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Bad bad wings

hondabbq
hondabbq Posts: 1,980
edited July 2014 in EggHead Forum

Did some wings last night. Set up was normal, with the exception of some extra wings on the egg. Had my platesetter and 16" drip pan set up for 400F for 1 hour I have had success with it on multiple occasions in the past.  I had my usual amount on the normal grid and put about another 2 dozen on a raised grid.

Towards the end of the cook, the grease accumulation from both tiers of wings caught fire and smoked up the wings making them bitter tasting and inedible. How does one get around this? What do you guys do? I have had somewhat of the same issue with pulled pork and ribs when done turbo. The Grease gets hot and smokes up the egg causing an off flavor. 

I have had the same with a spatchcock as well. Grease gets hot and starts smoking creating the acrid smoke taste.

 

I posted a similar thread about the bottom of ribs drying out even on low and slows with the same set up, so I don't know if I am missing something or what.

Please share your experiences and theories along with some pic of your set up under the food mentioned above.  

Comments

  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
    Are you putting some space between your drip pan and plate setter?
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • NDG
    NDG Posts: 2,431
    edited July 2014
    Is your drip pan sitting flush on your hot platesetter? I always allow airflow underneath my drip pan (separate with the green feet or balls of tin foil) and I have not had a problem with grease smoke/fire.   I hope this helps . . 
    Columbus, OH

    “There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as if everything is” 
  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
    edited July 2014
    Are you putting some space between your drip pan and plate setter?

    Yes sir. I have an old cake cooling pan in between. I even took it and bent it to create a larger gap.

    I contemplated the 16" drip pan is too large and transferring heat to much causing the ribs to dry out and grease to get too hot.

    but on the flipside, then the ribs or what have you are only protected by the circumference of the platesetter. That will get hot with drippings hitting it and create the acrid smoke as well.

    I used to wrap the PS in HDAF prior to the aluminum drip pan but now I don't as it never gets hit with any drippings.

  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
    Try cooking them direct at about 275-300 dome for about an hour. Flip once. I prefer that method over any other. 
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    I go direct but for indirect, I like to add some water the drip pan to keep the drippings from burning.  
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
  • TexanOfTheNorth
    TexanOfTheNorth Posts: 3,951
    Does the drip pan extend beyond the plate setter; putting the edges in direct line of the lump. If so, then this is most likely your problem. I use a 12" diameter pan spaced with copper plumbing tees. I wrap it in foil just to make clean up a little easier. For portions of your meat that extend beyond the edge of the drip pan/plate setter you can put aluminum folder on the grate; directly under the meat.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.
    ____________________
    Aurora, Ontario, Canada
  • bbqlearner
    bbqlearner Posts: 760
    Do you use aluminum foil on your drip pan? The foil helps to cool down the grease also.

    Houston, TX - Buddy LBGE, Don SBGE, Tiny Mini & Shiny Momma Pitts n Spitts

  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
    @bbqlearner I do line the drip pan with foil.
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    I put my mini plate setter on the XL plate setter then the foiled drip pan so there's a couple inches of air flow. Did 2 turbo butts yesterday and at 350 there was no smoke at all just a puddle of rendered fat in the drip pan. If you get much above 350 though they will start to burn no matter what you do.
  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
    edited July 2014
    @lit mini PS legs up or down? I guess it wouldn't matter. I also have a mini, and could attempt this too.
  • bbqlearner
    bbqlearner Posts: 760
    I can't think of anything else different than how I usually cook it and I never get this issue.

    Though, I usually just go for 350 raised direct for wings. And 300 for turbo indirect cooks.
    And, I never had an issue with grease.
     

    Houston, TX - Buddy LBGE, Don SBGE, Tiny Mini & Shiny Momma Pitts n Spitts

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,674
    i like my wings more crunchy so i cook at lower temps raised direct. smoke yes, bad smoke taste, no
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    I put it legs up. Just more air contact versus maybe hotter ceramic contact on the drip pan. Not sure if it matters either way though.
  • llrickman
    llrickman Posts: 654
    If you have the "feet" that came with the egg thats what i use to put my drip pan on on top of the platesetter

    as for spatchcock i go direct , raised at 400 and have never had a problem
    2 LBGE
    Digi Q
    green Thermapen
    AR

    Albuquerque, NM
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    IMO only. Get rid of all that stuff. Raised direct 400. No problems
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    Good advice already. On this one, I am with the raised direct crowd. Yes smoke, but not bitter or acrid. Just good. Play with your cooking temps. I'm usually 250-300 a little slower.

    Cheers!
    Chris
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    On chicken lots of smoke is not your friend. I do no more that part of a handful chips. I like cherry and pecan mix.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
    My smoke is from the fat dripping on the coals. Occasionally a teensy wood, always mild and clean though. Cheers man!
    C
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited July 2014
    I go one chunk pecan and one cherry. Sometimes I only go w/ one chunk of whatever wood period. I go PS legs up(wrap PS in foil for ease of cleanup), no drip pan for me normally (I have done w/ & w/out), grid and then raised grid and go 375℉-400℉. Note: I also like going raised direct too (same basic cook process except for I'll roll at 325℉-375℉). Flipping and rotating around as necessary. When I'm moving them around I do it as quickly as possible so as not to allow to much temp fluctuation and this also helps to limit/eliminate flare ups during the cook. I cook to tenderness vs IT on wings using the toothpick test similar to what I do w/ ribs. After they're finished and pulled I'll let the egg rip to burn off the fat droppings so it doesn't effect my next cook. Other than that I do nothing special. Hopefully this helps ya out.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • TMay
    TMay Posts: 87
    Raised direct at about 325-350 for me, never had a problem.. Usually done in 45-50 minutes. I turn/move them every 6-8 minutes to help cook them a bit more evenly.
    Rowlett, Texas
  • GeorgeS
    GeorgeS Posts: 955
    +however many on raised direct, no wood, 350-375 for 45 minutes, pull and sauce then back on the grill for 10-15 minutes.
    Bristow Virginia XL&Mini One of the best feelings in life is watching other people enjoy the food I cooked!
  • GeorgeS
    GeorgeS Posts: 955
    edited July 2014
    Duplicate-----sorry
    Bristow Virginia XL&Mini One of the best feelings in life is watching other people enjoy the food I cooked!
  • paqman
    paqman Posts: 4,661
    I have a similar setup and I don't have this problem... Maybe you could add some water to your drip pan?

    ____________________
    Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage. •Niccolo Machiavelli
  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
    Does the drip pan extend beyond the plate setter; putting the edges in direct line of the lump. If so, then this is most likely your problem. I use a 12" diameter pan spaced with copper plumbing tees. I wrap it in foil just to make clean up a little easier. For portions of your meat that extend beyond the edge of the drip pan/plate setter you can put aluminum folder on the grate; directly under the meat.

    I was beginning to think the 16" pan might be the issue as well. I was using those disposable aluminum pans before getting this current pan and I had zero issues. The disposable pans are obviously much smaller and don't create the overlap on the PS.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    FWIW, some time ago, I did an experiment where I placed a pie plate w. a cup of water at the raised grill position. I had stabilized the fire at 250F dome.

    I tried 4 different set ups. An empty pan on the lower grill. The same pan w. water. The same pan w. sand in it. And the plate setter, legs up. What I was trying to learn was how quickly the temperature of the food would come up to a safe temperature and kill off any pathogens. That is, I waited till I could see bubbles and vapor in the pan, and take the temp w. a thermopen.

    I learned a few other things, some of which surprised me. As expected, the longest time to come to heat was when I put the platesetter in. It took nearly 20 minutes for it to reach 250, as measured by an IR therm. It took another 25 for the top pan to begin steaming. At that point the 'setter surface was over 670F.

    With just the empty aluminum pan as an IR block, the upper pan water began to simmer in just over 20 minutes. The empty pan temp was, to my surprise, a mere 230F. Next run with a cup of water in the lower pan, it only took a few minutes longer for the upper pan to reach bubbles, and the lower pan was doing the same. So I tried filling the lower pan w. sand. Had an almost identical time for the top pan to simmer, and the IR therm indicated that the sand surface was just 230F, same as the empty pan.

    My conclusion was that anything that would just block the IR was effective in keeping the food from searing, and save 20 - 30 minutes pre-heating. But, if I wanted a baking environment, the 'setter would provide a heating surface around 700F just a few inches from the felt line.

    I only put water in the drip pan if the drippings finally dry, and start burning. With fattier meats, the rendered fat eventually provides a bubbling mass that is hot enough to sizzle the water in the drippings away.
  • StillSmoken
    StillSmoken Posts: 327
    For wings I've done indirect and direct. I prefer Direct at 350-400. Perfect every time.
    Kennesaw Ga. XL Egg. Cheers, Kevin
  • LBC Dawg
    LBC Dawg Posts: 116
    Good advice already. On this one, I am with the raised direct crowd. Yes smoke, but not bitter or acrid. Just good. Play with your cooking temps. I'm usually 250-300 a little slower.

    Cheers!
    Chris
    +1. DP crispy wings were my 1st wing cook yrs ago, and still my favorite. i've just always based any wing cook off that.