Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Big Green Egg Smokers

I know there are some out there that are fans of the BGE. I just got one and am enjoying exploring what it can do.

Most recent revelation was smoking baked potatoes. Smoked at 400 for an hour. Best baked potato I've ever had.

One issue I ran into was the hickory I was using for smoke was pretty much burned up before we reached the 400 degrees. I used tools to remove the grate and heat diverter and added more hickory to the coals but it was somewhat of a pain.

I've thought of two ways to avoid that hassle in the future:

1 - Get the BGE up to temp before adding the hickory then heat diverter then grate.

2 - Assemble as normal, wait for the temp to come up to 400 then slip a couple of chunks of hickory into the bottom of the BGE, down where the ashes accumulate.

Anyone have any input on the 2nd thought, above? I would think it would be hot enough to make the hickory smoke. I don't think the ash (I'd clean it out before starting the fire) would cause problems.

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

Smoke is best absorbed early on.

Throw the food on as it comes to temp with lid closed, chimney and lower baffle wide open. Let it come to temp and finish cook.

I’d wait to get to temp like you said, maybe soak it in water beforehand. Smoking really isn’t done at 400 degrees, I’m not saying you won’t get more smoke flavor I’ve just never tried it that hot.

400 is BBQing not smoking

And you'd typically do a baked potato in the oven at 325 for an hour. 1 hr at 400 seems kinda long.

Sounds like you are putting dry hickory directly on the lump, of course its gonna burn up fast, especially at 400, which really aint smokin, thats grillin. Put it on the outside edge if you are gonna do that. I always soak my wood for atleast an hour before hand. I put the chunks on the outside edges, if chips, I just put them all over the lump, they'll burn up as the fire goes out from the center. I always do it when it reaches temp. You should never have to add more chunks or chips when smoking.

Eggs are awesome, been cookin/eating off one since the mid 1990s.

If you really want to simplify until you get things sorted out:

Smoke @ 225 for 30 minutes.

Crank to 400 and leave on another 30-45.

The temperature in the ash area may be lower than you expect - easy enough to check. You'd probably be more likely to get smoke from the hickory chunks by dropping them on the diverter than you would putting them in the ash area, but putting wood chunks on the diverter may not be recommended - read your user's manual before trying that.

Big green egg cookers, yeti coolers, zero turn mowers........

Just more root of evil

It's right there in the good book under passing a sows ear thru the eye of a needle.

Enjoy your sinfulness.

With the sow's ear (instead of camel) through the eye of a needle reference, I'm not sure if your post is serious or not. Sometimes people receive those luxury items as gifts. Even if one buys it for himself, each one of us will answer to God for how we use our time, talent, and resources

Isn't any gun costing more than $300 a luxury?

People that don’t have a Big Green Egg are called losers.

Sounds like someone is being judgemental... Doesn't the good book tell you not to judge. Let the big man sort things out when the time comes. You're not a real Christian if you judge people. People like you are what turns people away from church.

You left out a lot of sinfulness. so I take it good looking bi-sexual chicks with big tits are a no go?

GF has a BGE. It's nice and all but all we ever do on it is grill burgers, steak and brats.

Smoking gets done on the Pit Barrel Cooker. Seems to be much better for that - tho I realize a Digi-Q type controller for the BGE may help or provide better control for it - it's just "meh" for us with it.

Love the PBC. Even prefer it over my pellet smoker.

Seems like we need to make room for SCgman1 down here in the sinfulness.

How dare you start a discussion about anything except vax and Afghanistan.

Touchee.....nicely played

Good idea. I'll give that a try. Thanks!

BTW, though I failed to mention it, I am soaking the hickory in water for an hour or more.

Yeah, 400 is not smoking but the smoke flavor in the potato is amazing.

Perhaps an hour at 400 is longer than some prefer but, that was the best baked potato I've ever had.

Thanks for all the recommendations!

Next time, soak the charcoal in water, too.

It'll last longer.