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The Smoking Lamp Is Lit! Smoke 'Em If You've Got 'Em; Part 2

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    #46
    Spinaker vandyPequod , you all seem to be well versed with this technique. Please check my understanding of this.... I’ve read this thread, and my plan is to get a one quart pot and place three 1/8 inch holes in the bottom. I will fill it with chunks and pellets of my choice. Get fire going in center of charcoal as per usual smoke /cook, get the ceramics up to near temps, place the pot nestled in the center of the lit coals with the lid on tightly. Then put on deflectors, grates, get up to temp with smoke about 15 minutes. Then lay on the meat, and should have nice smoke for at least 4 hours. Pretty much it? I have a KJ big joe. Thanks in advance. The bottom of the pot should be on coals, not directly on the cast iron coal grate or the kick ash basket?

    Comment


    • Spinaker
      Spinaker commented
      Editing a comment
      The SM is going to be perfect for the Big Joe. You might even be able to use a bigger DO. And remember, you are making lump in the SM. You can reuse it. I like to use it for small cooks on my Hibachi or KJ Jr. Great flavor! KevinG

    • vandy
      vandy commented
      Editing a comment
      Absolutely Spinaker, I usually just throw that stuff right back in the charcoal pile to use on the next cook.

    • KevinG
      KevinG commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks, I can see reusing it. The junior is a miser on lump consumption. It awesome, exactly what I was hoping for. Won't take much to have home made lump on the junior

    #47
    I love the possibilities of this technique and glad this thread was revived. Anybody adapted this for use in a PBC? I posted the same query over on the PBC sub forum, so apologize for the duplication, but really intrigued by this method for producing "clean" smoke. TIA.

    Comment


      #48
      Pasted from my reply to your post.
      CeramicChef Changed my life as a Kamado owner with his smoke pot thread, it is the best accessory for smoking in Kamado’s. Therefore I decided good in the ceramics must be good in my PBC. I tried it on two cooks and to me it made no noticeable difference so I have not used it in a PBC cook since.
      However I may not be the best tester for this because Ive also tried wood chunks and determined for my tastes wood is not needed in a PBC. The delicious flavor we get with the meat drippings hitting the charcoal is part of why I love the food cooked in my PBC, and have determined it best to let it do its thing unaltered.
      Last edited by hogdog6; April 8, 2018, 08:56 PM.

      Comment


        #49
        Great thread, I just found a 1qt size that I will use in my large BGE. For others here that use BGE.... when I first started using, many years back, I started 4-5 small fires around the center of the pile, this was recommended and how most were doing it. Now after reading Dr Blonders articles, recommending one small hot fire, have been making one fire, right in the center...works great. If I fill up the chamber to full for a long smoke, there just won’t be room under the plate setter for this smoke pot.
        What are you other BGE users doing, making one fire in middle digging out enough room for pot or, embedding the pot down in coals, and building small fires around it?

        Comment


        • LA Pork Butt
          LA Pork Butt commented
          Editing a comment
          I biild in a center indentation and after the fire is going good I nestle in the smoke pot.

        • Spinaker
          Spinaker commented
          Editing a comment
          Same here. i light it in the middle , let it get good and hot, then I add the SP to the fire. Really nestle is down in there! Give it a twist to get it to go down. Otherwise, you might want to look at a 3/4 QT.

        #50
        I've been experimenting with the smoke pot on my large BGE and need some help. Once I get the smoke dialed in, it is indeed the best smoke flavor I've gotten yet. Getting it dialed in has been difficult. I first tried a 2 qt Lodge with a foil gasket. Here it is in the fire bowl.
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        The foil gasket leaked, so I removed it, and it was still belching white smoke around the lid:
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        So I started using a flour gasket, and it worked very well. However, I had the same problem as Sephon, after about 2 hours the fire died. I decided to try a 1 qt. It fit much better, but I started getting dark, sooty smoke for the first 30 minutes after I placed the smoke pot. First I thought it was maybe the flour gasket burning off, so I did a test burn of some flour paste on foil in the fire bowl:
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        It did not give me nearly as much smoke as I was getting during a cook. The bad smoke ruined one piece of meat. Today I had to remove the meat until the smoke thinned out again. It could have been some non-carbonized wood, but not likely three times in a row. Here's my best guess... since the dutch oven changes the airflow, I've been chasing the temperature. I've had to open the vents to keep the fire going, then closing them a bit to keep the temp down. After I close the vents is when the dark smoke starts to billow.

        Anyone else have trouble with thick, dark smoke? Any guesses about why I do? Thanks in advance for any insights.

        Comment


        • hdwwomcbb
          hdwwomcbb commented
          Editing a comment
          With the 1qt smoke pot, how long will the fire last before needing to replenish the charcoal and how long will the smoke last from a full pot of wood chunks? This is in reference to a large green egg.
          Last edited by hdwwomcbb; April 8, 2020, 01:08 PM.

        #51
        Let me try a more specific question. When you put the smoke pot into a LBGE, do you have to open the vents more to keep the temp up?

        Comment


        • Spinaker
          Spinaker commented
          Editing a comment
          I never find that I need too. If the Egg is properly heat soaked, you should not need to open the vents. The internal temp may drop a bit, the whole egg will recover once the SP comes up to temp.

        #52
        Whenever you add anything new like the platesetter or meat to the LBGE the temperature drops. So it is with the smoke pot. One author says he runs the temp up to 300 before adding the plate setter and then sets the vents as he would normally do for his target temperature. That way everything heats up faster as it settles down to the target temperature. That approach seems to shorten the time it takes to heat soak the egg before putting the meat on. I often put the meat on while white smoke is pouring out, and for me the smoke flavor is not offensive. Chuck in Charlotte is this and customtrim post helping?
        Last edited by LA Pork Butt; April 10, 2018, 11:05 AM.

        Comment


        • Chuck in Charlotte
          Chuck in Charlotte commented
          Editing a comment
          Yes! Thanks LA Pork Butt, customtrim and Spinaker, this is very helpful. It sounds like I need to be a little more patient. I'll let the egg heat a while longer next time, put on the SP, then let it heat up again before I even think of putting the meat on. I appreciate the replies, and hope I can return the favor some day.

        • Spinaker
          Spinaker commented
          Editing a comment
          Yep, just some patience. Also, like customtrim I use a 3/4 Qt Pot for mine. It gives me plenty of good, clean, smoke.

        #53
        I use a 3/4 pot on mine with a cyberq controller. What I have found is if I put the pot in early and the fan is running to get the temperature up then I end up getting thick white smoke and it will continue thru till it is pretty much done. Now what I do is wait till I'm just about to temp and set the pot in about ten minutes before I add the meat, gives me the nice clean smoke I want. The plates on the kamado Joe are 2 piece so I just stack them together this way everything is heated together at the same time and I get very little drop once the meat is added

        Comment


          #54
          First off I don't really understand why you can't get good smoke with the pot method. I put my 1 qt pot directly on the KAB then load the charcoal around it then I start a fire about 1.5 to 2 inches behind the pot and I get good smoke for as long as I need to give the meat a good smoky flavor, if I need more smoke or less smoke I adjust that with how much I put in the pot. The reason I start the fire that far behind the smoke pot is so by the time the KJ is heat soaked then the smoke starts which has always given me good smoke without being overbearing. Click image for larger version

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ID:	482155 Here are some photos of how I load my Big Joe up, I think this was for cooking a pork butt. I have never felt the need for an aluminum foil gasket on the lid and in fact I don't even know what the pot looks like when the smoke is rolling, I just know I get a good blue smoke from the top of the KJ so I never have thought to even look at it.

          Comment


          • Spinaker
            Spinaker commented
            Editing a comment
            I always get great smoke with my Smoke Pot.

          • hogdog6
            hogdog6 commented
            Editing a comment
            Ditto on the no gasket, and great smoke.

          • vandy
            vandy commented
            Editing a comment
            You load your KJ up with the 1 qt pot and charcoal the same way I do, I have always gotten good smoke with that method also, no gasket on the smoke pot also.

          #55
          Anyone else use the carbonized wood chunks from the smoke pot to use as lump? I love using the lump I make during this process in my Hibachi. Just one more reason to use the smoke pot!

          What a great idea, I wish CeramicChef would chime back in one of these days and lend us some more of his wisdom.

          Comment


          • Pequod
            Pequod commented
            Editing a comment
            Spinaker - I use a 2 quart pot in the 23. CC popped up at the KK forum about a year ago, then off the radar again. No CC sightings lately.

          • Spinaker
            Spinaker commented
            Editing a comment
            Ahhhh, yes, I figured you used a larger pot. Are you mixing chunks with pellets or just chunks? I bet you can get some really nice pieces of lump! Pequod

          • Pequod
            Pequod commented
            Editing a comment
            Spinaker - I start with chunks then toss in whatever I have laying around — chips or pellets. Usually end up with 2-3 good size pieces of lump and a bunch of "kindling".

          #56
          Here is my smoke pot🤓
          Attached Files

          Comment


          • customtrim
            customtrim commented
            Editing a comment
            I think you wanted the holes on the bottom

          #57
          customtrim that Is the bottom

          Comment


          • EdF
            EdF commented
            Editing a comment
            Have to admit, I first made the same misperception as customtrim , then realized the truth. So you did 3/16" holes? I have a 3/4 qt DO I am likely to drill out tomorrow.

          #58
          Resisting the temptation to insert Colorado "smoke pot" joke here ...

          Comment


          • EdF
            EdF commented
            Editing a comment
            Unfortunately, I don't get the joke reference - you may have to spell it out!

            Never mind - end of the work week. I got it!

          • Fire Art
            Fire Art commented
            Editing a comment
            Me too

          #59
          I have a large green egg with a kick ash basket. From these posts, it looks like I should use a 1 qt Dutch oven. However, it doesn't appear to leave much room for charcoal with the pot. How long of a cook can you get with this arrangement without having to reload charcoal and how long will you get smoke from a full pot of wood chunks? Thanks.

          Comment


          • Mosca
            Mosca commented
            Editing a comment
            I have the same. Get those small aluminum loaf pans, and jury-rig two of them together with the wood chips in between. Then poke a couple holes in them.

            But really, I don’t bother with this any more. Just bury the wood deep in the coals before you light the fire.

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