My Big Green Egg was delivered yesterday

M

Mr Bean

100+ Posts
What do I need to know? I've used other folks' BGE's several times in the past, but I know that Hornfans will help shorten my learning curve.

I tried cooking filets this evening, but realized (too late) that I hadn't put enough lump charcoal in to get to the desired temp. I'll fix that tomorrow.

Recipes? Advice?

BTW, the BGE was a birthday gift from my wife and her parents. They should get a gold star or something.
 
Congrats on the BGE, they are awesome. My only warning would be to not close your lid if you are cooking over 1000 degrees. I melted the felt lining between the cover and base to a point that I could not open it. I finally had to cut it open with a carpet knife. The felt is not necessary, so you could proactively remove it.
 
What type of guidance are you looking for? Without direction, my advice would be:

1. Branch out. Don't just stick to the things you'd typically make on a grill. Two of my favorite things to cook are pizza (where the egg works like a great brick oven) and smoked chili. It also does great on bread and a lot of other things you'd never think about.

2. Read the BGE forum linked off the BGE website. Those guys are a wealth of information that can answer any question that you might ever possibly have.

3. If you received a cookbook with the egg, throw it away. It is the most useless thing you'll ever see. I cannot vouch for or against the DVD because I've never opened mine.

If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer whatever I can. I have two eggs and love them.
 
you will want to get the 'plate setter'. google it. It is needed for indirect cooking/smoking. Buy a gross of aluminum (throw away) drip pans as well, you can never have enoughof those.

to smoke at 250F requires the smallest crack in the lower intake and also a very small opening for the top vent (this is after the coals are going inside). It will take a few cooks to get it right. I kept ending up with a higher temp because I thought the fire would just go out with that small of an intake opening.
 
do a pork butt. just about the simplest thing in the world, impossible to screw up. pull it off at 200 and shred it by hand (let it cool first, doh) and drown it in sauce and serve.
 
Thanks for the responses. It looks like the best way will be trial and error - enjoying the ride. I'm off for a couple of weeks around Christmas, so hopefully I'll start the new year off as an expert.

John Galt - funny you mention the pork butt. This is funnier when described in detail, but while on vacation last spring we were staying at a house in Colorado that has a green egg. Someone had recommended trying a pork butt. Ended up with a 14-pounder (all the local butcher had). Started cooking at 7:30 in the AM....never got to a "done" temperature. The girls ended up eating cereal at 9:00 PM. I passed out. Took the butt off the egg the next morning. Might have been done, but the damn house cat got into it.
mad.gif
 
14lbs is pretty damn big. The most I have tried to cook at one time was three 6 lb'ers. I think they finished in 12 hours or so.

One more thing that works for me on getting the fire started right every time. I fill the base with lump oak (and a few chunks of smoking wood, if you are smoking) and then start a chimney about half filled with the same. when the coals in the chimney get red, just pour them in egg on top of the other stuff. Leave the bottom vent wide open and the lid open for about 5-10 mins until the bottom coals start to catch.

I tried using just starter cubes in the pit, but for whatever reason, it did not work everytime.

Also, this site is full of good tips, recipes, even reviews on charcoal types. www.nakedwhiz.com/nwindex.htm
 
Damn. After reading that nakedwhiz site, I am more convinced I want to buy a BGE. To the OP, what size did you get?
 
I use those starter blocks and they fire up my egg every time w/o fail. Odd you are having problems with them as they are nothing but surefire for me.

I might add that I have tried different brands of lump charcoal and each brand reacted different in the egg. Ozark lump would require a small opening at the bottom vent and a totally closed top vent except for the 4 slits and it would hold 225 for 8 hours but it took a while to get really hot. Great for low and slow cooks but a pain for searing a few steaks. Central Market lump would go out with that amount of ventilation and got hot super super fast. I never had a good low and slow cook with this brand (either the coals went out totally or they would reignite in the middle of the night and get up to 400 degrees by the time I wake up). The BBQ Galore house brand lump (I think its house brand at least) was a middle ground for both.

Bottom line, experiment and realize different lump = different BGE behavior. Congrats on getting a helluva smoker/grill.
 
Congrats on the BGE. As another poster mentioned, buy the platesetter to create indirect heat. Also, BGE forum and nakedwhiz sites are awesome. Also consider getting the BBG guru, which regulates heat. You can smoke a brisket for 18 hours plus on one load of lump without ever having to check the meat/temp until its done. I.E. if you want a brisket for a noon football game, you can throw it on at night and sleep through to the next day without ever having to tend to the fire, check temps. Great invention. Also, i find the easiest startup is simply to use a chimney starter.



BBQ Guru
 
If I'm cooking at 500 or above, I actually put the starters in through the vent in the bottom and light them below the charcoal. The whole egg then acts like a chimney starter and gets going pretty good. If I'm also rushed, I might get one of those little fans and blow some air in the vent. Not necessary most times, but it helps now and then.

For lower temps, I use the fire starters on the top, making sure to bury them. I'll light three or four little chunks, and one or two of them always get the lump going.
 
I got a 'stoker' stoker about 3 months ago and it works as advertised. I have had the egg for about a year and a half prior to that.

Using a plug in some guy wrote over on the webber forums, you can track/graph your overnight cooks. I have been getting to within 0.5% of my target temps for the duration of the cook (16 hours my longest so far).

yeah, it kinda cheating but it works well and your stuff comes out great everytime with no surprises.
 
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