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Help me, please. I am new to the BGE and have a few quick ?s....

I have a Large BGE and have become somewhat decent at cooking the main dishes like steak, chicken, burgers...but I want to step up to the next level:

1) Which Digi Q do you recommend...the II or the Cyber Q....and I only have one cooking device.  I assume I would use the DigiQ for ribs and other longer cooks.

2) If I want to be King of the Neighborhood and invite, say, 8 adults and 12 kids over for chicken, burgers, sliders, kabobs, whatever....do I need one of those pie-rack looking tier grates?  And, when using the multi-level tier grates, does all the meat cook evenly on each rack level, or does the botton level absorb heat and prevent some heat from rising to the 2nd level, and does the 2nd level prevent heat from going to the top level?  In other words, does the meat at the botton of the tier-rack that is closest to the flame burn hotter than the 3 level rack that is closest to the top of the grill?

3) Am I fooling myself that I can cook for 20 people (entrees only....20 chicken breasts, 20 burgers) on a Large BGE and have the meat come off a one time and be ready to chow down?

Thanks in advance for your help!!

Comments

  • Hi chuckie t. I don't use a stoker so I'll Let the other guys weight in on that.

    You can easily cook for 20 without any additional stuff. You can't do 20 burgers at a time but you can time things to where you do it in a few waves. The rig you are referring to is awesome but you don't need it for grilling burgers or chicken. You are correct that something like burgers would cook differently on each grid so I would never use it for something like that. Great for lots of other things but not direct grilling. You should be able to pull this cook off with a little up front prep.

    I would feed the kids first then do the adult food so you guys can all hang and have a beer or whatever while the kids are taken care of. You could do that easily.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • jlsm
    jlsm Posts: 1,011
    The breasts can easily be served at room temperature (as long as they aren't held at room temp for more than four hours). A little sauce like hot pepper hash mixed with mayo or sour cream, milk and chipolte is great on chicken with or without a bun. You can then do 20 burgers in 15 minutes. 

    For the kids, check on the spiral hot dogs. I'd love to do those, but my husband doesn't eat hot dogs and our "kid" is 23. 


    *******
    Owner of a large and a beloved mini in Philadelphia
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    Just my $.02, but when cooking for many people I prefer to do something that is a roast.  My go-to is pulled pork.  Do a couple of butts and have them wrapped in foil in a dry cooler (they will keep for 4 hours and be piping hot), and then throw on a few appetizers like wings or ABT's.  

    That's not to say you couldn't do burgers, chicken, or whatever...but to me it just just less stressful making a batch of Q.  Dinner can be ready to serve before the guests arrive :)


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    This is my experience. Unless you have money to burn just wait on the toys. The only thing you really need starting out is a thermopen. Don't build a table or buy a bunch of crap or even great stuff that you will never use. That being said cook something you can ftc while cooking the burgers.

    Welcome and good luck.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    1. I don't have a stoker. If I needed to cook lots of food every day, I would get 1. But the Egg holds a steady temp for ribs very easily, and for butts and brisket, it only takes a little practice to stay within temp range.

    2. I've only needed to do a 2 level cook a few times. Both were indirect cooks w. chicken pieces, so the grills were essentially sitting at different heights in an oven. The differences in cooking times between the 2 levels was minimal.

    4. I will echo @SmokeyPitt. You could easily do a couple of butts for PP. I do recall that when I was a tyke, I much preferred dogs over burgers. Butts can easily be held  in a "cooler" for 4+ hours. Do the butt(s) first, then grill the dogs when company arrives. Pull the pork, serve the dogs.
  • I don't have any temp regulator, I would also consider doing a pulled pork.
    Start it the day before. For the kids and adults that don't have PP; do a dozen and half hot dogs and same with cheeseburgers. Sides should be coleslaw, beans and chips. Only one butt / shoulder of about 9 pounds for the overnight. Pull the butt a couple of hours before the party, put in a cooler wrapper in aluminum foil and towels. Put new lump in if needed, grill the dogs and burgers. Pull the PP in front of the crowd.
    Billy
    Wilson, NC
    Large BGE - WiFi Stoker - Thermapen - 250 Cookbooks

  • ShadowNick
    ShadowNick Posts: 533
    henapple said:

    This is my experience. Unless you have money to burn just wait on the toys. The only thing you really need starting out is a thermopen. Don't build a table or buy a bunch of crap or even great stuff that you will never use. That being said cook something you can ftc while cooking the burgers.

    Welcome and good luck.


    One caveat to Henapple's point on buying toys for the egg... I've had mine for about a year and a half, and just got a high-que fire great. Fantastic addition, well work the $, and wish I had it from day one. It makes it even easier to hold rock solid temps and IMHO does away with a need for any electronic temp regulator.
    Pentwater, MI
  • abpgwolf
    abpgwolf Posts: 558
    +1 on the pulled pork and spiral hot dog reccomendation. Pulled pork is easy to do and is always a big hit. The spiral hot dogs are great because they get a little crisp around the spiral slice and they hold condiments nicely. Amazing Ribs has a great pulled pork recipe. It's worth the time to make your own rub and a couple of your own sauces (recipes on the same web site). You're sure be be the BBQ hero in your neighborhood.

    Lititz, PA – XL BGE