Put me on to smoking meat :dame:

[Admiral Ackbar]

Before you complain about the homosexual rigamarole, I just copped a Big Green Egg from Ace (saved $125 on the medium BGE).

Got home and tried smoking a brisket and a pork butt, but my flame was way too smokey and white. I trimmed off a burnt end from the brisket and it's too bitter, so I'ma cut down on wood next time. Started with about 15 briquettes and then added hickory chunks.

How do you get your fire started and get to the desired 220-235? What wood are you using? Are pellets better?

 

[Amo Husserl]

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

Dang, I gotta cop that conveggtion thing.

 

[Flywin Lannister]

ENTIRE THREAD

 

[CopiousX]

Well...

 

[Womb Raider]

Gotta be the WOAT thread title

 

[⠀X ⠀]

So you wanna learn how to smoke meat?

 

[Rusty$hackleford]

Op
Congrats on your purchase.
Maybe look into the snake method since your just getting used to the kamado.
Key is to start a very small fire and bring up to temp in a cooker like that. Once you exceed your desired temp, it's very hard to bring down as they hold temp well by design, and are super efficient. You'll also want to control your vents to contain the fire.

I do more of a "minion method" approach. I form a pile of lump coals. Place a fire starter in the middle and ignite (i use cotton ball and isopropyl alcohol). By the time it burns out and the coals catch (in the middle only), I add the wood chunks on various spots on the pile, and close the smoker, little goes a long way. As it's coming up to desired temp, I close the vents down to where theyre barely open. Give it some time to begin burning cleanly and then add on the meat. I bet after a few cooks you'll have it dialed in, good luck

Edit- also, you don't wanna be using briquettes in that thing unless your direct, high heat grilling. Lump>

 

[melraH]

AYO

 

[xCivicx]

Use less of all of the heat sources

Im smoking some short rib later today

 

[Admiral Ackbar]

Op
Congrats on your purchase.
Maybe look into the snake method since your just getting used to the kamado.
Key is to start a very small fire and bring up to temp in a cooker like that. Once you exceed your desired temp, it's very hard to bring down as they hold temp well by design, and are super efficient. You'll also want to control your vents to contain the fire.

I do more of a "minion method" approach. I form a pile of lump coals. Place a fire starter in the middle and ignite (i use cotton ball and isopropyl alcohol). By the time it burns out and the coals catch (in the middle only), I add the wood chunks on various spots on the pile, and close the smoker, little goes a long way. As it's coming up to desired temp, I close the vents down to where theyre barely open. Give it some time to begin burning cleanly and then add on the meat. I bet after a few cooks you'll have it dialed in, good luck

Edit- also, you don't wanna be using briquettes in that thing unless your direct, high heat grilling. Lump>

Lump charcoal is what I didn't use. Will try that instead

 

[CrushedGroove]

@IsaiahRashad

 

[feelosofer]

One tip I can give is you want keep a very low flame, just enough to produce your smoke. White smoke is not a bad thing. I think the problem if its coming out bitter is one, the type of chips/pellets and most likely you are using too much, also you want to maybe open up the ventilation a little more so that that smoke doesn't blacken the meat that's where the bitterness is coming from.

 

[DonB90]

Too much wood chips causes bitterness.

Also stay away from lighter fluid

 

[Rusty$hackleford]

Lump charcoal is what I didn't use. Will try that instead

Rock on bro.
I find that kamado bbq low and slow is quicker/more efficient than other methods like an offset. You hear outrageous times online for pork butts and briskets, but i think the more closed system of the kamado just cooks quicker. Even my ribs don't seem to take as long and i go around 225-250 max. I'll hear some say they don't get the smoke rings theyre used to seeing on other smokers, and I think that again is related to the smaller fires, lower overall smoke output (of a good burning fire) and closed space.

Lucky man, enjoy that. I use a steel "kamado" (Chargriller Akorn). I know some brothers got kamados in that bbq thread on here. Maybe they can give more specific input for your rig. I see they got rotisserie add-ons and shyt for those things. Superdope