New BGE Large Owner - Few Questions

robnybbq · May 2012

Hello all,

I just got a new BGE L last weekend. I am putting it together tomorrow and planning the first cook/smoke for Sunday - RIBS. With the BGE I got the side plates, plate setter, grate lifter, ash tool, and a MAPP torch for now. I am planning on getting a BBQ Guru probe/fan kit in a few weeks. I got a bag of the BGE lump to start off as well.

I have been grilling with my old Weber Genesis and while its a good grill its not BBQ. I am sure the Weber will be retired to be used for hot dogs and whatever does not require good flavor. I have had allot of success cooking Ribs on the Weber and using a small smoke box filled with apple/hickory chips and using a mop sauce every 20 minutes for ~3 hours. The smoke does not last long though.

Now that I got a real smoker I am planning on cooking the ribs with my same rub but not mopping until near the end (if needed). I am planning on putting a pan of some sort with some of the mop sauce (apple cider and some other stuff that I cant remember now) in it on the plate setter.

For a 4-5 hour rib cook - how much lump should I use? Do I need to add some apple (other) chunks (if I can find them) or use the apple chips I have or just the lump?

Any tips to get this going right? I am hoping to get the ribs accomplished so I can move onto new and better meats soon.

MikeP624 · May 2012

Always fill the fire box to the top. That way you never run out of fuel. You can reuse the leftover on your next cook.

I used car wash mikes method for cooking my first ribs on my BGE. They turned out awesome. Two racks took just over 5.5hrs at 250 degrees. The had good flavor, were moist and fell right of the bone.

I use wood chunks, not chips. But i think that is just a personal preference.

lousubcap · May 2012

Welcome and you are about to embark on an adventure that is a continuous learning curve. Here's asite with great recipes-check out the Car Wash Mike rib recipe for a good reference.

http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html

With regard to quantity of lump-bottom-line you can never load too much lump. The air flow will dictate the size of the fire-so I would load to around the top of the fire box to ensure you have plenty of fuel. On chips vs chunks for smoking-I use chips (cuz I have lots from another life) which I spread throughout the lump load. Others use chunks (kinda like Ford vs Chevy).

Misc info-on indirect cooks (platesetter in) your dome temp will initially read around 20-40*F hotter than the temp at the cooking grid-gaps narrows the longer the dome is shut. If not specified, cooking temperatures reference the dome temp. Check the calibration of your dome thermo before you start. Always wait til the smoke is burning "clear" before putting your food on..(if smoke smells good then all is well, if not-wait)

With regard to the electronic temperature controller, my opinion (and we all know what those are worth...) is that you should get comfortable using the lower vent and DFMT for temperature control before even considering that purchase. Many of us think the BGE will do fine at low& slow cooks without the electronics...but your choice.

Eggdam · May 2012

Just from my own personal experience be sure to allow the fire to burn the Organic compounds off the charcoal before cooking on it. Since your whole load of lump will be all new make sure the smoke is black/clear or it will give you food an acrid flavor.

robnybbq · May 2012

AH good info. Thanks.

So the dome should read ~275 for the 250 cook of the ribs? I have another temp probe that I can try putting on the grate to measure as well.

MikeP624 · May 2012

I would not worry about the getting the exact temp. When i did my ribs it varied from abour 230 ro 260 degrees. The key with ribs is that when you pick them up in the middle the should bend pretty easily. Using a meat thermometer is tough because of how thin they are.

Also make sure you let the temp stabilize. It took me about an hour to get my temp to stabilize at 250 and produce good, clean smoke.

xraypat23 · May 2012

Here ya go....If you wanna be anal, big chunks of coal on the bottom, layer of wood chips, medium pieces, more chips, maybe some chunks right in the center(it has kind of a center burn pattern), than the smaller pieces. As said above, always fill the firebox to the top, when you're done put the lid on close the vents and you'll still have a lot of lump left. Light it in the center with the map torch in 2-3 spots, think like a triangle shape lighting pattern. Put the plate setter in legs up and a piece of foil or an aluminum drip pan on it. If you put a pan make sure theres some water in it.

Let it run wide open for a little while to get a decent fire started. Put the daisy wheel on, leave it open prob a little over an 1/8th inch, maybe 3/16ths. Bottom draft door about the same amount. This should = 275, which is exactly where i like to cook my ribs. Put them in once you're stable. Let them cook 3 hours and check them. sauce if you like when they're almost done, pull them off 20 minutes after saucing. DON'T open the damn lid for the first 3 hours!!!!

When you're done, put the green top on, close the damper and leave you're egg alone. Will take HOURS to shut down. But once it's out and all the way cold take everything out, stir your lump and you'll be really surprised how much you have left. Re light and cook again.....repeat as necessary!

tazcrash · May 2012

So the dome should read ~275 for the 250 cook of the ribs? I have another temp probe that I can try putting on the grate to measure as well.

If you do that, just make sure that the probe doesn't touch the grid.

As said above, don't get too focused on a temp.

Just cook it slow below the burn point for sugar, and keep dinner time flexible. It's more enjoyable that way.

I made the move from a gasser, but I still use it when i need to cook it by a certain time during the week, but I WANT to cook it all on the egg.

KingRover · May 2012

I am planning on putting a pan of some sort with some of the mop sauce (apple cider and some other stuff that I cant remember now) in it on the plate setter.

From my experience, the only use the pan on platesetter has is to catch the dripping to keep the platesetter clean.

By filling the pan with some water and putting it on the 3 little green feet (did you get those?) on the plate setter, the grease won't burn and smoke up.

I've tried a pan with apple juice and cider vinegar, I didn't taste a difference.

Duganboy · May 2012

A great thing about ribs is that if you get them done earlier, just wrap in foil, then a towel or two and put them in a cooler. Two hours later they are just like you took the out of the BGE.

BRush00 · May 2012

Agreed with all of the above.

The pan on your platesetter really only needs to be there if you want to keep your platesetter clean - I put one in, but instead of the green feet I just crumple up 3 small balls of tinfoil to keep air in between it and the PS - that'll keep grease etc. from burning/smoking in the egg.

I use chips, mainly because they're what is readily available around here. for ribs usually a mix of apple and maple.

good luck - welcome to the club!

robnybbq · May 2012

Great tips. Thanks all. Will report on Sunday. I hope the wife and Mom are happy. But while waiting for the ribs to be done I have to be enjoying cocktails so I need the ribs to overcome my actions.

gdenby · May 2012

Also check out the naked Whiz's site, http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramic.htmm as well as thirdeye's playingwithfireandsmoke.

As above, just fill to the top of the fire box. There should be plenty of leftovers for the next cook.

Try not to let the Egg over heat. The ceramic stays hot for a long time, so if the temperature goes above 400, and stays there for even 20 minutes, it can take "forever" to come down. After years, if I get distracted and don't shut down the vents, I will still have cooks where I smell hot metal, and run to the Egg and find it at 800.

The Egg works differently than any of the metal cookers I used, and it took awhile to forget those habits. I used to mop all the time to keep ribs from getting burnt. W. the Egg, I may mop for flavor (which makes for a longer cook) but for moisture, maybe once near the end.

The lump by itself will give a little smoke flavor. Any smoking wood you add will work in either chips (unsoaked) or chunks. I like hickory or oak for ribs, but it really is a matter of taste. If the wood is mixed all thru the lump, there will be smoke for flavor, altho it should be nearly invisible. The Egg's airflow control is so good that the wood turns to gas without burning much, and there will be almost no visible smoke.

Also as above, do not fuss with the temperature much. For ribs, I have no trouble at all with dome temps between 250 +/- 20 degrees. A steady temperature seems to me to be more important than a particular one in the range.

FWIW, I got the Egg for ribs. After the Egg, I've made a few racks I think were pretty good, and I've had compliments on many. But I'm still searching for the "perfect" rib every time. What I made before the Egg, I doubt I would find edible.

noid1037 · May 2012

Some of my experiences with the BGE Large is to create a journal for your smokes. I dont have a ton of experience with the BGE. I am looking for my favorite spare rib method.

As with any experiment there needs to be a baseline to compare the results. I have tried the mustard rub on ribs, soaking apple chuck in red wine, the 3 hour - 2 hour - 1 hour cook, a variety of the other recipes. With all burns I used the plate-setter, a catchpan with either water and.or apple juice and a rib rack to hold them vertical.

One thing I have noticed in the past couple of ribs is that they are too smoky for my taste. So I need to address the amount of chuck in the BGE. Last time I sprinkled some chips and had the chuck together, maybe too much. From all accounts the smoke is imparted on the meat in the first two hours.

The idea of the mustard method is fine with me understanding that the acetic acid breaks down some of the meat and the "sticky-ness" of the mustard is a good binder to hold the spices/rub. Im sure others are letting the ribs sit in a marinade and other tricks. Find your mojo and stick with it.

Im going to try cutting the ribs to the method in the post below.

http://thehogblog.com/?p=695

Each time you do a cook write down what you did and taste the results... did you like it then do it again.. if you didnt like it then modify.

Either way enjoy a few cold ones during the process and hopefully the guests, neighbors and family like what you create.

I will be doing a fair amount of lump burning this weekend and Im prepping now, picking out some nice racks and getting them ready for the weekend! Maybe it sounds like Im analyzing this too much but I am an engineer and this my way to find a solution to a problem. However you do it....

Enjoy the weekend and good lump to you this Memorial Day...

Remember the few who sacrificed the ultimate to the ones who enjoy the freedom!

Semper Fidelis

New BGE Large Owner - Few Questions

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