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When doing Low and Slow is your egg smoking the whole time?

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bhedges1987
bhedges1987 Posts: 3,201
in EggHead Forum
I just noticed... Perhaps I'm not using enough wood.  I use about 4 chunks placed throughout the coal.  It smoked for the first hour, then just turns to a clear heat.  No thin blue smoke, just a clear heat.  I've been going out every 3 hours or so, open the lid and spritz followed by a little ash tool to push around the coals to get it to smoke again.

Question is... When you all are doing Low and Slow, do you have a thin blue smoke the whole time, or more of a clear heat?

Thanks

Kansas City, Missouri
Large Egg
Mini Egg

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" - Gandalf


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  • SmokingPiney
    SmokingPiney Posts: 2,282
    edited March 2016
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    I don't go for smoke the entire cook. I'll put wood chunks in for some smoke flavor and let It clear up after the chunks burn down. Clear heat is a good thing.
    South Jersey Pine Barrens. XL BGE , Assassin 24, Weber Kettle, CharBroil gasser, AMNPS 
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  • bhedges1987
    bhedges1987 Posts: 3,201
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    SmokingPiney said:
    It clears up after the chunks burn down. Clear heat is a good thing.
    Good... I know it sure smells good when it's clear heat coming out.  Just didn't know if other people here have a constant thin blue smoke or what.  So the clear heat is still giving me a nice smoke flavor with the chunks burned down?

    Thanks

    Kansas City, Missouri
    Large Egg
    Mini Egg

    "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" - Gandalf


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  • SmokingPiney
    SmokingPiney Posts: 2,282
    edited March 2016
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    bhedges1987 said:
    SmokingPiney said:
    It clears up after the chunks burn down. Clear heat is a good thing.
    Good... I know it sure smells good when it's clear heat coming out.  Just didn't know if other people here have a constant thin blue smoke or what.  So the clear heat is still giving me a nice smoke flavor with the chunks burned down?

    Thanks


    The chunks will have done their duty with the smoke flavor when they burn down. The clear heat will do the cooking.

    You will still get a nice smoke flavor from the cook.


    South Jersey Pine Barrens. XL BGE , Assassin 24, Weber Kettle, CharBroil gasser, AMNPS 
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  • bgeaddikt
    bgeaddikt Posts: 503
    edited March 2016
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    I pondered about this concern as well and it may depend on how big the chunks are, if they are soaked or not, the type of wood, and placement of the chunks inside the coals. I tend to stack them a certain way or space them out according to how the fire will spread to keep constant smoking. If you see white smoke the whole time I don't think that would be good either.

    Austin, Tx
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  • SmokingPiney
    SmokingPiney Posts: 2,282
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    I like a good smoke taste, but I'm not into over-smoked meat. I use my chunks dry, and a good hour with smoke on a low and slow is enough smoke for me. The meat will still pick up some taste from clean burning lump.

    South Jersey Pine Barrens. XL BGE , Assassin 24, Weber Kettle, CharBroil gasser, AMNPS 
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
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    I agree I definitely do not have visible smoke the entire time.  You can mix your wood throughout the lump to get more smoke flavor throughout the cook, but still I see most of the smoke early on.  Every once in a while as the fire finds new wood I will see smoke again but it can go hours with no visible smoke.  

    I think you are on the right track- if it smells good it will taste good.   

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    I think the smoke is still there, even if you do not see it. Assumes the smoke wood is mixed thru the lump. Because of the air control, the smoke wood never burns, it just smoulders away, doing its thing. Big benefit of a kamado is how little smoke wood you need and you never have to soak it. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • Captainjimpark
    Captainjimpark Posts: 299
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    I use wood chips,I layer them as I'm puting the lump in
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  • Sundown
    Sundown Posts: 2,980
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    bgeaddikt said:

    I pondered about this concern as well and it may depend on how big the chunks are, if they are soaked or not, the type of wood, and placement of the chunks inside the coals. I tend to stack them a certain way or space them out according to how the fire will spread to keep constant smoking. If you see white smoke the whole time I don't think that would be good either.

    Most of us don't soak our chunks or chips. All it does is steam and doesn't accomplish anything.
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