Not getting sufficient smoke

SmokinMN · July 2015

Hello All-

I have been smoking for several years on a Weber Smokey Mountain. I purchased a LGE this spring and have used it quite frequently throughout the summer so far. My only trouble that i am having with the LGE is i dont seem to get sufficient smoke while trying to do a low and slow cook. Just wondering if anyone can describe their method of loading the charcoal and wood to get the thin blue smoke that i am looking for. Are you putting wood directly into the hot coals, or are you just mixing the wood chunks throughout the coal?

I recently tried to make ribs and a loin roast. You could smell the smoke, but there really wasnt a good smoke taste to the meat

I am using BGE lump charcoal along with fist size chuncks of hickory and cherry wood. I typically will mix a good amount of wood thoughout the coals, get a small fire going and turn on my GURU and let it go. I wait until the initial white smoke disappears, then load the meat on the egg and let it go. Daisy wheel is set to credit card thickness opening. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

Miked125 · July 2015

I mix my chunks into the charcoal and not on top like I did when I had a wsm.

minniemoh · July 2015

I tend to lean toward putting the smoke wood on top of the lump after I get to temp. I let the smoke clear to the nice blue whispy stuff and then put on my meat. Sometimes with a brisket, I'll mix it in a little lower. I have no experience with a WSM to compare.

How many chunks are you putting in? Just a thought but are you taking the meat from the fridge to the egg?

Where are you located in MN?

Foghorn · July 2015

A lot less fuel will burn on the egg as compared to the WSM over the same time. This can equate to less smoke. Play around with how much wood you use and how you mix it in. I've never over smoked anything on my egg, but I have done it on my ProQ which is similar to the WSM.

SmokinMN · July 2015

Ok. Thanks for the advice. I think I will try placing more wood chunks in and around the hot coals. I have noticed that there is significantly less coal burnt on an egg compared to the WSM, which is not going to get to the wood chunks as fast. So I will try putting the wood closer to the fire so we have smoke while the meat will actually take the smoke in. I am located in Marshall, minniemoh. How about you?

GregW · July 2015

I've noticed on my large that if I cook at around 225 I don't get nearly as much smoke. If I increase the temp to 250 the is more smoke flavor. I can't tell any difference in the meat quality at 250 compared to 225.
Also as mentioned by @SmokinMN mentioned, placing the wood closer to the fire will get more smoke at the most desirable portion of the cook.

badinfluence · July 2015

I have found to light the lump then get to temp put the wood chunks right on the lit coal then get the meat on. The meat is only really going to take the smoke for the first couple hours anyways till the crust sets anyways. Seems to work for me.

Skiddymarker · July 2015

IMO you have the right idea mixing the smoke wood thru the lump. Suggest using smaller pieces of smoke wood, IMO a fist size chunk is too large in a ceramic airflow controlled kamado vs the WSM. Even chips work in the egg without flaring due to the controlled airflow. The presence of smoke is not as visible as it is with a WSM, the smoke is there.

minniemoh · July 2015

@SmokinMN - I'm in Plymouth.

WeberWho · July 2015

With ribs I'll bury 3-4 (fruit wood) fist size chunks just below the top of the charcoal. If the chunks are buried to low into the firebox the low and slow might not even make it way down to them because the BGE is so sufficient with lump. (Also just a heads up with the Big Green Egg lump it's made by Royal Oak. The same Royal Oak lump you can find at Menards, Home Depot, Lowes, etc but in their normal hardwood lump packaging. It's the exact same lump as BGE but your paying extra for the bag to say Big Green Egg on it)

hoofaloos · July 2015

I use the same method as @badinfluence and it's not b/c the guy has 13 BGE's either. I've always gotten a solid amount of smoke flavor from putting the wood chunks on top of the hot coals after I stabilize the temp. I don't skimp either but don't know if that has anything to do with it. I try to get them on quickly so that I can replace the PS and grid before I'm blinded by a smoke cloud. It gets super smokey really quickly too.

Texansurf · July 2015

I mix in a lot of chips and chunks.... I use both to ensure a steady source of smoke from raw wood and steady heat from the Lump Charcoal... But that is what works down in the super humid South Texas Coastal Plains....

Not getting sufficient smoke

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