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Mini guidance from the pros please

I bought my Mini for small cooks for my wife and myself.

I made burgers the other day and man were they ever juicy, best burger ever.

But, it had an off taste to it.

There is another thread about tainted chicken wings I read and it was generally concluded that the drippings from the wings tainted the flavor of the cook.

I did hot dogs and no drippings came out so no tainted flavor, but with the burgers it was another story.

I have a platesetter on order for the Mini, should be here next week. My question is do most of the guys who cook on the Mini cook with the lid open? how do I avoid the tainted meat syndrome cooking direct.

Comments

  • revolver1
    revolver1 Posts: 372
    I do most of my Mini cooks direct, have not experienced your situation.  Sorry I couldn't help.  
    Dan, Columbia,Mo.
  • BRush00
    BRush00 Posts: 367
    Please describe 'tainted' for us, also describe your burger cooking process.

    I cook my burgers direct (on a large however), and have never had anything but a delicious burger on my BGE.  

    Fat dripping on coals will create smoke, hoever I've never had it be a problem.

    My best guess with the limited info above, is that you're cooking before the coals are ready - and you're getting an acrid, charcoal-y taste.
    [Insert clever signature line here]
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    edited August 2013

    How hot are you cooking? I cook everything including spatchcocked chickens at 400 direct in the MIni. I cook a lot on the Mini and all kinds of things. Never had the problem. I did not want a platesitter as I have stones for that. But only 15% of the time indirect cooking. I bet in both yours and the other not cooking hot enough (just my 2cents). And the ONLY time my lid is open is when I am deep frying in the Mini.

    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
    BRush00 said:
    Please describe 'tainted' for us, also describe your burger cooking process.

    I cook my burgers direct (on a large however), and have never had anything but a delicious burger on my BGE.  

    Fat dripping on coals will create smoke, hoever I've never had it be a problem.

    My best guess with the limited info above, is that you're cooking before the coals are ready - and you're getting an acrid, charcoal-y taste.

    I beg to differ, I own a large and am quite aware of the starting up procedures. I don't have these issues on my large either.

    The assumption I didn't want to make so as not to lead anyone down the path I was thinking was, that with the Mini having such a small space compared to the Large that the concentration of drippings hitting the coals is more noticeable by the Mini's internal size and being so close to the coals.

  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Never had a problem with a funny taste. First thing that comes to my mind after your responses, was there a lot of smoke? Did you have the DFMT on? If so how closed up was it? Maybe there was a bunch of smoke and it couldn't escape fast enough?

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • gabriegger
    gabriegger Posts: 682

    No funny tastes from burgers from my Mini.  Lid down after startup, direct and piping hot at 400 with the DFMT off.  If you are concerned about  the drippings affecting the cook maybe the Mini Woo would raise things a bit.  I haven't got one but am looking into it.

    the city above Toronto - Noodleville wtih 2 Large 1 Mini

  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    In follow up the @Griffin. The Mini was the first place I learned the DFMT was not needed. Went to all three Eggs now and no DFMT. I think Jason may be on to something with his answer.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    +1 with what @Mickey said. My mini likes to settle in around 400* so that is usually where I cook. I usually dont have the problem at that temp. If you want to eliminate it, try using a griddle... that is what I have been doing on my last mini burger cooks.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,663
    on my large ive only experienced an off flavor twice with burgers, first time was from cooking too many burgers back to back with a very full grill, second time was cooking burgers after a summer of back to back chicken thigh cooks. i also dont like burgers cooked below 400 degrees. heres my mini mini burger cook, no odd flavors
    :D

    image
    image


    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
    Except I have to use a DFMT on my MINI. There's no way I could keep it under 400 without it. Mine's nuclear powered compared to some that have had to go with the HI-Que grate to just get temps up.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
    I did cook at 400. Temps did drop when I put the meat on. I did have the DMFT on the whole time. I'll try it without on the next burger go around.
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    hondabbq said:
    I did cook at 400. Temps did drop when I put the meat on. I did have the DMFT on the whole time. I'll try it without on the next burger go around.
    There is only one other thing I can think of. Has Travis been by your house and marked your mini
    =)) ..................sorry
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • bbqlearner
    bbqlearner Posts: 760

    Cooked mine raised direct all the time too including burgers. I usually keep DFMT completely off for raised direct cooks but never had the same issue. So can't help with that. 

    Houston, TX - Buddy LBGE, Don SBGE, Tiny Mini & Shiny Momma Pitts n Spitts

  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
    on my large ive only experienced an off flavor twice with burgers, first time was from cooking too many burgers back to back with a very full grill, second time was cooking burgers after a summer of back to back chicken thigh cooks. i also dont like burgers cooked below 400 degrees. heres my mini mini burger cook, no odd flavors
    :D

    image
    image


    Fess up.... Did you make that mini dome? Very cool
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
  • mrdnks
    mrdnks Posts: 67
    I take my mini camping all the time and have not had a problem. 
    Give it another chance, make sure your lump has had time to burn off etc.
    let us know what happens
  • Hic
    Hic Posts: 350
    How much charcoal did you have loaded? I had a problem, the first time cooking on the mini, with the flare up from the dripping on the flame tainting the flavor. I think it was because I had too much charcoal loaded to close to the grid.

    Large, medium, small and a mini. Egg'n, golfing, beer drinking, camping and following football and baseball.
    Atlanta NOTP suburbia.

  • hondabbq
    hondabbq Posts: 1,980
    Hic said:

    How much charcoal did you have loaded? I had a problem, the first time cooking on the mini, with the flare up from the dripping on the flame tainting the flavor. I think it was because I had too much charcoal loaded to close to the grid.

    I am sure that the drippings were part of the problem. I didn't have the lump higher than the firebox.
    Either way there are a couple of variables to tinker with to get the mini quality up to the large.
  • SkinnyV
    SkinnyV Posts: 3,404
    I prefer skillet burgers for this reason.
    Seattle, WA
  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167

    Like a lot of other eggers have done with larger sizes, I built a "raised grid" with four 2 inch bolts.  Sitting that on the regular grid raises the burgers up high enough from the lump that drippings smoke don't create a problem for me.

    That length of bolt also doesn't raise the grid high enough to interfere with the dome.  

    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon