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New Forum Member Saying Hello (w/ Pictures)

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Comments

  • gfavor
    gfavor Posts: 74
    I was checking our your web site, found "Photo Tip-Photos to Help Learn a Grill".  I'm new to the BGE too. Question: After you get your coals initially lit, how soon do you close the BGE lid to begin controlling the temp; immediately, xx minutes, etc?
  • r270ba
    r270ba Posts: 763
    gfavor said:
    I was checking our your web site, found "Photo Tip-Photos to Help Learn a Grill".  I'm new to the BGE too. Question: After you get your coals initially lit, how soon do you close the BGE lid to begin controlling the temp; immediately, xx minutes, etc?
    I would say it depends on what type of cook you are doing.  

    If you are doing a low and slow (225-275) I usually take my electric ignitor out after about 10 mins (when I see a decent flame but the lump is a roaring fire).  I then put the Daisy Wheel completely closed but with the vents about half open.  The vent on the bottom is opened maybe 1/2".

    If I am wanting to do more of a grill cook (350-500), I will leave the ignitor in until I have good flames going and then I pull it out, and spread the lump.  I leave the DW open all the way and have the vent at the bottom open half way.

    I have not done high temp yet but from what I have read, get a good fire going then remove the DW and open the bottom vent all the way.

    Hope this helps.  I will say that this is a guideline and your egg might cook a tad different than mine.  Use this as a starting point and then make SMALL changes to get your temp.  When trying to learn your Egg you don't want to make too many changes at once because if your heat makes drastic changes, you won't know which thing you adjusted had the affect.  You might have to play with it a few times to get it down pat, but once you figure it out it should be repeatable.  
    Anderson, SC
    XL BGE, Father's Day Gift 2012 (Thanks Fam!!!)
    Webber Kettle and Webber Summit Gasser
    Want List: Thermapen, Small BGE, Wok, Adjustable Rig, Food Saver, More $

  • jfm0830
    jfm0830 Posts: 987
    gfavor said:
    I was checking our your web site, found "Photo Tip-Photos to Help Learn a Grill".  I'm new to the BGE too. Question: After you get your coals initially lit, how soon do you close the BGE lid to begin controlling the temp; immediately, xx minutes, etc?
    gfavor:
    I am still sort feeling my way around with some of this myself. I am far from an expert. The reason I took the pictures was so I could dial in the right settings in a future cook. Those are the settings for the end results, I am still working out the best way to get there. I am pretty comfortable with Indirect at low, medium & high temps. I am ok with high direct but I am still having some issues with medium direct. I will answer your question, but as I said I am still experimenting myself so take this as BGE Beta.

    Large BGE, Wicked Good Weekend Warrior Lump, Paraffin Starters (They take 8-9 minutes to burn completely). 

    Indirect Low and Slow- 200-300 degrees
    Paraffin Starters: 2
    Lighting: I light the starters & makes sure they are are burning, install the platesetter and grill grate (if using) & close the lid after 2-3 minutes.
    Lower Damper: Fully open to start. Close down to 1/4" or so when 50 degrees below target.
    Metal Daisy Wheel Cap: Main cap fully open to start. Close down main cap & set daisy wheel to a slit when 50 degrees below target. 

    Indirect Medium Temps- 350-500 degrees
    Paraffin Starters: 3-4 depending on temp desired.
    Lighting: I light the starters & makes sure they are are burning, install the platesetter and s/s grill grate (if using) right away. I close the lid after 5-6 minutes.
    Lower Damper: Fully open to start. Close down to 3/4" or so when 50 degrees below target.
    Metal Daisy Wheel Cap: Daisy wheel cap off to start. Place cap on when desired temp is reached. Close down main opening to a thin slit and fine tune further by switching to daisy wheel.

    Indirect High Temps - 500-700 degrees
    Paraffin Starters: 4
    Lighting: I light the starters & makes sure they are are burning, install the platesetter and s/s grill grate (if using) right away. I close the lid after 8-9 minutes when the paraffin starters have burned out.
    Lower Damper: Fully open to start. Close down to 1" or so when 50 degrees ABOVE target.
    Metal Daisy Wheel Cap: Off to start. I often don't use it  for 600 or 700 degrees and control the fire by adjusting the lower damper.
    Cleaning: Whenever I am doing a high temp cook I do a thorough cleaning.

    Direct Medium Temps- 350-500 degrees. Still working on this. I need to do something to get more coals going before I hit target temp. 
    Paraffin Starters: 3-4 depending on temp desired.
    Lighting: I light the starters & makes sure they are are burning, install the cast iron grill grate (if using right away. I close the lid after 5-6 minutes.
    Lower Damper: Fully open to start. Close down to 12" or so when 50 degrees below target.
    Metal Daisy Wheel Cap: Daisy wheel cap off to start. Place cap on when desired temp is reached. Close down main opening to a thin slit and fine tune further by switching to daisy wheel.

    Direct High Temps - 500-700 degrees
    Paraffin Starters: 4
    Lighting: I light the starters & makes sure they are are burning, install the cast iron grill grate right away. I close the lid after 8-9 minutes when the paraffin starters have burned out.
    Lower Damper: Fully open to start. Close down to 1" or so when 50 degrees ABOVE target and tweak as required when target temperature is reached.
    Metal Daisy Wheel Cap: Off to start. I often don't use it  for 600 or 700 degrees and control the fire by adjusting the lower damper.
    Cleaning: Whenever I am doing a high temp cook I do a thorough cleaning.

    Jim

    Website: www.grillinsmokin.net
    3 LBGE & More Eggcessories than I care to think about.
  • jfm0830
    jfm0830 Posts: 987
    edited October 2012
    Griffin said:

    Hey Jim, I see you found your way over here. Glad to see you made it to the party. Somehow I don't remember seeing that Greek pizza. The sauce on it looks delicious. Is that the steak you cooked when you lost power and had to shoot the one bite in the dark.

    Hey Griffin. Happy to be here. I thought I posted the Greek pizza, but you were right-evidently I missed that one. Yes the lights had gone out when I got that Rib-eye with Shallots & Garlic Butter sauce back in the house. I took about a dozen pictures in the pitch black and the flash and auto focus assist light did the rest. I didn't know what the steak looked like inside till I processed the pictures.
    Griffin said:

    .....BTW...Jim has been posting over on the Barbecue Bible Forum for....well....how long, Jim? He just recently got an Egg and took to it like....well...like you see how well he's taken to it!!

    It's been 7 years posting on the BBQB Forum. I gotta admit I knew the Egg was great, but I had no idea just how great. I've cooked on it around 70 times in the 2 1/2 months I've owned it. I have been having a ball. I look forward to every cook. 

    Jim
    Website: www.grillinsmokin.net
    3 LBGE & More Eggcessories than I care to think about.
  • Kosko
    Kosko Posts: 535
    I am a new egghead and started using my large 5 days ago. I thank everyone of you for me not having hardly ANY learning curve on temp.( from reading this forum for almost a year) Control. I am still learning and always will learn, BUT if it weren't for you guys there's no telling we're I would be!
    Peachtree City, Ga Large BGE
  • BuckeyeBob
    BuckeyeBob Posts: 673
    edited October 2012
    Let me second Griffins comments. So glad to see you made it over here. From the other forum, I know you have jumped into the cult of the BGE with both feet. Glad to have you here with the Eggheads
    Clarendon Hills, IL
  • MJG
    MJG Posts: 598
    Hey Jim.  Impressive entry.  I have been lurking for a while and think I'm finally going to pull the trigger on a large.  I see that you are in NE MA.  I am in Lynn.  I have it narrowed down to 2 places that I may buy from.  Any insight as to experience with dealers on the North Shore would be appreciated. 
    Large Big Green Egg in a nest. North Shore of Boston.
  • jfm0830
    jfm0830 Posts: 987
    edited October 2012
    MJG said:
    Hey Jim.  Impressive entry.  I have been lurking for a while and think I'm finally going to pull the trigger on a large.  I see that you are in NE MA.  I am in Lynn.  I have it narrowed down to 2 places that I may buy from.  Any insight as to experience with dealers on the North Shore would be appreciated. 

    I don't live near Lynn, so I really don't have any knowledge of dealers on the North Shore. I have been down to the Barbecue Barn in Arlington Mass. They have a lot of Egg cessories &accessories and a very very knowledgeable staff and they seem to have very good customer service. Sadly, the dealer I bought my egg from was sold about three weeks after I bought my Egg. They went from having a very knowledgeable staff to having a staff with no hands on experience with the Egg. I'm not going to mention their name, let's just say they're nowhere near Lynn. It is bad when I went there is a three-week old Egg Owner and knew more about the Egg than they did. I am now buying my accessories and charcoal from Oasis Pool and Spa in Nashua New Hampshire. They have a very friendly and knowledgeable sales staff and my next Egg will be bought there. One piece of advice I can give you is don't let price be the only thing that enters into your decision. Having a knowledgeable sales staff that can answer your questions after the sale is worth money. They aren't working for free, so paying a little more for for an Egg from a store with a knowledgeable sales staff pays off in the end. Also try and find out about their service and customer support policies. Someone who sold you the egg at the lowest price is probably going to be less willing to help you out when you have a problem. Good luck on buying your Egg. I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures of your first cooks.
    Website: www.grillinsmokin.net
    3 LBGE & More Eggcessories than I care to think about.
  • MJG
    MJG Posts: 598
    Thanks. That Oasis place is right around the corner from my office in Merrimack that I go to twice a month.
    Large Big Green Egg in a nest. North Shore of Boston.
  • DonWW
    DonWW Posts: 424

    One more:  Welcome to the circus!  Great website.  You are obviously off to a terrific start!  Looking forward to seeing more pics. 

     

    XL and Medium.  Dallas, Texas.
  • Jim, Your blog and website is addicting. We just became new Eggheads at Eggtoberfest this past weekend. I look forward to your insightful information!
    Beth Hardeeville, South Carolina
  • jfm0830
    jfm0830 Posts: 987
    edited October 2012
    Beth:
    Congratulations on your new Egg! You are going to love it. I know many great meals await you. Thanks for your kind words about my website. I am hardly an Eggspert on the Egg. I still have much to learn. I am having good luck with my new Egg and this site and the helpful folks here have a great deal to do with it. Looking forward to seeing and hearing here how you are doing with your new Egg.

    Jim
    Website: www.grillinsmokin.net
    3 LBGE & More Eggcessories than I care to think about.
  • DocWonmug
    DocWonmug Posts: 300
    Welcome, and we all greet you with a full mug of Kool Aide.
    LBGE
  • GLW
    GLW Posts: 178
    You know how to cook Mr.!  Welcome.
    When in doubt add more pepper.