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new egger here

danielt
danielt Posts: 8
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
i have been smoking and grilling for some time now.My wife bought me the medium egg for christmas.I have cooked on the egg a few times now. I am still in the learning process of this egg thing. lol I burnt my gasket up tonight! I will be putting the rutland gasket on my egg in the next few weeks. My main ? is does all lump coal have a wierd taste to it? they say to let the white smoke stop before cooking but how long does that usaly take??

thanks,
Daniel

Comments

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    danielt,

    Depends on how you light it and what lump. Give us some more info. :)

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Oh sorry i am using the bge lump and the little fire starters that you light and put in the lump. just seems to have a wierd taste no matter how long i let it sit and burn.

    thanks,
    Daniel
  • Are you letting the smoke get clear coming out of the daisy wheel before you put on the meat? It use to take a while when I used the fire starters, but now since I use a weed burner it doesn't take long :laugh: B)
  • BGE lump is not a bad lump (smell wise). As with any appreciable amount of new lump you will have a longer wait until most of the VOCs burn off. Lump that has already been heated will have fewer VOCs meaning the wait time is significantly less.

    I tried the firestarter cubes and I wasn't too impressed, if there are any bits of unburnt starter cube left in it will smolder and make your food taste like turpentine IMO. You have a few choices when it comes to starting a fire in the BGE. You can lightly drizzle a napkin or paper towel with oil (cooking or olive) and then twist it into a cigar shape. Place a few pieces of lump over the napkin in a tepee fashion and light you should have a good fire in no time. The other option is a MAPP gas torch, or propane torch. Can go with a weed burner but they are better left to the professionals again my opinion. The electric starter works for some, and so does the chimney starter by using a few sheets of newspaper. SOme even use 91-93% rubbing alcohol found in Wally World or other drug store.

    Good luck and welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of the BGE.
  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    I will wave my hand over the dome vent and smell the fumes that are coming out of it. If it smells bad like a bonfire wait a little while. The smoke should be mostly clear with maybe a blue haze. I have waited as little as 15 minutes and as long as nearly an hour. If you think about it, it's always good to let your egg stabilize where the ceramic mass has had enough time to equalize with the dome thermometer. That way when you put that big chunk of meat on the grill your egg will recover rather quickly from all that cold meat. Tim ;)
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    danielt,

    I have never liked those things. Weedburner or Mapp torch is quick qnd easy.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • TXTriker
    TXTriker Posts: 1,177
    I still use the starter pieces. Mine are not the weber wax type but the fiber ones and I break each block in 1/2 and then separate each 1/2 piece. I use three each of the 1/2 pieces in three different areas and have no problems. A weed burner to me is just one more thing I'd have to find room to store. I always let my smoke clear for whatever it takes and have no problems with it.
  • I have used the weber starter cubes and Rutland starter squares with no problems what so ever.

    I have noticed on the BGE brand firestarter squares that I got that there is a bad smell sometimes. I try to only use a tiny piece of it (not cause of the smell because I am crazy) but even when I used a whole square, it never impacted the taste of the food.
  • Clay Q
    Clay Q Posts: 4,486
    Congrats on getting a medium egg for Christmas!
    Try other lump charcoal brands and see if that helps. I really like Grove Hardwood Lump, a regional brand up here in Wisconsin. If someone here has not turned you to the worlds best charcoal lump database already- here is the site; www.nakedwhiz.com
    Ton's of info there on lump charcoal.

    I let my fire burn 30 to 45 minutes before I put the food on, this way the egg is fully heated and the lump is burning clean and sweet. Lump that was cooking a chicken directly over the fire will make grease smoke which some would describe as "strong". Fresh lump out of the bag should burn clean after it's been going for a while.
    Good luck and have fun!
  • Ok so help me here i am alittle slow... The bad smoke comes from lighting new lump. Now when we pack the lump in the fire ring to do a low and slow and we light it now the bad smoke burns until all the new lump is lit and burning? that just doesn't sound right.hehehe

    thanks,
    Daniel
  • cookn biker
    cookn biker Posts: 13,407
    Bad smoke comes from lighting lump, new or old.
    Don't over think this, a bunch of new folks do. Light and walk away for 30 min. Smoke should be running clear by then.
    Relax and have some fun cooking!!
    Congrats and happy cooking!!
    Molly
    Colorado Springs
    "Loney Queen"
    "Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it."
    Bill Bradley; American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, former U.S. Senator from New Jersey
    LBGE, MBGE, SBGE , MiniBGE and a Mini Mini BGE
  • TXTriker
    TXTriker Posts: 1,177
    I believe mine are the Rutland. Those are the ones I break in 1/2 and then 1/2 again and split. I get four for the price of one that way and they do just fine.
  • Actually it's the heat from a fire that burns off most of the "Bad" flavors i.e. VOCs. It certainly won't burn them all off. Just enough to where the flavor is more pleasant. Remember lump charcoal burns at 1500+/-° F. Just cause your dome thermo is reading 250 doesn't mean the lump that is lit is at 250. It's just that there isn't a lot of lump burning at 1500+/-°.

    The more new lump = more VOCs, means a longer burn off time is required at a set temp, like 250 dome. If you increase this temp to let's say 400 your burn off time will be less. If you increase the amount of used lump, then you also will decrease the amount of burn off time.
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    As others stated if you are using fire starters make sure they have burned completely. With starters I recommend leaving the dome open until they have burned up and only coals are lit. Then, let the egg stabilize.

    The lump will still add a smoky flavor to the food, but it should be a pleasant flavor when burning clean.


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    My main ? is does all lump coal have a wierd taste to it?

    I've never tasted the lump. I think that's your problem. You should not eat the lump, you put it in the egg and light it on fire. :evil: :laugh:

    Notice that I posted I helpful response before I posted the smart@$$ one ;)


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • SmokeyPitt wrote:
    I've never tasted the lump. I think that's your problem. You should not eat the lump, you put it in the egg and light it on fire. :evil: :laugh:

    :ohmy: see now that makes me feel some dumb now :P

    Thanks,
    Daniel
  • The lump will still add a smoky flavor to the food, but it should be a pleasant flavor when burning clean.

    Not all the time... I have baked breads and cupcakes and the like without it... just have to be careful ;)