Need some advice

Angelina · January 18

My egg is not even all together yet. Got it Tuesday night and its been raining ever since. Suppose to snow tonight but that's a joke in Charlotte. Anyway going to use my egg all weekend (I hope) bought thick rib eyes and chicken wings tonight. I usually marinate the wings and will prob have those Saturday. The steaks I want tomorrow. I have been reading all the post and trying to figure the best way for the first use. Along with the egg I have the plate setter because I originally wanted a smoker. I will have to get some help from my husband (putting it together) to begin with but I wanted this and I want to know what I am doing or know enough to use while I learn. I'm sure it never ends but that's the fun right. I would appreciate any feedback. Angie

rtt121 · January 18

If your grilling steaks I am sure you will be fine.

Otherwise I wish I had read this thread before I started on the egg. I am sure others will chime in with good advise as well.

Hi54putty · January 18

Welcome aboard from right up the road in Winston-Salem. Chicken is a great first cook because it's so much better than on a gasser. Good luck!

JRWhitee · January 18

Welcome newbie Egg head Ribeyes are my favorite and I do them a couple times a month. Steaks will be a good start but there are a couple things to know that are important. First take the steaks out of the fridge and season them at least 30-45 minutes prior to cooking them. Then start the fire with the bottom vent open all the way. After about 15 minutes the flames go down close the lid. You can cook the steaks anytime after the temperature reaches 500, I wait until 650 or more to do mine. When the temp there and you are ready to put on the steaks, this is the IMPORTANT PART, before you open the egg with a high temperature you must BURP the egg, make sure you have a good heat resistant glove that covers your arm then lift the lid about 1" and you will hear a poof and fire will shoot out the 1" or so opening then proceed to open the egg, do this everytime you open the egg with a high temp over 500. I have lost eye lashes and my arm hair by forgetting this. Cooking time of course depends how you like your steaks. For 2" ribeyes medium rare I get the egg to 650 or 700 burp the egg and open the lid put the steaks on and close the lid wait exactly 3 minutes then burp the egg and open flip the steaks and close the lid wait 3 minutes during this time have a sheet of heavy duty foil ready for each steak after the second 3 minutes I pull the steaks and wrap them to rest for about 10 minutes set the table and get ready for some fantastic steaks. When you open the foil be careful there will be hot juice in there so don't waste it pour this on your steak. Good luck. There are other ways to do steaks but this works for me. If you like them cooked medium try 4 minutes a side, rare 2 minutes etc. Post some pics so we can all see your first creation.

cortguitarman · January 18

Spatchcocked chicken is a great first cook. It is absolutely delicious.

jscarfo · January 18

Read as much if the forum as you can. And you'll be fine

Angelina · January 18

Well I've started the fire and the temp got high. I'm trying to bring it down because I decided to cook the chicken wings first. I'm trying to get it down to 300 or so direct. I have shut everything off and it's taking awhile but I guess it will get there ?.

rtt121 · January 18

It will get there. Dont open it.

If it got real high. You will wait a bit

Angelina · January 18

Thanks I'm at 400 now

Eggcelsior · January 18

Don't close it down all the way; you will get gross smoke.

Hi54putty · January 18

Cook them at 400.

rtt121 · January 18

Hi54putty said:

Cook them at 400.

Do it... you won't..

Hi54putty · January 18

What?
I usually cook mine at 500 indirect but have cooked them at 400 raised direct many times.

rtt121 · January 18

I didn't mean it wasn't a good idea.. my bad.

I just meant it wasn't the op's plan.. a dare if you will.

Eggcelsior · January 18

He may have been referring to my post.

In that case, take this example: When you light a candle, you smell it and see smoke. While it burns, you don't. Blow it out, more smell and more smoke. This is VOCs burning off;known as the "bad smoke". Same process with charcoal. If you cut off the accelerant to an efficient fire, it will cool and release stinky VOCs, which can overpower the food with smoke and stinky, bitter taste.

Science Rocks!

Eggcelsior · January 18

rtt121 said:
I didn't mean it wasn't a good idea.. my bad.

I just meant it wasn't the op's plan.. a dare if you will.

Or this. Sorry for any confusion.

Angelina · January 18

I didn't close everything completely off they are smelling good but y'all have me scared of smoke taste now.

rtt121 · January 18

You will be fine if you just let it burn for 5-10 after it got to temp

rustypotts · January 18

Angelina............just forget about it. I can almost guarantee that your chicken will be great. the Egg is very forgiving. DO NOT STRESS OVER THE DETAILS.

Angelina · January 18

Hopefully I will let you know shortly

Skiddymarker · January 19

Welcome - there is lots of info here, the key I think is that things happen slowly unless you open the vents wide - Then the egg will volcano in no time, it is big ceramic chimney starter.

Yesterday did a rack of pork - target grid temp 350:

Bottom vent wide open DFMT off.

2:15 - dumped in the lump, half way up the fire ring. Put in the electric starter, in the front, 1" deep.

2:25 - took out the starter, put in the setter, drip pan and spacers and grid. Closed bottom vent to about 1", DFMT to petals open.

3:30 - clear smoke, good to go, temp at <350, put the roast on.

You can let it roar and try to catch the temp you want on the way up or you can let it slowly rise and adjust as needed. Give it time. It is a slow journey.

Angelina · January 19

Ok not great better after tossed in sauce. Very moist not dry but a little less time on last side would have been better

Little Steven · January 19

You should find a way to raise your grid. If you don't want to invest in an adjustable rig from CGS right now, get yourself some bricks that will sit up on the top of the fire ring and keep the flare ups to a minimum. You can do wings indirect also. Platesetter legs up with foil on it and the grid on the platesetter legs.

Angelina · January 19

Steaks ok. Not yet impressed. With myself I guess since I'm the cook. LOL

rtt121 · January 19

It wont be long.

Little Steven · January 19

It will be worth it :-h

Angelina · January 19

Maybe too much beer!

rtt121 · January 19

It will come.. if you build it.

Elmer Fudd · January 19

I like the beer comment. You will fit in. Maybe have a few more beers and order up a second egg tonight.

lousubcap · January 19

Welcome aboard-it is a game changer. What follows are some thoughts that may be of use- direct and indirect-the difference is the heat deflector (platesetter) between the food and the fire. With indirect ( heat deflector in place) cooks the dome thermo will run about 20-40*f higher than the grate when starting out. Longer the dome is shut the less the temp difference. On direct cooks, the grate will get the full measure of heat from the lump and the dome will be lower than the cooking surface. Raised grid (use fire bricks or empty (key word) beer cans (3 of them)) to elevate the cooking grid to around the gasket line or higher. This gets you further from the lump and closer to the dome temp. You have at least one thermometer to run this BGE with. Make sure it is calibrated and get comfortable with what the number it gives you means relative to the method you are using to cook.

A couple of things-BGE fire is air flow controlled (assuming you have enough lump and got it going). So, temperature control (aka fire volume) is a function of the amount of air flow through the bottom and out the top. You can control by top or bottom vent or combinations of each (preferred for low temp cooks). With any BGE (I have a LBGE) the trick is to catch the temperature rise on the way up to the desired end-point. You have a lot of ceramic mass and if it gets heated above the target temperature it takes a while to cool down. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> So, with that-get a good mass of lump burning and then shut the dome and set your vents for the approximate final desired temp. Minor adjustments as you go. And remember, the feedback indicator to any adjustments is your dome thermo-and that will take a while. So, patience is the name of the game at the low & slow temps. Don't sweat "dead-on" temps for the low&slow cooks. 270*F+/- 30* is close enough. Just get the BGE stable (45- 60 mins) and then let it do the work. You can spend the cook chasing temperature (remember the fire is responding to air flow changes so the feedback loop has quite a delay time). Read all you really need to know here- Best basic info site going- http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramic.htm Just an opinion and we all know what those are worth-enjoy the journey!

The Cen-Tex Smoker · January 19

Angelina said:

Maybe too much beer!

never

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