Baked beans with drippings question

[Henrik]

Wow, great replies! Now I know how to improve. If I may gather a short list based on all good suggestions, this is what I'll do. By the way, my BGE was just an example, so I'll do this on different cookers:

1. Suspend the beans so they don't get exposed to direct heat (transfer).
2. Put them on about 1-2 hours into the cook, when the meat actually starts dripping.
3. Leave them on for about 1-1.5 hours (very roughly), so they get cooked/smoked, but don't dry out.
4. (Optional) keep catching drippings in a separate pan, after removing the beans, and if needed/desired, add that to the beans afterwards.

Cool! Much appreciated!

[JeffJ]

That sounds like an infallible plan. PLEASE post pics the next time you try this.

[Karon Adams]

I don't cook mine IN the smoker, anymore, it doesn't really help that much. the only advantage to it might be to get 'smoke' flavor but the smoke can only kiss the top layer of beans.

Instead, I put a water pan in to catch my drip. I then bring in the water pan and cook out all the water.

Meanwhile, soak your beans ahead of time, cook them in a pressure cooker or slow cooker over the course of the Smoke. and before serving dress the beans with a heaping scoop of the dripping you gleaned after cooking out the water. the rest of the drip becomse your BBQ sauce.

that way, the cooked down drip has the same spice profile as your meat, the smoke flavor comes with the cooked down drip, as well. it makes things MUCH easier.
The only way to cook the beans IN the smoker would be to cook them well before hand and put them in the smoker for the last few hours (at which point there is very little dripping) OR you can put them in a REALLY big pot full of water that has enough water to be absorbed by the beans and still be able to remain moist throughout the cook. that's a LOT of water.

but, nothing smells worse than burnt beans. you don't want that in you smoker tainting the flavor of your amazing meat.

[CaptainMike]

Game, set, match.

[MeatMonster]

Hi mate, I don't use disposable foil pans, had dried beans too many times! so invested in some heavy duty cast iron cookware for my beans. They help smooth out any heat spikes, I dedicate them for that purpose now so the wife is ok as I'm not using her lasagne dishes etc!

In the early days I thought longer was better for the beans but on a couple of occasions they were almost too rich / smokey and gloopy.

Clearly we want to obviate gloopy beans, so I usually cook them them for an hour or two prior to wrapping the meat then take them out after 3 hrs tops and hold them in oven, or wrap super tight in foil and put into cambro or cooler area of smoker if that's possible.

2 hours is usually good enough to get great drippings and flavour.