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

I'm a new owner of a XL BGE.....any tips for rme?

UGA BGE
UGA BGE Posts: 6
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I cooked for the first time on my XL BGE last night and I had a little trouble leveling the temperature. I filled the bottom with charcoal about an inch or so above the bottom air holes. I opened the lid and the bottom vent completely. I used one (1) fire starter and after about 12-15 min. I closed the lid. In about 10-15 more minutes the BGE was up to 500 degrees. Next, I closed the bottom vent about half way and closed the top vent about half way. After that, the temp varied from 450 to 600 during the cook. So, I had trouble leveling off the temp. Any tips for me????

Thanks!

Comments

  • Something that massive, green and strong should have a fitting name, like "gator". :laugh:

    You will enjoy the XL. Just get used to different temp settings with it. It is the best egg in my opinion, I want one more.
  • What temp were you trying to achieve. I think your vent setting at half open were way too much.

    Start shutting the temp down before it gets so high and allow enough time for it to stabilize.

    Check this link for some guidelines. I believe this is on a large but you should get some good initial settings to get you in the ballpark.

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=718915&catid=1
  • Same thing here. Got an xlarge for christmas. I think the trick is to not ever let it get too hot. If you want to cook at 250, watch it closely as it rises and when it gets close to desired temp, start closing down the airflow. There's a sweet spot (I've seen my friends with eggs find it) and I guess us newbies just have to learn by trial and error.

    Good thing is that even my "mistakes" truly taste pretty darn good so far. Spatchock chicken last night got up to 600 degrees and it still came out delicious!
  • Hi and welcome! Congrats on your purchase and entry into the world of egg-ing. I have an XL as well and have had good success with maintaining temp.

    The most important thing is to load up the egg with lump up to the fire ring - so make sure the whole firebox is loaded. After your cook, any unburned lump can be re-used. Simply stir the old lump before your next cook, and be sure no small pieces are clogging the air holes in the fire grate. The stirring will cause the ash and small pieces to fall through the fire grate to the bottom of the BGE. Then top off with fresh lump, to the fire ring before starting any cook.

    With that said, light light your BGE (I use a MAPP orch as others have suggested and it works great), then close the lid, open the bottom and top vents fully. Keep an eye on it because you need to close the top and bottom about 20 degrees in advance of the temperature you want to achieve. So if you are shooting for 350 dome, close the top and bottom to just under 1/4" when the dome hits about 330. From there you can make fine adjustments to your vents, but you need to be patient because adjustments need about 10 mins to stabilize - just keep an eye on it.

    It is much more difficult and time consuming to get the egg back down from an over temperature condition than it is to creep it up from a lower temp.

    When you add your food to the stabilized BGE, expect the dome will drop - this is normal. It WILL come back to where it was. It will just take some time, depending on the mass and temp of the food you added. There is no need to immediately re-adjust the vents when you add the food.


    After you are done with your cook, shut down the bottom vent, replace the multi-function top with the ceramic cap and the fire will go out, leaving you the rest of the lump to be used next time.

    Never stir or otherwise handle lump that is not completely cooled and extinguished.

    Hope this helps!

    -Howard
  • Thanks Howard....your info is very helpful. The 20 degree rule will help me. Thanks again!!
  • Good info. I think I have it mastered but just when I think I do I look and am 20* less than what I want. ANd as far as putting the c eramic cover on after done cooking I will try that, Never have.
  • great advice. I also have an XL. at 250 you may only need 1/4" opening at the bottom to maintain the temp.

    ALWAYS wait for the smoke to be clear before putting your food on. with fresh lump it may take an hour or more for that to happen. so plan accordingly.

    anecdotal learning curve to follow. I cooked an 18 pound Turkey for Sunday's in-law's christmas. 325 indirect. it only took 15 minutes a pound instead of the 18-20 i am used to in an convential oven. Fidel informed me that since it is a convection oven the heat is moving with the air so everything cooks a little faster with the same amount of heat. He suggested if you want to keep the time consistant. lower the cook temp by 25 degrees.

    Now, having said all that, cook to temp, not to time, but i know, You want to know when it is going to be ready so everything elase is hot at the same time.

    get a maveric et-73 or its replacement the 732. one temp probe for the egg and one for the food. you can find the 73 on the web for about $40 shipped! I think the guy is on the smoke ring group of websites.

    have fun and take pics.
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

  • Thanks Steve. When you mentioned waiting for the "smoke" to burn off of the fresh lump, it is a white smoke you are talking about? Or is it more of a grey smoke?
  • let it burn till it is clear, (no smoke color) it will get there. be patient. I try to give myself an hour before cooking chicken or fish as they tend to soak up that taste my wife hates. if you are going to sear a steak or burgers it doesn't much matter.
    but for chicken, let it get clear.
    Just for grins, start the egg up 90 minutes before you plan on cooking and see how long it takes to get there. then you can play with the vents for a while and see what happens to the temp.

    when I first got my xl, I fired it up and just played with the vents for a couple of hours to see what happens. kind of intersting . 350 is the lower vent open about 3/4" 450 is 1 inch, 250 is 1/4" .

    also when I cook chicken direct I leave the dfmt off and just control temp with the lower vent. This allows the chicken fat smoke to exit the egg fast and not impart the taste to the meat. ( this will be debated but it works for me)

    use it play with it, remember, lump charcoal is the cheapest thing you arere putting into it.
    XL   Walled Lake, MI