Does lump charcoal create creosote or bitter smoke at low temps in Big Green Egg??

[pyro50]

In the market for some new equipment.  Always been a stick burner/lump guy and had my heart set on a Lang, but a good buddy swears by his egg, and I've got to admit, they're pretty intriguing.  But there are some things that don't seem to add up....

• I've always pre-burned my lump before loading into my side fire box to get rid of that bitter white smoke it puts off at first.  
• I've also always stood by the mantra that the amount of fue/size of fire  should be used to control the amount of heat, not the air flow you allow, as limited airflow could cause smoldering and creosote.
• The BGE does exactly the opposite of these two practices, it does not pre-burn, and the airflow is precisely what controls your temp, not the size of your fire.

Can anybody shed any light on this??

 

[daveomak]

Air flow is very important to burn off any volatiles that are emitted from wood or charcoal...  like in a secondary combustion thing...  charcoal "should" have all the volatiles burned off already...  

In a side firebox , we recommend a second air inlet to the firebox above the fire grate...  the lower air inlet to adjust the air to the fire and the upper air inlet to move the heat through the firebox to the cook chamber and add oxygen for secondary combustion....  

When using charcoal in the SFB and adding sticks for flavor, the secondary burn helps reduce the thick white smoke and any volatile particulates.....  

Here is what one ingenious member, skifreak, did to make that double air inlet adjustable.....  he commented on how much better his smoker worked after the mod....  As far as the Egg goes... I'm a dummy....   Dave

Dual Air inlets Ski Freak.jpeg

• daveomak
• Feb 17, 2013

 

[grinder]

I do alot of low and slows and have never had any issues with a bitter or sooty flavor from burning lump. If you're seriously considering buying a BGE, check out Primo oval ceramic grills. Oval shape allows indirect cooking,lots of great accessories and American made.