Burgers are a total failure

Rubmyrock · July 2012

I've had my large egg for two month now and my steaks, pork butts, smoked turkeys, and ribs are amazing. However. Every single time I put burgers on they have a strong smoke/chemical taste that is hideous. I get my egg to 650 at regular height and sear both sides for two minutes then close off everything for another 6 minutes for ten minute total cook. They are cooked perfect but not fit to eat. Anyone else have this problem with burgers?

Little Steven · July 2012

Do burgers raised direct or on the grid but don't shut down the vents while they are still on.

newegg13 · July 2012

I'm no expert, but I've seen a similar thread before. I think you problem may be from closing down the vents completely. The soot, etc doesn't have anywhere to escape because the vents are shut - so it goes to live inside your burgers.

BRush00 · July 2012

@ Rubmyrock

Yup - it's the closing down that's the culprit.

I'm going to assume that you've got a nice clean burning fire going if you're up at 650, but when you close the vents to let the egg cool and finish off the burgers the fire can't do anything but smolder and slowly die.

When the fat drips out of the burger on this smoldering fire, it creates a noxious smoke, which has nowhere to go but into your meat.

Moral of the story - don't close the egg down until the food is cooked and out of it.

tazcrash · July 2012

I'm no expert, but I've seen a similar thread before. I think you problem may be from closing down the vents completely. The soot, etc doesn't have anywhere to escape because the vents are shut - so it goes to live inside your burgers.

Agreed. Don't shut everything down. I always leave a way for smoke to escape.

Before my AR, After I seer, I put on some bricks, and a second grate to raise the burger away from the fire.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · July 2012

stop closing it down. I'm guessing that recipe is the big green egg cookbook or something because it comes up all the time. I just do burgers at 500 and never shut it down. burgers drip a ton of fat in the lump bed and that smell is acrid. If it gets trapped in the egg, it gets trapped in your burgers

nolaegghead · July 2012

By choking off the oxygen, you're generating a cloud of creosote oils which are condensing on your (relatively cool) meat. Creosote is normal with grilling, but too much will give the food an acrid, chemical taste. Plus, it's a carcinogen. No one wants to grow a third eye on their forehead. If you want to slow down the cooking, you can put the burgers off to the side of the grate on a bed of aluminum foil.

tazcrash · July 2012

I'm guessing that recipe is the big green egg cookbook

DING - DING - DING!!!!!!

When I saw that I lost faith in their book, and found sites like this, Naked Whiz (http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramic.htm), the original BGE forum (http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php) ,WessB (http://www.wessb.com/), and Tim M. (http://tm52.com/bge/)

Rich_ie · July 2012

Yup don't close the vents down.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · July 2012

heard some "great" stories about Wess B on the other forum. Hear he was quite the character. I think he had to put himself in timeout. I'm sure some of the other forum dudes saw it all. I just heard it 2nd hand but it sounded delightful

tazcrash · July 2012

ok, now I'm curious. All I know is his beginner info on his page.

Rubmyrock · July 2012

Thanks for the advice. I close it down for steaks exactly as i do for burgers but I have good results. Must be because of the pourousness of the meat. Will definitely go raised direct without closing vents next time.

Little Steven · July 2012

Try not doing it with steaks either. Same thing happens.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · July 2012

Try not doing it with steaks either. Same thing happens.

+1

Burgers are a total failure

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