Eggfest Revelation - New Eggs Stink?

Iceman5705 · July 2012

All,

I was at the Cincinatti Eggfest a few weeks ago and I had a major revelation. On my first several cooks on my egg, I noticed a very distinct taste that wasn't so good on everything that came out of the egg. Kind an acrid, chemical taste. Over time it became less and less prevalent and today is non existent.

The revelation was that when I went to the Egg fest, that taste was back! It then dawned on me all the eggs there were being fired for the first time. I guess I am wondering if BGE should advise a seasoning of the egg before you actually put food on the thing. I am guessing it took 100 hours or so of smoking of use before that taste went away for good. I am guessing that the ceramic has a chemical release agent that gets sprayed on the egg so it won't stick to a form? Any input would be cool as to whether or not there are chems on the egg upon delivery.

Thought I would pass on my experience to see if anyone else might have had a similar events occur with their new egg.

Thanks, cheers!

Iceman

Kristinnn · July 2012

nope didnt notice

nolaegghead · July 2012

At a minimum, they cast the ceramic in forms, then bisque fire it, then glaze, then fire it again. They may have an extra step in there but any release agents should be long gone. So I wouldn't suspect the ceramic, unless they applied something to it afterwards (I can't imagine why).

I'm going to guess it's the firebox/fire ring, the gasket or adhesive or maybe some treatment of the cast iron that's causing the "stink".

Seems like, if that makes food taste funky, a new egg might need to be broken in with a massive high temp clean-out firing. That would make the gaskets sacrificial...maybe they're easier to scrape off virgin rather than burnt.

Mickey · July 2012

If you are correct (not saying you are not) then Egg Fests are over. Hell, we have a small one in Salado and have over 40 new eggs going. I hope they used something as a starter in yours that screwed it up.

nolaegghead · July 2012

I've used some wax starters that smelled like the wax was scraped out of a bunker crude tank. I stopped using them.

Iceman5705 · July 2012

@Mickey: for me it wasn't so over powering that I didn't eat what we cooked. It just was enough that my palate picked it up. Not saying we should stop the fests, just making an observation.

Rubmyrock · July 2012

Same here. My wife hated my first few cooks because of the chemical taste. Fifteen cooks in she loves it

Mickey · July 2012

The problem as you state it is new people would be worried to buy with a putoff taste at all. The second reason (first is EggHeads have a ball) for fest is to sell new Eggs. Sure hope you have a local problem.

nolaegghead · July 2012

Drink a 6-pack prior to eating anything in the first few cooks, the chemical taste is much less noticeable.
:)

Rubmyrock · July 2012

Wasn't there a situation last year on BBQ Pittmasters - Johnny Trigg's shootout where the judges said Leeann's ribs had a bad chemical taste. If I'm not mistaken, she flew into Texas and cooked on three brand new eggs loaned out from a local dealer. My first hamburgers on my brand new egg were hideous.

Iceman5705 · July 2012

@Mickey: calm down, did you read my post. I said its no longer a problem. Geez.

BYS1981 · July 2012

Rubmyrock said:
Wasn't there a situation last year on BBQ Pittmasters - Johnny Trigg's shootout where the judges said Leeann's ribs had a bad chemical taste. If I'm not mistaken, she flew into Texas and cooked on three brand new eggs loaned out from a local dealer. My first hamburgers on my brand new egg were hideous.

she borrowed friends egg' who had previously used lightter fluid.

ratcheer · July 2012

I got a new Egg last Friday. I definitely noticed a chemical taste on my first cook (grilled chicken breasts), but I haven't noticed it since. I said to myself at the time, it tastes just like I used way too much charcoal starter fluid - which I didn't use at all.

Tim

Coastalcooker · July 2012

Mine smells like smoke

Daveh1976 · July 2012

Got my egg 3 weeks ago. The wife said the same thing on Day 1 cook but I ignored her. Day 2 she said was fine.

bud812 · July 2012

Drink a 6-pack prior to eating anything in the first few cooks, the chemical taste is much less noticeable.
:)

+1

Mickey · July 2012

@Mickey: calm down, did you read my post. I said its no longer a problem. Geez.

Once more. If what you say is correct it is a major problem for Fests as all Eggs are new. Funny you are the the first to bring this up. I have 4 new Eggs never having the problem. Put on a fest last March with 40 new Eggs and no problem. So now from your little report Eggs have a problem or you do. Geez

Tjcoley · July 2012

I had that problem when I first got my Egg. I was using BGE starters, and not waiting long enough for them to burn up before shutting the lid. After shutting the lid, the flame went out on the starter and they smoldered with bad smoke. Once I learned to be patient, (and switched to either an electric starter or oil soaked paper towels) the bad smell/taste went away. As has been stated many times on the forum, wait til the smoke smells good before putting on the food.

nolaegghead · July 2012

I had that problem when I first got my Egg. I was using BGE starters, and not waiting long enough for them to burn up before shutting the lid. After shutting the lid, the flame went out on the starter and they smoldered with bad smoke. Once I learned to be patient, (and switched to either an electric starter or oil soaked paper towels) the bad smell/taste went away. As has been stated many times on the forum, wait til the smoke smells good before putting on the food.

Hey, maybe that's the source of the mysterious problem. New users get the wax starters, batch of wax stinks, food stinks, they eventually run out, food stops stinking, BGE CSI case solved.

Rubmyrock · July 2012

I had this problem and have only used an electric starter.

Duganboy · July 2012

Lots of new eggers close the egg up tight and leave the food in there. This might be an answer to some of the bad tastes. Not all, but some.

R2Egg2Q · July 2012

Fortunately, I haven't experienced that. In June, we handed out 400+ servings of Eggfest food cooked on 2 new XL Eggs and heard no complaints of off taste or odor from our food or others. We baked over 125 cookies on the Egg and folks were smelling them as they were concerned they'd be smokey (no one detected any smoke or off odors). I had no off tastes on my first cook on my new Large Egg nor did my 3 friends who took home demo Eggs. It seems like there are isolated incidents but I can think of a couple of other possibilities beyond those previously mentioned: grease from the hinge assembly getting in the Egg or maybe some bad lump. Who knows for sure but I don't think all new Eggs have that issue.

cazzy · July 2012

Never had this problem with either of my eggs or any of the food I ate or cooked at Salado.

nolaegghead · July 2012

Never had this problem with either of my eggs or any of the food I ate at Salado.

Good, must not be a wide-spread systematic problem.

cazzy · July 2012

Perhaps the stink was associated with the Bungles! :P

DocWonmug · July 2012

I did one high temp test fire before cooking anything and never noticed anything on the food after that.

Ottawa_Eggman · July 2012

I did one high temp test fire before cooking anything and never noticed anything on the food after that.

Same here
:D

ratcheer · July 2012

Once more. If what you say is correct it is a major problem for Fests as all Eggs are new. Funny you are the the first to bring this up. I have 4 new Eggs never having the problem. Put on a fest last March with 40 new Eggs and no problem. So now from your little report Eggs have a problem or you do. Geez

Well, I noticed it as I said above, and I had never heard of it or had any preconceived notion that it might happen. It was a pretty strong, chemical flavor. And I had started my lumps in a chimney with no chemicals of any kind, just paper.

Tim

misu · July 2012

one of my more recent large eggs had a gunpowder smell for the first 5-ish cooks, I blame it on the charcoal.

fishlessman · July 2012

new gaskets give off fumes, i wonder if the lump grate is coated with something so it doesnt rust before use, other than that, new eggers dont allows wait for the lump to burn off the nasties before food goes on

talltrevor · July 2012

I noticed it - but mostly when my egg wasn't fired up. Even my mother commented she didn't like the smell. I thought I just got used to it over time and didn't notice it but she mentioned last month my egg "doesn't have that stink" anymore.

I assumed it was because I was smelling the old smoke on the bare ceramic and now that I have a nice coating of black grease in there, the ceramic, and the smoky ceramic smell, is sealed in.

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Eggfest Revelation - New Eggs Stink?

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