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Overwhelmed Newbie...First Post

After about a month of doing what seems like a ton of research, I finally purchased and assembled (successfully) my Medium Big Green Egg!!  With the purchase I also got an egg nest, a plate setter, an ash tool, an egg cover, and a bag of BGE lump.  On order is a BBQ Guru Digiq DX2 , Raging River and Dizzy Dust seasonings from Dizzy Pig, and a thermapen.  I have little to no experience in BBQ, and little experience with regular grilling on a gas grill.  With all of that in mind...here are a few newbie questions.  Any help is much appreciated. 

I have ZERO tools or wood working skills, so are there any ideas out there for an economical grill cart (as the Egg is already in a nest)?  

When I go to remove the egg cover from the egg, the dome cover somehow gets caught in the cover and comes off of the egg.  I have almost dropped the dome cover twice.  Am I just being completely stupid, or is anyone else having this problem, and how do I fix it?

If I want to cook indirect, as soon as I light the coals, do I then put the place setter in the egg, or do I wait until the egg has gotten to the desired cooking temperature?

For those of you out there who own the Digiq DX 2, what are the specific start up procedures for the egg, and what position should I have the daisy wheel on?  

Is a V rack a highly recommended accessory for pork butts and brisket?  

Somewhere in all of the reading that I have done, I seem to remember something about doing the first cook at a low temperature to cure the adhesive on the gasket.  Is this mandatory, or a suggestion?  What is the highest temp that I should go for the first cook?  

Due to my schedule, and waiting for everything to get here, I plan on doing my first cook on either Friday, or Monday.  I am pretty antsy with excitement, and have not yet decided what to try first.  I am looking forward to being an active participant on the forum and becoming a better cook.  
Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
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Comments

  • Scottborasjr
    Scottborasjr Posts: 3,494
    Talk about jumping in head first!! Congrats and welcome to the cult. I know nothing about wood working and have never owned the cover so I can't help with the first couple. You will find numerous opinions on what time after lighting the charcoal to putting in your indirect piece. Personally I light the charcoal using a fire starter then when the starter is burned up I put the plate setter or my indirect piece for that cook. Then let the egg come up to temp with the plate setter in there.

    Don't have a digi q but looking at one.  Really feel that if you aren't cooking a lot of ribs a V-rack isn't necessary but others could express different opinions. I wouldn't take the Egg over 400* first cook.  Do something simple that you know how to do on your gas grill pretty well, burgers, chicken breast, something really easy. 

    Good luck.
    I raise my kids, cook and golf.  When work gets in the way I'm pissed, I'm pissed off 48 weeks a year.
    Inbetween Iowa and Colorado, not close to anything remotely entertaining outside of football season. 
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817

    Dude, you are only allowed two questions on your first post ;) Lemme take a crack at a couple. First, the egg will not be ready in ten minutes. You have to wait till the white smoke clears before you cook. Put your platesetter in when your fire is established.

    Spatchcock chicken is generally accepted as the best first cook.

    With respect to the gaskets, it used to be the party line to keep your first several cooks under 400* (that means degrees) to cure the gasket but the new eggs have a better gasket now. I have several eggs and have never found that to be true. You really don't want to worry too much about the gasket anyway.

    I'm done

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • After about a month of doing what seems like a ton of research, I finally purchased and assembled (successfully) my Medium Big Green Egg!!  With the purchase I also got an egg nest, a plate setter, an ash tool, an egg cover, and a bag of BGE lump.  On order is a BBQ Guru Digiq DX2 , Raging River and Dizzy Dust seasonings from Dizzy Pig, and a thermapen.  I have little to no experience in BBQ, and little experience with regular grilling on a gas grill.  With all of that in mind...here are a few newbie questions.  Any help is much appreciated. 

    I have ZERO tools or wood working skills, so are there any ideas out there for an economical grill cart (as the Egg is already in a nest)?  
    Not Sure

     
    When I go to remove the egg cover from the egg, the dome cover somehow gets caught in the cover and comes off of the egg.  I have almost dropped the dome cover twice.  Am I just being completely stupid, or is anyone else having this problem, and how do I fix it?
    After your Egg cools off, take the cap off before putting the vinyl cover on

     
    If I want to cook indirect, as soon as I light the coals, do I then put the place setter in the egg, or do I wait until the egg has gotten to the desired cooking temperature?
    I usually let the egg get close to temp before I put the plate setter in.

    For those of you out there who own the Digiq DX 2, what are the specific start up procedures for the egg, and what position should I have the daisy wheel on?
    I get the fire started, then let the Digiq bring the egg up to temp. I start out with the daisy wheel just cracked and let the blower work for it.

     
    Is a V rack a highly recommended accessory for pork butts and brisket?  
    Most people put butts and brisket directly on the grate (indirect) or in foil/pan

     
    Somewhere in all of the reading that I have done, I seem to remember something about doing the first cook at a low temperature to cure the adhesive on the gasket.  Is this mandatory, or a suggestion?  What is the highest temp that I should go for the first cook?  
    ??

     
    Due to my schedule, and waiting for everything to get here, I plan on doing my first cook on either Friday, or Monday.  I am pretty antsy with excitement, and have not yet decided what to try first.  I am looking forward to being an active participant on the forum and becoming a better cook.  
    Good luck and happy egging! You are about to find out that the hype is true

    Killen, AL (The Shoals)
    XL, Small, Minimax, and Mini BGEs
  • ddegger
    ddegger Posts: 244
    Welcome!  You're in good hands with all the other answers so I'll leave it at that. I've learned tons in the last few weeks,  still have lots more to learn. It is without question,  though,  the most fun cooking I've ever done. Get ready to be hooked! 
  • Welcome to the Big Green Egg forum, keep reading!

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

  • Scottborasjr
    Scottborasjr Posts: 3,494
    Oh yeah, since it looks like you are jumping in that quick get a Thermapen. www.thermoworks.com or they sell them on Amazon as well.  No matter what you are cooking whether it is on the Egg or in the kitchen having a fantastic instant read thermometer is essential.
    I raise my kids, cook and golf.  When work gets in the way I'm pissed, I'm pissed off 48 weeks a year.
    Inbetween Iowa and Colorado, not close to anything remotely entertaining outside of football season. 
  • sarivers
    sarivers Posts: 67
    My suggestions are to not get frustrated if the first few cooks if they don't go as you want. I've been cooking on charcoal, gas, and recently the Big Green Egg for about 40 years and still learn something and make adjustments often. My biggest regret is that I did not buy the Egg 10 years ago. I hope you enjoy your new toy.
    Columbia, SC

  • daffy1909
    daffy1909 Posts: 498
    welcome!!! the eggheads on this forum r very helpful, respond quick,and all in all make the eggsperiance great!! my best advice would be that practice makes perfect!!!egg as much as u can, research as much as u can, and enjoy!!!!...........................oh ya fyi the temp gauge will go all the way around!! (i made that mistake twice!!)
  • daffy1909 said:
    welcome!!! the eggheads on this forum r very helpful, respond quick,and all in all make the eggsperiance great!! my best advice would be that practice makes perfect!!!egg as much as u can, research as much as u can, and enjoy!!!!...........................oh ya fyi the temp gauge will go all the way around!! (i made that mistake twice!!)
    It may be due to a lack of sleep (that is my excuse and I am sticking to it) but what do you mean exactly by "the temp guage will go all the way around?"
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
  • Thank you very much to everyone for your helpful advise.  I will be sure to post pictures and notes documenting my new egging journey.  @BigGreenBamaGriller, after reading your response to the question I posed about the cover somehow taking the dome cover off, I felt like I needed someone telling me "here is your sign."  Lol.  I promise that normally I DO possess at least a little common sense.  So yes, after the egg has cooled I will just remove the topper.  @Little Steven...I beg for your forgiveness...How DARE I ask more than two questions on my first post?  Rookie mistake.  ;)
    Keep the helpful hints coming.  I am like a sponge absorbing all of the jedi egg advise.  
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
  • those covers grab the caps and break them all the time. There are posts on here every few months with some dude all weepy because his cap broke. Mine has been outside uncovered in horrible weather (4 years in WI and 4 in TX) for 8 years and still looks great. If you get tired of the cover, just lose it. I've gone through a few tables but the egg can handle any of it.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    I am pretty sure he means that sometimes when you walk away from your egg while you are trying to stabilize the temp and your vents are open the temp gage will peg and still keep turning and you will be near 1000degrees. It happens to everybody at least once but no worries unless it burbs as you open the dome and singe all your arm hair and eyebrows otherwise you are just doing a clean burn B-)

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • I am pretty sure he means that sometimes when you walk away from your egg while you are trying to stabilize the temp and your vents are open the temp gage will peg and still keep turning and you will be near 1000degrees. It happens to everybody at least once but no worries unless it burbs as you open the dome and singe all your arm hair and eyebrows otherwise you are just doing a clean burn B-)
    Ahh...This makes more sense.  I have gone to more than a few calls where people have had grilling incidents.  I guess it wouldn't look to good if I burnt all of my arm hair and eyebrows off.  I would never hear the end of it from the guys at work.  Good safety tip!!
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    First things first. Calibrate the temp gauge. Being that you will be staring at it for hours so you might as well dual it in.
    2. You don't need the digi q for the first cook IMO. You'll be staring at the egg anyway
    3. If you don't have a saw a square and a tape you might want to buy a table or find a sturdy table and just buy a jig saw.
    4. My first was spatchcock chicken.
    5. You already put a toe in the water you might as well just jump in and start cookin
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    welcome..... you're gonna love it
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • deekortiz3
    deekortiz3 Posts: 60
    edited March 2013
    After about a month of doing what seems like a ton of research, I finally purchased and assembled (successfully) my Medium Big Green Egg!!  With the purchase I also got an egg nest, a plate setter, an ash tool, an egg cover, and a bag of BGE lump.  On order is a BBQ Guru Digiq DX2 , Raging River and Dizzy Dust seasonings from Dizzy Pig, and a thermapen.  I have little to no experience in BBQ, and little experience with regular grilling on a gas grill.  With all of that in mind...here are a few newbie questions.  Any help is much appreciated. 

    I have ZERO tools or wood working skills, so are there any ideas out there for an economical grill cart (as the Egg is already in a nest)?  

    I'm a bit confused as to what you are looking to build or purchase... Are you looking for something to have the sit on or just a cart for all your tools and accessories? If it is a cart for stuff try to just find a wooden cart and add hooks to it maybe even use some small storage bins to organize.

    If you want a cart for the Egg to sit in, you are going to need to take it out of the nest and pick up a table. Maybe you can return or resale the nest if you aren't going to use it. You could also keep it in the nest and just set up some regular tables next to the egg.

    When I go to remove the egg cover from the egg, the dome cover somehow gets caught in the cover and comes off of the egg.  I have almost dropped the dome cover twice.  Am I just being completely stupid, or is anyone else having this problem, and how do I fix it?

    No real solution besides not using it or just being careful when removing the cover. 

    If I want to cook indirect, as soon as I light the coals, do I then put the place setter in the egg, or do I wait until the egg has gotten to the desired cooking temperature?

    Once you have established a fire you can put the plate setter in. It is good to let it come up to temperature with the rest of the cooker.

    For those of you out there who own the Digiq DX 2, what are the specific start up procedures for the egg, and what position should I have the daisy wheel on?  

    Highly suggest learning to use the egg before introducing the DigiQ. I use a Stoker and like to  have a fire going at the temperature I want stabilized before hooking up the Stoker fan. That way your daisy wheel will already be close to where it should be for the cook. Also your set temperature for the device should be a bit less (few degrees) than what you actually want to run at. That way you aviod over shooting the temperature and you can limit how often air is blown into the fire. No sense pushing air into the fire when you are at 224 and want to be at 225.

    Is a V rack a highly recommended accessory for pork butts and brisket?  

    I have only used a V-Rack on my egg for Turkey. It is not needed at all for pork butt or brisket. For ribs you can fit two long slabs or three short slabs on a large egg without much hassle. If you need to make 5 or 6 slabs then the V-Rack can become a necessary accessory.

    Somewhere in all of the reading that I have done, I seem to remember something about doing the first cook at a low temperature to cure the adhesive on the gasket.  Is this mandatory, or a suggestion?  What is the highest temp that I should go for the first cook?

    I'd recommend doing your first 4 cooks at a lower temperature (Under 400). Might as well make sure that the adhesive on your gasket is cured correctly. You can still do most cooks just no pizza or steaks quite yet with that max temperature.  

    Due to my schedule, and waiting for everything to get here, I plan on doing my first cook on either Friday, or Monday.  I am pretty antsy with excitement, and have not yet decided what to try first.  I am looking forward to being an active participant on the forum and becoming a better cook.  

    Pork butt is very forgiving, there are lots of recipes and ways to do it. For the first time you can just put some rub on it, throw it on the egg at 275 with plate setter and drip pan of apple juice and wait for it finish (200 internal). Gives you a chance to just focus on maintaining temperature and then you can have some delicious pulled pork. If the temperature fluctuates a bit during the cook while you are figuring things out it is no big deal like I said very forgiving cook.

    Another fun cook is Maple Butter salmon (I assume this is why you got Raging River). Instead of cutting it into pieces like Dizzy recommends just plank the entire piece and cook it on that. No flipping needed.

    Good luck and enjoy your egg.

  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Along with all the other "stuff", light the egg from the top of the lump pile (maybe up to the top of the fire box/bottom of the fire ring). Distribute your smoke wood, if you are using any, throughout the lump. Spatch a chicken, and don't forget to put a drip pan under the grid, on the setter (legs up) to catch the drips. Space your drip pan off the setter with some wads of foil or something, the setter gets hot and you will "cook" your drippings. 
    Welcome and enjoy the obsession. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    I get impatient when reading sometimes so excuse me if this had already been said. If you are concerned with the ceramic lid coming off, put some gasket material around the "chimney" of the egg. The ceramic lid or daisy wheel will fit snugly with this addition and it will no longer fall off. Think everything else was answered
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • Chubbs said:
    I get impatient when reading sometimes so excuse me if this had already been said. If you are concerned with the ceramic lid coming off, put some gasket material around the "chimney" of the egg. The ceramic lid or daisy wheel will fit snugly with this addition and it will no longer fall off. Think everything else was answered
    Now that is a brilliant idea.  Thank you!!  
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!

  • Another fun cook is Maple Butter salmon (I assume this is why you got Raging River). Instead of cutting it into pieces like Dizzy recommends just plank the entire piece and cook it on that. No flipping needed.

    Good luck and enjoy your egg.

    I saw a youtube video on this and it looks absolutely delicious!  I can't wait to try it.  
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Take my word on something. Never ever take egged stuff into the hall.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Take my word on something. Never ever take egged stuff into the hall.
    Listen to mi amigito Esteban. You will never go on a call again since you will be always grilling the meal for when everyone else gets back.
  • turok
    turok Posts: 28
    Amazingribs.com is a great site. Check it out if you have not already. That guy knows his stuff. I find heating the grill with the platesetter inside is best. If not, then when you get the egg to temp you are putting a big cold piece of ceramic in there and you need to wait more for it too heat. Layer the lump and wood chunks. There was a great diagram by somebody on here how they do it and it works like a dream. I am sure there is someone who will know of what I speak. Welcome. Everyone on here is awesome. 
  • Welcome, putting in two cents, it sounds like you have a great setup, you will learn as you go you might mess a cook up, but thats how you learn, just remember to burp that sucker at temps over 400, or you might be looking funny for awhile, and the smell of burnig hair lasts for days. But on the lighter side if you have kids they love to tell the story of the ball of fire that engulfed my dads head and now his eyebrows are gone. If they get video a million hits for sure. Have fun and enjoy the ride. For real only two questions on the first post? I never knew that. 
  • bccomstock
    bccomstock Posts: 338
    edited March 2013

    You have to wait till the white smoke clears before you cook.

    Welcome to the board and egging!  This might be a chance for me to learn something as well..

    As best as I can remember, I typically only see white smoke when I throw wood chips in there with the lump.. Do I need to wait until that clears?
    LBGE
    MS Gulf Coast - Proud member of the Who Dat Nation!
    My Not Frequently Updated Basically Dead Blog: http://datcue.wordpress.com
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191

    There are more than one way to get the same results on most of these cooks -- legs up,legs down-direct-indirect-top vent open-bottom vent open-covered-uncovered --  and as you try someting that "works for you" -- remember the method.  This will save you a lot of time to surch for other meals to master!  I have been egging for over three years and i am a "newbee" and learn new things every cook.

    PS: I wouldn't bring any pulled pork into the station for lunch, you will have the crew after you from the first time they smell it in the micro heasting up !!

  • Wow!!  A lot of great tips coming in.  Thank you!!  What a great welcome to the egging community. I am looking forward to getting started ASAP.  I am sure that I will learn quite a bit as I go.  I feel like I have gotten quite an education so far, and I haven't even cooked a meal yet.  I will be sure to take pictures as I go and keep everyone posted.  
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!