Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Overwhelmed Newbie...First Post

2

Comments

  • By the way, here is a picture of the egg right after assembly.
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817

    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?

    Either way is ok for chips or chunks. I tend to let them burn for a bit but I'm not a huge fan of smoked flavour

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • bccomstock
    bccomstock Posts: 338

    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?

    Either way is ok for chips or chunks. I tend to let them burn for a bit but I'm not a huge fan of smoked flavour
    Ok, that's what I figured.. You were strictly talking if the lump alone generates white smoke..
    LBGE
    MS Gulf Coast - Proud member of the Who Dat Nation!
    My Not Frequently Updated Basically Dead Blog: http://datcue.wordpress.com
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Yes, if you search VOC's you will find info.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • CANMAN1976
    CANMAN1976 Posts: 1,593
    By the way, here is a picture of the egg right after assembly.
    Nice...how was it to assemble.I've heard its pretty straight forward.I'm about to buy a large egg and am thinking of the assembly part,did you do it yourself and how long it take?

    thanks.
    Jamie
    Hows ya gettin' on, me ol ****



    Kippens.Newfoundland and Labrador. (Canada).
  • Nice...how was it to assemble.I've heard its pretty straight forward.I'm about to buy a large egg and am thinking of the assembly part,did you do it yourself and how long it take?

    thanks.
    Jamie
    I consider myself one of those types of people that have a difficult time assembling things.  Being a firefighter I do much better with pictures than instructions (haha).  With that being said, the youtube video and instructions together made the assembly process relatively painless.  Only one curse word was uttered.  Since you are assembling the large, I would suggest that you have an assistant, or someone that can help you with lifting the egg.  Assembling the egg and the egg nest took me an hour and a half.  It would probably take a normal person about 30 minutes.  Good luck!!
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
  • daffy1909
    daffy1909 Posts: 498
    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?"

    what the cen tex said!!!!


     

  • Solson005
    Solson005 Posts: 1,911
    You got it! Now we can find a time and I'll bring my small egg over and we can cook a couple different things! 

    How about just something like this outdoor storage box? They also make ones with wheels or tall cabinet style ones. 

    My ceramic topper gets stuck and I actually broke one on my pergola floor before I realized it was stuck in the cover. I have found that the daisy wheel top likes to stay on and doesn't move when the cover is on so I use that top when it is covered. 

    I put my platesetter in once I know my fire is going and not need to be re-lit. 

    I put the digiQ on when I light the egg on slow and low cooks, it isn't as necessary but it much easier to let the fan do the work than overshoot your temp and wait for it to come back down. 

    I would keep the temp down for the first couple of cooks or do a couple longer ones and play with the temperature settings till you get it figured out. 

    Spatchcock is a great first cook because it doesn't envolve much work and lets you see how good chicken off the egg is. Pork tenderloin is another great cook that tastes so much better on the egg. @smokesniffer has a great dish I have made a few times Pork Tenderloin with Black Berry Sauce… pics 

    If your interested in pizza I can bring all my goodies for my small egg and show you some tips for having a pizza party. 

    Glad your ready to start cooking and I'll do what I can to help with the learning curve to get you cooking great meals in no time! 
    Large & Small BGE, CGW Two-Tier Swing Rack for BOTH EGGS, Spider for the Wok, eggCARTen & and Cedar Pergola my Eggs call home in Edmond, OK. 
  • Solson, I just PM'd you.  I am looking forward to meeting and learning!!
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
  • R2Egg2Q
    R2Egg2Q Posts: 2,136
    Welcome aboard! You've already received a lot of good tips (and are finding out there's multiple ways to achieving the same goal) so I'll be selective on answers.

    In regards to the V-rack, you don't need it for butts but with a Medium you may find it handy to invert a rack & drape long cuts of meat like a packer brisket over it to help it fit.

    Another option for securing the ceramic damper is to put a strip of excess gasket material around the inside of the cap. In other words same area as to what Chubbs described but glue the gasket to the cap instead of the Egg dome. Either way functions the same, it just depends on where you want to see the gasket.
    XL, Large, Small, Mini Eggs, Shirley Fabrication 24x36 Patio, Humphrey's Weekender, Karubecue C-60, MAK 1-Star General, Hasty Bake Gourmet, Santa Maria Grill, Webers: 14" WSM, 22.5" OTG, 22.5" Kettle Premium, WGA Charcoal, Summit S-620 NG

    Bay Area, CA
  • R2Egg2Q said:
    Another option for securing the ceramic damper is to put a strip of excess gasket material around the inside of the cap. In other words same area as to what Chubbs described but glue the gasket to the cap instead of the Egg dome. Either way functions the same, it just depends on where you want to see the gasket.
    I am going to do a similar thing to my cap, but instead of using gasket material, which I don't have, I am going to try making 3 or 4 Silicone RTV "vertical beads" on the inside of the cap and let them completely dry. I think It might work pretty decent to keep the ceramic cap in place.
    Gittin' there...
  • If it works good it shall be called the, "FearlessTheEggNoob Method."

    Bout' time I get some notoriety around here. :-B
    Gittin' there...
  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,777
    If it works good it shall be called the, "FearlessTheEggNoob Method."

    Bout' time I get some notoriety around here. :-B

    It will be abbreviated to FTEN Method - and for text purposes F10.  Did you steal the idea from your father-in-law just like Travis?

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • Foghorn said:
    If it works good it shall be called the, "FearlessTheEggNoob Method."

    Bout' time I get some notoriety around here. :-B

    It will be abbreviated to FTEN Method - and for text purposes F10.  Did you steal the idea from your father-in-law just like Travis?
    We could just shorten it to F-The-Noob method....oh wait....never mind  =))
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • We could just shorten it to F-The-Noob method....oh wait....never mind  =))
    :-O  Ooooh, I'm tellin!
    Gittin' there...
  • We could just shorten it to F-The-Noob method....oh wait....never mind  =))
    :-O  Ooooh, I'm tellin!
    Just my twisted sense of humor :) We love all our newbs. It's actually been a pretty fun week with all this new energy coming in. Love to see all wide eyed "best day ever" posts. Reminds me of back in the day when I had it inside on it's first night and my wife said "If that thing comes in the bedroom, I'm outa here". It didn't but sat snugly in the living room until I got my table next day. Honeymoon didn't last long. It's been outside uncovered for 8-9 years since. 




    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Oh I know, just staying in character!  :)>-
    Gittin' there...
  • Oh I know, just staying in character!  :)>-
    10-4. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • FearlessTheEggNoob
    FearlessTheEggNoob Posts: 888
    edited March 2013
    oops
    Gittin' there...
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Boy. CT is such a Squidward.
  • Actually I'm much more a Patrick :). Love that show. Pinky! (My fave episode)
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • When in doubt, pinky out! Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Be careful CenTex... remember the censors... you're always on the radar!
    BOOMER!
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    at least sponge-bob isn't doing the "shocker" ;)
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Wait...not enough fingers....
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    @firemedic183... you can see from all the responses you'll get lots of help here... and some rabbit chasers.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • @henapple...It is ok.  I am thoroughly amused!!  
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    oh... just you wait...
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • reh111
    reh111 Posts: 196
    I have not read through all the responses so I apologize if this has already been said - I bought a medium too - I wish I had bought a large but that's another discussion - you've asked about buying certain accessories - DON'T BUY A "V" RACK - I bought one and it really doesn't fit on a medium - it's simply too long and the top won't close completely - after figuring that out I haven't used it - it's a waste and there are many things you can buy that are a more than adequate substitute - also, I bought a cast iron grill from Ceramic Grill Works - the problem with it is that because it is the size for a medium, instead of three sections that you can individually remove, there are only two and it is a real PITA to get them to fit right - anyway, you'll love your egg - happy Egging!
  • @reh111..Thank you for the advise on not getting a V rack.  You literally stopped me in the nick of time.  I was going to get one later tonight.  What would you suggest instead?  It sounds like the cast iron grill is a PITA...is it worth it??  Thank you for your input.
    Persistence and determination are omnipotent!