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TNT54
TNT54 Posts: 40
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Like many others on this forum, I’ve been cooking over charcoal for the better part of my adult life, and one thing I know is you don’t need a fancy $500+ cooker to make great food. But when a local BGE dealer demonstrated the Egg a few months ago I was intrigued enough to sign up to grill at the recent Indy Eggfest, and then to buy a demo Egg. This week was my first cook (the Eggfest cook doesn’t really count), and what a pleasant experience it was. I fired up the Egg on Tuesday eve at about 10:00, and used the first hour to make sure the temperature was stable. Wow, that was easy. Put an 8.5 lb pork butt on at 11:00 with the dome temp reading 225 and the meat temp at about 45. Checked it every 30 min for the first two hours and then several times throughout the night. The temp held steady between 215 and 230 in spite of my fiddling with the daisy wheel. (It’s my new toy, I have to fiddle a little bit.) When I got up at 5:30 am the dome temp was 215 and the meat temp 123, so I turned the butt over and opened the daisy wheel just the slightest bit. Went to work at 7:30 with the dome temp at a steady 230. Called home at noon and my son (home from college) said the dome temp was still 230 and the meat temp was 164. Called again at 2:00 and got pretty much the same report. By 4:00 the temp was finally up to 174, so I headed home and opened the top just a bit to finish things in time for dinner. By 5:30 the dome temp was 300 and the meat temp was 196, so I took the butt off and wrapped it in foil. Let it stand until 6:45 when we couldn’t wait any more. It was one fine pork butt; great crust outside and moist and tender inside.

The thing that impressed me the most was how easy everything was. I’ve smoked pork butt before, but never in a cooker where I didn’t have to add lump or fiddle with the temperature. This was easy peasy.

I know people here talk about the BGE being a life changer. I’m not ready to go that far yet, but it’s a real nice cooker.

T.
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Comments

  • Grillin & Chillin
    Grillin & Chillin Posts: 733
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    Congrat's & Welcome!
    Hope to see some photos of future cooks
    BGE'er since 1996 Large BGE 1996, Small BGE 1996, Mini BGE 1997
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    Our kitchen has glass at one end that opens to a screened-in porch. It was great that I could put the BGE on the porch close enough to the glass that I could see the dome and meat temperatures from inside whenever I wanted to check things. And with the BGE I don’t have to worry about it getting too hot, or spitting hot coals or sparks onto the porch, or making too much smoke, or anything like that. I would never leave another charcoal grill unattended on my back porch all night. I really like the safety and convenience of this thing. I tend to grill all winter, and this set-up will really be nice then.

    T.
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    You're talking to a person who can't even post a simple reply without posting it three times, which I now must edit. Is there any chance I could post photos too? I don't think so.

    T.
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  • Mainegg
    Mainegg Posts: 7,787
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    haha good thing we are not a "I told you so" group LOL we do the butts at 250 at our house and they come out fine and a bit faster. and you wait the life changing thing LOL it is coming. Pics are easy peasy too and there are some good walk though posts here on the forum if you just search it. and as for the double and triple posts just do not hit the back button :O)
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  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
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    I'm sure there's someone who can say "Told you so" when you first started asking about the Egg.

    Now it's just a matter of time before you start thinking, "I need a second Egg."

    Welcome to the wonderful world of Egg'n.

    Spring "Novice Egger For Twelve Years" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
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  • Austin Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
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    Welcome to the group and eggin and congrats on the fine cook. You said:
    I know people here talk about the BGE being a life changer. I’m not ready to go that far yet, but it’s a real nice cooker
    We have all been there and we all have egg'd it to here!
    The egg just ain't for butts, steaks or for chickens. The egg can be a stove, an oven, a qu'er or a long cooker... is like nothing else you have ever owned (and a lot safer).
    What you can do on the egg is limited only to your imagination.
    There are plenty of "How to do" post on this forum and plenty of people that are willing an eager to help you. Don't hesitate to ask.

    Here are few links:

    Tips and information: Grandpas Never wrong
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=843650&catid=1

    How to post your pictures using flicker:
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1048106&catid=1 target="_blank">
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1048106&catid=1

    How to post pictures using photobucket:
    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1062697&catid=1
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    I was shooting for the 225 range mostly to see if I could do that. I thought I'd seen someone say that 225 is harder to hold than 250, but maybe I'm misremembering. Anyway, there seemed to be no problem holding 225 and I'll bet 200 would not be that hard either. I've been doing beef rib roasts at 225 in my oven for years, and I'd like to be able to do that over charcoal. Looks like I can.

    That back arrow button is a killer.

    Thanks,

    T.
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    Steady there. I'm still explaining why I needed one Egg, and don't relish fighting that battle again.

    T.
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    Yep, there's a lot of good info on this site, and the tone is friendly and helpful (which I find to be true for cooking sites generally, in contrast to, say, wine, sports, or news sites). Y'all seem like good folks, I must say.

    As to its multi-functionality, I'll have to wait and see whether that matters to me. I have a nice stove and oven, and I'm reasonably proficient with them, so I don't know why I'd use the Egg for most cooking. And I can do nice chicken, burgers, dogs, chops, and steaks on my other grills. We'll see how things develop, but the initial reason/excuse for getting the BGE was for ribs, brisket, butt, etc. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

    T.
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    Welcome to the forum.

    Congratulations on keeping the egg at 225° with no powered vent system. It seems the eggs like to settle in at 250° and at times there is a bit of a fight locking in at 215° - 225­°.

    GG
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  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,304
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    For those of use in warm climates, you don't have to heat up the house then run up your AC bill.
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  • NC-CDN
    NC-CDN Posts: 703
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    T-54 wrote:
    And with the BGE I don’t have to worry about it getting too hot, or spitting hot coals or sparks onto the porch, or making too much smoke, or anything like that. I would never leave another charcoal grill unattended on my back porch all night.

    I leave mine unattended overnight and such too and the outside of the EGG don't get too hot, which is great, especially with kids around. Just don't feel invincible. I've seen a few posts of peoples garages or porches that had caught fire. One guy either almost lost his house or did lose it. His neighbour called the FD for him as I recall. Search the forum. You may find it. IT is charcoal and it is fire (hot coals), so don't take it for granted. I put a catch pan below my bottom vent to catch anything that falls out and put a grill mat below my table on the deck. I think some have had tables ignite, but not sure.

    Just want you to be safe and not have any accidents.

    Congrats on the EGG.
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  • Manfred
    Manfred Posts: 186
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    I stated off with a med. EGG for me and the wife. When I started sharing the food with other people I had to cook more. Now 1 large and 2 med in the out door kitchen. We use our stove maybe 1 or 2 time a week. The egg grows on you. happy egging
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    Maybe it was beginner's luck. Or that fine RO Steakhouse lump I got at Mennard's for $3.99 a bag. I lit a small piece of firestarter in the center, left the lid open for maybe 10 minutes until the fire was the size of my fist, and then closed the bottom vent to about 1/4 inch and the top vent almost all the way. Just like I was taught by the nice folks on this forum. Fiddled with the vents a couple of times for fun, but it was steady as a rock.

    Thanks to everyone for their help and encouragement.

    T.
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  • crghc98
    crghc98 Posts: 1,006
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    remember there can be a difference of 25 degrees between dome and temp. you were actually cooking close to 200, and if you are trying to take the meet to 200 it will take a long time. 250 will cook more like 225 at least until later in the cook when the gap between the two starts to shrink.
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    Probably good advice. It's hard to imagine a risk with the fire being as small as it is with a low and slow cook. I'm guessing the people who've burned tables were running much hotter, but it is fire, so one should not get too cavalier.

    T.
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    Probably good advice. It's hard to imagine a risk with the fire being as small as it is with a low and slow cook. I'm guessing the people who've burned tables were running much hotter, but it is fire, so one should not get too cavalier.

    T.
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    No, not beginners luck, you just had a good load and light.

    FWIW... when using one spot to light be cautious about vertical burns. They don't happen often but they do happen. The lump burn is somewhat like a narrow funnel and the burn doesn't spread sideways.

    I have had it happen with and without using a Powered Vent System (DigiQ). On overnight burns I light in 4 to 5 spots.

    crghc98 is correct about the lower grate temperature when cooking and should be taken in to consideration.

    GG
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  • TNT54
    TNT54 Posts: 40
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    Points taken, thanks. Next time I'll add a temp probe at the grate to find out how the dome temp correlates to the grill temp.

    T.
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