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kirkg
Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: Can't get my smoke right...... |
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I've been smoking on by BGE for a while now and have come to the conlusion that my smoke is just not right - ie not a thin blue smoke. It's a thick white smoke most of the time. I find it really difficult to control sometimes. I'm using lump with added wood chunks, mostly pecan lately, and not soaked. From what I've read around here, a small hot wood fire is best, but I'm not sure this is attainable with the Egg - or is it? Any reccomendations would be greatly appreciated.
Maybe I should go for a new smoker as I'm looking to get my feet wet with some competitions in the next few months. I'm looking for a smoker that will not break the bank and is easy to move from my deck to the contests. Any ideas? I live in North GA, so something to pick up would be best.
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BluDawg
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Joined: 30 Jul 2009
Posts: 2071
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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I swap you my UDS and The stick burner for the Egg and I'll even toss in a 1/2 chord of seasoned oak. Come get it.
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kirkg
Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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funny stuff, especially the avatar
not looking to dish the egg....still love it |
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SWP5767
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Joined: 18 Aug 2011
Posts: 372
Location: Royal Palm Beach, FL
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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Are you feeling any side effects from think smoke like numb or tingling lips?
Got any pics of what the egg is doing when your cooking?
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Griffin
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Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 801
Location: Dallas, Texas
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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Are you allowing 30 minutes or so after you light it to allow the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) to burn off? If the smoke still smells bad, then wait. Once it starts to smell good, you are good to go.
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kirkg
Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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| Griffin wrote: | | Are you allowing 30 minutes or so after you light it to allow the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) to burn off? If the smoke still smells bad, then wait. Once it starts to smell good, you are good to go. |
I am waiting, maybe not long enough, but it just seems to smolder with too much smoke for a while. Now that I think about it, the smoke does become more subtle. |
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Greg_R
BBQ Fan
Joined: 24 Jun 2006
Posts: 118
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: Re: Can't get my smoke right...... |
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| kirkg wrote: | | It's a thick white smoke most of the time. I find it really difficult to control sometimes. I'm using lump with added wood chunks, mostly pecan lately, and not soaked. From what I've read around here, a small hot wood fire is best, but I'm not sure this is attainable with the Egg - or is it? |
Soaking doesn't matter (besides creating a little steam before the wood starts burning).
I have a similar insulated ceramic cooker. You want an even -smaller- fire then most other people & you really only need 1-2 fist sized chunks of wood... maximum! Here's what I do:
1) Start lump charcoal in a chimney. You only need enough to fill a coffee can (not a #10 size).
2) Place unlit lump in the BGE with the 1-2 chunks of wood near.
3) Dump the lit coals on top in a neat pile (not all over the place). This will cause the fire to remain small yet burn slowly outward during the entire cook. If you Google "Minion method" you'll see various other ways of doing this.
4) Set your vents and wait. It may take a little longer to come up to the temperature you want but your fire will stay small. Once the fire gets big it is very hard to keep the temps down.
I use the BGE lump with this method and get -very- wispy smoke. The quality of your charcoal really matters. I've had bad briquettes and yellow smoke just rolls out of the cooker. Focus on the big 3: good charcoal, proper vent settings, & a small hot fire.
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1MoreFord
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Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 595
Location: N. Little Rock & Hot Springs, Arkansas
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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Try a cook w/o any wood chunks. You may have wood that is not seasoned enough.
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roxy
BBQ All Star
Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 9331
Location: Wasaga beach, Ontario
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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The rule of a nice thin blue smoke applies more to offset smokers than it does to a BGE because the offset burn the wood with flame where the BGE burns charcoal and the wood added only smoulders. The information of a small hot fire also applies to offset smokers and not the BGE.
Load your fuel, get it going, add the chunks or chips of wood that you desire to use. Bring it up to temp that you desire, add the meat and away you go...
Be careful you do not suffer from Paralysis by over Analysis.. It aint rocket science.
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erniesshop
BBQ Super Pro
Joined: 11 Jan 2009
Posts: 2104
Location: Grants New Mexico
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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| roxy wrote: | The rule of a nice thin blue smoke applies more to offset smokers than it does to a BGE because the offset burn the wood with flame where the BGE burns charcoal and the wood added only smoulders. The information of a small hot fire also applies to offset smokers and not the BGE.
Load your fuel, get it going, add the chunks or chips of wood that you desire to use. Bring it up to temp that you desire, add the meat and away you go...
Be careful you do not suffer from Paralysis by over Analysis.. It aint rocket science. |
+1 K I S S |
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Scribbles
Newbie
Joined: 20 Oct 2011
Posts: 81
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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Buy 10 whole chickens and go cook them, you’ll have it figured out once you are done.
If you still have issues repeat as necessary. |
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kirkg
Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: Re: Can't get my smoke right...... |
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| Greg_R wrote: | | kirkg wrote: | | It's a thick white smoke most of the time. I find it really difficult to control sometimes. I'm using lump with added wood chunks, mostly pecan lately, and not soaked. From what I've read around here, a small hot wood fire is best, but I'm not sure this is attainable with the Egg - or is it? |
Soaking doesn't matter (besides creating a little steam before the wood starts burning).
I have a similar insulated ceramic cooker. You want an even -smaller- fire then most other people & you really only need 1-2 fist sized chunks of wood... maximum! Here's what I do:
1) Start lump charcoal in a chimney. You only need enough to fill a coffee can (not a #10 size).
2) Place unlit lump in the BGE with the 1-2 chunks of wood near.
3) Dump the lit coals on top in a neat pile (not all over the place). This will cause the fire to remain small yet burn slowly outward during the entire cook. If you Google "Minion method" you'll see various other ways of doing this.
4) Set your vents and wait. It may take a little longer to come up to the temperature you want but your fire will stay small. Once the fire gets big it is very hard to keep the temps down.
I use the BGE lump with this method and get -very- wispy smoke. The quality of your charcoal really matters. I've had bad briquettes and yellow smoke just rolls out of the cooker. Focus on the big 3: good charcoal, proper vent settings, & a small hot fire. |
That is what I've been doing for the most part. I think I just got a bad batch of lump and/or didn't wait long enough. |
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kirkg
Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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| roxy wrote: | The rule of a nice thin blue smoke applies more to offset smokers than it does to a BGE because the offset burn the wood with flame where the BGE burns charcoal and the wood added only smoulders. The information of a small hot fire also applies to offset smokers and not the BGE.
Load your fuel, get it going, add the chunks or chips of wood that you desire to use. Bring it up to temp that you desire, add the meat and away you go...
Be careful you do not suffer from Paralysis by over Analysis.. It aint rocket science. |
Glad to hear someone say this....I think I'm just over analyzing, looking for the thin blue smoke. My cooks have been great for the most part |
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Mr Tony's BBQ
BBQ All Star
Joined: 01 Aug 2010
Posts: 5067
Location: Fredonia Wi
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kirkg
Joined: 27 Feb 2011
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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Looks nice. Does it really hold 72 lbs?
How does that reverse flow heat baffle work? Is that the pipe extending from the bottom of the cooker? |
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Alien BBQ
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Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 5426
Location: Roswell, New Mexico
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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Lump is charred wood, don't add any more chunks. Light just one side and let it burn to the other. see how this works for you and go from there.
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Mr Tony's BBQ
BBQ All Star
Joined: 01 Aug 2010
Posts: 5067
Location: Fredonia Wi
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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| kirkg wrote: |
Looks nice. Does it really hold 72 lbs?
How does that reverse flow heat baffle work? Is that the pipe extending from the bottom of the cooker? |
the heat / smoke travel under a steel plate nearly the length of the smoker, gently searing meat - then the heat and smoke travel over the meat [reversing direction], slow cooking and adding smoke flavor - it speeds most cooks by 20% or so over non reverse flows, without losing any flavor IMHO - very popular type of smoker - my model 84 will hold well over 300 pounds - I have never used the smaller ones but actually made my charbroiler into a reverse flow as I am so happy with the performance of my big Lang!
Most comps you will find a few to several Langs, or Lang knockoffs - even the big hitters love their Langs.
I both cater and vend off mine - feed 150 complete meals comfortably catering, 300 or so full meals [ meat, beans, shells n cheese, appetizers - all smoked] vending.
There are other sizes there too - grerat units for the price IMHO!
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EastTennQcrew
BBQ Super Pro
Joined: 23 Feb 2006
Posts: 1083
Location: Kingsport, Tenn.
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| Posted: Oct 28 2011 Post subject: |
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The bad smoke in an egg should be from the same thing as bad smoke in an offset.
I would say not enough air. To me it sounds like the fire is being choked out, and causing an incomplete burn of the wood.
RandyE
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Last edited by EastTennQcrew on Oct 29 2011; edited 1 time in total |
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Nick_is_BBQ
Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Oct 29 2011 Post subject: |
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| You don't need a smoke ring to have good BBQ. The smoke ring it's just a chemical reaction that has nothing to do with the smoke. But if you want it anyways, you have to mind the fuel to oxygen mix. To much fuel without enough oxygen = no smoke ring (so don't choke the fire), To little fuel with lots of oxygen = no smoke ring (so don't force the fire hot). Finding the right combination of fuel and oxygen comes with practice. Also keep in mind that all pits have a Standard temperature stabilizing point. So, if your pit is design to cook at 275 but you cook at 225 you will naturally be choking the fire and viceversa. This might help you out: http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuehelp/g/gsmokering.htm |
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Jarhead
BBQ All Star
Joined: 11 Oct 2009
Posts: 7355
Location: Marionville, Home of the White Squirrels, Missouri
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| Posted: Oct 29 2011 Post subject: |
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Add some Tender Quick to your rub. That will help with your SR. Adjust your salt, cause TQ is mostly salt with nitrates and nitrites added.
From Nick's reference:
| Quote: | | Coating meat with a salt tenderizer like Morton's Tender Quick, will load up the surface of the meat with nitrogen dioxide and give you a great smoke ring. |
I wouldn't go that far, just add some to your rub and experiment.
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