Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Had to hang my head and say "awe boy" again

2

Comments

  • tksmoke
    tksmoke Posts: 776
    This seems like a training issue to me.  Just who is getting trained here???
    Santa Paula, CA
  • jimreed777
    jimreed777 Posts: 324
    Grader07 said:
    Once again I bring a nice piece of meat in and place it on the table for dinner. Looks fantastic coming off the egg. Then I hear this..... does everything that comes off of that thing have to taste like or be smokey? What kind of wood did you use this time? Im really at a loss here fellow eggers.... I start the egg get it stabile and wait for the bad smoke to clear. Before I do anything and even if I dont use chips or chunks for smoking my significant other doesnt like the taste. All she ever cooked on was a gasser and I cant seem to get her converted over. She does admit that everything coming off of the egg is very moist and tender unlike some cooks of the weber but she doesnt want everything coming off the egg to taste smokey. So where do I start from here??? Your thoughts and suggestions would really help out here or I'm afraid she might ask me to sell it. I was really holdin out for the minimax for a second egg until I realized it was that big of an issue. Holdin off on that thought in hopes to find a solution. Any help would be appreciated.....
    I use either Wicked good, Rockwood or, now, Fogo.

    All are smoke neutral. I have the SAME issue with my wife. rarely ever hear anything about anymore...even when I throw some chunks in there.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    There are some people, as hard as it is for me to imagine, who just don't like any smoke flavor. If that is your situation, the best you can hope for is that she will eventually accept the least smokey flavor.

    If you want to spend $$$, you could try Japanese binchotan charcoal. Korin sells a 20lb bag for %150.

    I've found that if I do more than a few lo-n-slo racks of ribs, butts, or even 20 - 30 pounds of skin on chix, I have to do a cleansing burn, and wipe away the resulting ash coat from the inside of the Egg. If the accumulated crud is not removed, and heat just releases the smoke and fat odor.

    Some people who bake a lot maintain an Egg just for baking, and never cook any meat in it.
  • Grader07
    Grader07 Posts: 264
    Thanks for all your suggestions. I have done alot more indirect cooks than direct so im not sure the drippings is much of the problem. After reading your comments i think i need to try a clean burn and definetly switch the kind of lump we are using. Try and get more familiar with lighting just the top of the lump or using less lump but that might be hard to do on lows n slows. I think alot of the problem is the inexpierience as well. I work for the railroad and am not home enough to really mess with it steady everyday. But ill keep a tryin though for sure!!! [-O<
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    Good luck with this project. Since you have tried WGWW don't be surprised if Rockwood or OO don't yield any changes since I have found WGWW to be as smoke neutral as Rockwood and more so than OO.  But I'm sure smoke tolerances are different for everyone.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • It is your lump. I guarantee it. I just went through a bag of BGE lump that I got with my new egg. It was so freaking smoky compared to Ozark oak or Rockwood. It never burned off, it was smoky start to finish. 

    BGE is Royal Oak so that is your issue. go get a bag of OO or Rockwood and see what that does for you.

    I couldn't beleive how smoky that stuff was. I'll never use it again. Go clean dude, it will make your lady happy.

     
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited April 2014
    nola said it above, higher heat = less smoke. Try a cook at a higher temp to limit the amount of smoke. Spatched chicken with her favourite seasoning, cooked indirect with a raised drip pan at 425ºF and no smoke wood will have less smoke taste.
    Make sure it is stable and you will be fine. 
    For veggies, the old hobo pack, potato/carrot/onion wrapped and sealed in foil is ideal. Smoke does not penetrate the foil. Same with baked potato, if she does not eat the skins, they come out great. Carrots seem to caramelize very well at higher temps with little smoke flavour. Good luck!
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364

    I have found using a chimney starter helps build a more equalized fire minimizing hot spots by spreading the lit lump, and by placing your wood chunks on top of the lump in the chimney, helps burn off the white nasty smoke and lead into the good blue smoke before adding it to the egg with your food. 

    Using CI as a vessel helps keep the fat off of the fire.  Anymore, everything is raised direct with a griddle.  I usually let the egg sit in target range for an hour before I add the food. 

    Higher heat indirect cooking is a good tip, a drip pan is a must.  I add a little bit of water to the pan to keep the drippings from burning.  Even with a platesetter and spacers, at 400 for an hour, they will burn about 45 min in.  

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

  • Mayberry
    Mayberry Posts: 750
    I've used all the lump you mentioned and not had that problem. However, the least smoky lump I've ever tried was Nature's Own Basque lump. I believe it's 100%canadian sugar maple. Very good lump and great with chicken or fish. Nice flavor, but much milder and less smoky than others. My wife had the same reaction in the beginning. What seemed to help was buying a Mapp torch. The Looftlighter lights deep in the charcoal and the mapp torch just lights the top layer. For higher heat cooks, light 4 spots at about 20 seco ds each, and let the fire build with the do e open for 5-10 minutes. When flames come over the felt line, close dome and stabilize temp. Also, either build a raised grate or buy an accessory that raises your grate to the felt line. The further you are from the lump, the less smoky your meat usually tastes I've had better, more consistent results since doing those two things. Hope it helps.
    Athens, GA
    XL BGE, Large BGE and RecTec590
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Posters keep saying 20-45 minutes for VOCs to burn off, but also keep in mind it may be longer if you have done a greasy cook. For instance, after a pork but on my medium I just let the charcoal burn because the fast drippings take a bit too.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    cleaner burning lump, no fat dripping in the coals, no smoking woods, do the smell test instead of just looking at the smoke before the meat goes on, cook at higher temps. what im kinda thinking though is that you originally did a cook when you got the egg that came out too smokey from inexperience and your living with that cook today
    :)
     you have to change that smokey image she has of the egg, maybe do some higher temp bread cooks or maybe a pizza at 600 degrees plus, theres a big difference from smoke taste and wood fired with breads, its almost totally absent when done right.

     at the most hide any smoke flavor on fatty things like sausage or chicken by painting a light coating of sauce on it towards the end of the cook, its almost like washing the smoke off
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
    I use Rockwood and don't find that it imparts a "smoky" taste to the meat.  As a matter of fact, I had some friends over a couple of weeks ago who own an egg and the wife told her husband......."No offense honey but this is the best meat I've ever eaten off an egg.  Everything you cook tastes the same".  He took offense.   :))

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."

                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629

    I use Rockwood and don't find that it imparts a "smoky" taste to the meat.  As a matter of fact, I had some friends over a couple of weeks ago who own an egg and the wife told her husband......."No offense honey but this is the best meat I've ever eaten off an egg.  Everything you cook tastes the same".  He took offense.   :))

    Boom! That just happened!

    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Griffin said:
    For your next cook, try doing something indirect where the fat isn't dripping directly on the coals See what kind of difference that makes to her if any. I've recently gone back to cooking chicken indirectly and much prefer it that way as it isn't as smokey.  
    Agree with Griffin.
    Saw your post about this issue a while back and I do the same. When I cook a bunch of food for lunches and such I like to cook indirect and use a drip pan to stop the drippings from burning. Really makes a big difference.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Grader07
    Grader07 Posts: 264
    Whew im really glad im not alone with this issue.... Damn rookies anyway
  • Grader07
    Grader07 Posts: 264
    I will be tryin OO or rockwood. I want the atta boy as i mentioned early in the post not the awe boy from the misses
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited April 2014



    Using left over lump like stevesails suggests might work. Just make sure there are no drippings from the previous cook.

    Also maybe try Cowboy lump. It is available almost everywhere and is pretty much the Coors light of charcoal, no flavor.






    Just my opinion but if you try Cowboy to eliminate your issues you might as well go ahead and write up your "for sale" add. Everybody has different taste as to what too smokey is but from my experience Cowboy isn't very neutral and takes forever to burn clean.

    I used some Cowboy with Spatchcock earlier this week and the cook before that was a low and slow brisket. I let ceramics heat up to temp creosote clear and that yard bird was devoured by all. When I first started egging SWMBO and pretty much everybody said food was Smokey tasting. I believe this is technique vs lump issue. I use several different brands (prefer WGWW on low and slow because it burns nicely with low ash production). It can take up to 30min-1hr to clear the bad smoke depending on your last cook which is perfect to prep other items..sides etc. Brisket and other low and slows I layer in wood chunks for smoke. After I got the hang of it I got the "this is the best ____ I've ever had". Give it time you'll get it. And know this my SWMBO is very blunt and honest (just the way I like it) and also is very sensitive to Smokey food. Patience and happy egging. :-)
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671

    Using left over lump like stevesails suggests might work. Just make sure there are no drippings from the previous cook.

    Also maybe try Cowboy lump. It is available almost everywhere and is pretty much the Coors light of charcoal, no flavor.



    Just my opinion but if you try Cowboy to eliminate your issues you might as well go ahead and write up your "for sale" add. Everybody has different taste as to what too smokey is but from my experience Cowboy isn't very neutral and takes forever to burn clean.
    I used some Cowboy with Spatchcock earlier this week and the cook before that was a low and slow brisket. I let ceramics heat up to temp creosote clear and that yard bird was devoured by all. When I first started egging SWMBO and pretty much everybody said food was Smokey tasting. I believe this is technique vs lump issue. I use several different brands (prefer WGWW on low and slow because it burns nicely with low ash production). It can take up to 30min-1hr to clear the bad smoke depending on your last cook which is perfect to prep other items..sides etc. Brisket and other low and slows I layer in wood chunks for smoke. After I got the hang of it I got the "this is the best ____ I've ever had". Give it time you'll get it. And know this my SWMBO is very blunt and honest (just the way I like it) and also is very sensitive to Smokey food. Patience and happy egging. :-)
    todays cowboy isnt always fully burnt into lump, the unburnt logs in it are terrible for making things smokey, almost smells like fresh green pine at times. i use it but am careful to pick out the bad pieces and toss them
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,566

    Honestly I never used Cowboy I was just going by what most people used to say and what I've read on the Naked Whiz site about a mild smoke with cowboy. It's not the first time I've seen this issue posted.

    I really don't understand why someone would have to put their egg up for sale if the had to try another lump to try and address and issue with their wife not liking a smoky taste. I realize it could be any  number of things including how lump is stored, no matter what religion you belong to.

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I use Cowboy oak periodically, lotsa sparks, but good results.  Travis uses it too.  I take what I can get and the selection is B&B, Cowboy and some mesquite carp from the club stores (which I have used but avoid).

    I'm sticking by my "have a good fire" theory.  I'm sure some of the better lumps are way more forgiving if you don't have a good fire, but I think technique is a big part of controlling how smokey your EGG food tastes.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    @hungry joe - that was not meant to offend you in any way. Sorry if I did. I said that because in the original post the OP stated he was afraid if the smoke taste didn't get better his wife might try to make him sell his egg. It was just a warning or emphasis on how smokey I found Cowboy to be. I would burn RO before I burned cowboy again, hell I would prolly burn briquettes before cowboy with the experience I had on the 3 bags I have burned.

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,566

    No worry, no offense taken,  but I'll be honest, I wasn't sure where that came from. It's all good. :)>-

     

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Works every time. ..
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Worked this time
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Also, depending on how sensitive your wife's sense of smell is, try changing shirts before you sit down to eat.  When you are stoking the Egg your clothing can gather a lot of that early smokiness, and since smell is such a powerful influence over taste, if she is smelling it off of you it might be transferring to the way she taste the food.
    Or better yet, get her to cook. She will become de-sensitized and not even notice the smoke. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    One of the best charcoal posts yet. As a lurker, thanks for the input.
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    Great advice given here. Another lump option is Humphrey. It burns hot and clean. The pieces are big and works great on a low and slow. It is my go to lump. I have 15 bags stocked in the garage and will be doing another group buy soon to stock up for summer. I saw that you ordered from firecraft. Do you live in PA? If you live or travel near to Hershey, I'll give you a bag to try.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • crf158
    crf158 Posts: 12
    Mark, let me know when you do the group buy on Humphrey.