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Sustaining smoke for long periods
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Waver
Posts: 5
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?
Comments
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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
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The Cen-Tex Smoker said:bust out the tin foil chute and add moreAnderson, SC
XL BGE, Father's Day Gift 2012 (Thanks Fam!!!)Webber Kettle and Webber Summit GasserWant List: Thermapen, Small BGE, Wok, Adjustable Rig, Food Saver, More $ -
Love that idea!
Damascus, VA. Friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail.
LBGE Aug 2012, SBGE Feb 2014
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take nice sized chunks, think baseball size, and put them all throughout your firebox. If you want continuous smoke, at least 7-10.
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That wood chute idea is pure genius. Bravo, sir.
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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.
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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.
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Smokin Bill said: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 -
@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
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Some cooks at eggtoberfest were using a product called "fruita" to keep the smoke comingAnyone here try it? Seems pricey to me but maybe its worth it.Charleston, SC
L/MiniMax Eggs -
lol@ the chute...but I'm definitely going to be trying it!
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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!
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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.
Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD. -
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
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Courtesy stike:
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
Wow guess my gut was right. Thanks @nolaegghead-Large BGE since 6-13-Indianapolis, IN
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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 -
He's been on here up until recently. Fragile as glass I guess.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
My son hangs with a competition team, they wrap their wood in foil! Anyone heard of that? I may try itXLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and GuitarsRochester, NY
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@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.. -
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.Cookinbob said:My son hangs witih a competition team, they wrap their wood in foil! Anyone heard of that? I may try it
LBGE 2013 & MM 2014Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FANFlying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL -
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
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I use at least 7-10 chunks. If I use less it's not smokey enough.XL BGEJoe JRBaltimore, MD
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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
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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 BGEJoe JRBaltimore, MD
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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.
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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. -
nolaegghead said:He's been on here up until recently. Fragile as glass I guess.
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Nah, I think he probably was read the riot act by his wife.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
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 smokyXLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and GuitarsRochester, NY
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