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Charcoal taste

mtnbikeninja
mtnbikeninja Posts: 36
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Just got my BGE last Friday and my wife is saying that everything that comes off of this thing taste like charcoal and gas. Is it just her or does the egg need to season up some? I'm using the BGE 100% charcoal I bought from my dealer. Is there better charcoal to use that don't put out this taste.

Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    sounds like you are lighting it and cooking on it right away.

    let it burn cleanly before cooking over it. if the smoke smells good it will taste good. if not, it is not ready to put the food on.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,286
    How could it taste like gas when you didn't use any? Now I can taste propane when food is cooked on a gas grill...that is why I bought an egg.
  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    I could be wrong, though I'm pretty sure I'm right, that you're wrong
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
  • I am almost sure that you didn't let the charcoal burn long enough... Generally I let it go 30 min or so at temp - as Stike says you can smell it.. If you reuse old lump from a previous cook without adding any new lump it should not take as long....
  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
    How do you start your fire? As the others said, let it burn clean before putting the food on.
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA
  • You can tell when the charcoal is ready for the food. It gets a nutty, delcious aroma that just makes you want to snort it!! And you really shouldn't......but I do it anyway. But, until it's emitting almost "clear smoke" from the chimney and when it starts getting that smoothe, nutty aroma is when it's time to slap the mean on. Prior to that, the smoke will be cloudy and harsh. You'll get it......just give it some time. Enjoy your Egg...........best thing I ever bought.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    I can remember when this used to be a zippy-free place.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Austin  Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
    Don't use the egg to dry out your bikin short.. :laugh: :laugh:
    Let the lump burn until no dark smoke, just clean heat waves, easily 20 minutes. Have your wife do a sniff test. If she stands down wind and can't smell it she probably won't taste it.
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
  • good advice here.
    one thing to add is to make sure your firestarters are all burned up before cooking. if not they can smolder throughout the cook, contributing an acrid smoke to your food.

    my wife does not like food off the egg. you may find yours is the same. she understands that she is alone in this opinion, and lets me have my fun.

    do the best you can.
  • I believe what I'm doing wrong is not letting the coals burn down enough. I'm lighting the egg using the firestarters, bringing the egg up to the required temp, and then throwing my food on. So, if I'm hearing it correctly, let the charcoal burn for 30 min or so and then adjust the heat before tossing the goods on?

    Again, I'm new to the egg so be easy on me.
  • Bulldog Mom
    Bulldog Mom Posts: 242
    Yes! You need to let the lump get "to temp" (much like a -boohiss- charcoal grill). You must let the fire get stabilized and then put your food on.

    Just don't put any fluid accelerants on your lump (like charcoal starter) otherwise, the fumes will penetrate your grill and all your food will taste odd.
  • Light your fire, get the egg to your desired temp and then let it burn until the smoke is clean
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    one more thing, make absolutely certain the firestarter squares have burned away completely. The smoke from them is particularly nasty stuff.
  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,286
    I like using the electric firestarter myself.
  • WokOnMedium
    WokOnMedium Posts: 1,376
    All good above, I would just add that you make sure your grate is clean as well. Remnants can translate into acrid smoke when they hit the fire....make sure that happens while your waiting for the Egg to stabilize and not just before you add your food.
  • Eggucated
    Eggucated Posts: 213
    I just got my egg last week here's what I've noticed. When I first light the egg it's like a fog machine, tons of white smoke. Once the fire burns down and the coals get a nice red glow the smoke goes away and you get the clear heat waves lifting out of the chimney. This is when I put the Cap on and adjust the daisy wheel to get my temperature stabilized. Then I wait about 5 more minutes to make sure it's really stable :). Then I put my food on. So far I haven't noticed anything but awesomeness!
    Thanks, Mike "Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one will believe it."
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    light the fire, and yuoucan adjust for temp fairly soon. it doesn't need to rag for half an hour before you dial in the temps, or it won't ever come down.

    and you arent really trying to let the coals burn down, it's more about driving off the VOCs (essentially, the chemical smelling fuel/vapors). you can light it, make sure the starter cubes are fully lit (may need to leave the dome open for that), then shut the dome when they are well lit and the lump is burning. wait for the starters' white smoke to fade, then set vents, check the smoke. if it smells good it will taste good
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • I found the same thing when I started. Letting the fire burn until the smoke is clear is good advice. But I found that NOT using fire starters also helped a lot as they seem to burn for longer and leave a bad flavor. I switched to a chimney starter and newspaper and have recently been testing the oiled napkin trick.

    You will always have some smokey taste, that's just the nature of using real lump charcoal but it should not be excessive or chemical tasting. My wife complained for the first few weeks but she likes it now.
  • Jerzee
    Jerzee Posts: 84
    I haven't yet started cooking on my new egg (still putting together the cart when I find time) but I went to Harbour Freight and purchased a $19.00 weed torch which I plan on hooking up to my propane can which has no use since ditching the gas grill. From what folks here have said, the can should last me the entire year.

    Makes lighting easy, no fluids or starter briquettes. Plus, you get to play with a device that shoots fire!
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    fckvwls wrote:
    From what folks here have said, the can should last me the entire year.

    That would all be relative. I got my egg after Thanksgiving and I've already gone through one tank. (although come to think of it, I might have lit a few fires in the fire pit with it as well.)

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings