the cooking process or mess up the temprature by changing the airflow pattern while adding wood.

    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
  • nick_banich
    nick_banich Posts: 110
    I always try to put chunks throughout the levels of the lump and more toward the center. Used 6 or 8 pieces this weekend for brisket (hickory) and it could have taken much more
    -Large BGE since 6-13
    -Indianapolis, IN

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Courtesy stike:
    image
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nick_banich
    nick_banich Posts: 110
    Wow guess my gut was right. Thanks @nolaegghead‌
    -Large BGE since 6-13
    -Indianapolis, IN

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    Where is @stike? Would be nice to see him on here. I joined after, have only read the archives.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    He's been on here up until recently.  Fragile as glass I guess.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    My son hangs with a competition team, they wrap their wood in foil! Anyone heard of that? I may try it
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    @cookinbob - I'm not into competition, but I started doing that when I cooked most everything on a gasser.  Keeps all the ashes in a disposable pouch.  Also it slows down the burn of the smoke wood and makes a very strong smoke, so do it sparingly.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Cookinbob said:

    My son hangs witih a competition team, they wrap their wood in foil! Anyone heard of that? I may try it

    I think it would be a waste of time on the egg. Not to mention when your done and go to stir the lump for the next go round you'll have bits and pieces of foil in there. It's really not necessary. Just layer the lump with wood chunks. No worries.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • KenfromMI
    KenfromMI Posts: 742
    I've never needed more than three fist size chunks in my life for any cut and I've actually cut that back now that I'm an Egg owner. Chunks that size produce smoke flavor even after they appear not to pushing smoke out of the smoker. I cut and split my own when I have availability. 
    Dearborn MI
  • GATABITES
    GATABITES Posts: 1,260
    I use at least 7-10 chunks. If I use less it's not smokey enough.
    XL BGE 
    Joe JR 
    Baltimore, MD
  • KenfromMI
    KenfromMI Posts: 742
    7-10 true fist size chunks? Where do you put your charcoal? LOL.......I wouldn't taste anything but smoke at that point.  
    Dearborn MI
  • GATABITES
    GATABITES Posts: 1,260
    all the the chunks aren't always the same size. I may use a little less if I have all larger chunks. But from the usual chunks that are in the bags I but -  they aren't all fist size. 

    this is with brisket and butt cooks. I don't use the same amount for ribs as it isnt enough meat. 

    I tried using less chinks on the butt i did sunday and it needed more smoke. 
    XL BGE 
    Joe JR 
    Baltimore, MD
  • bill37
    bill37 Posts: 127
    My source tells me you can get a plate at any good butcher shop, it also says to smoke at 200 degrees. I think at that low of temp. if you disperse the wood through out the lump you would get smoke for a long enough.
  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    5 big chunks is the most I ever use and that's in the XL.  One in the center and the other 4 in a diamond pattern.  Most of the time, the fire burns back and to the sides first, so I may not even put a chunk in the front and use 4 for a low and slow.  4 is the max ever needed in my medium. 3 is normally fine.
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    He's been on here up until recently.  Fragile as glass I guess.
    @nolaegghead, Do you think he got to old for this ****, ala Murtaugh?


  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Nah, I think he probably was read the riot act by his wife.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    FWIW, I usually put 4-5 chunks in my XL, one on top, the rest buried in the lump. I do not get a lot of smoke flavor.  Just Monday I did 3 butts at about 300 deg - they were great but not smoky
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY