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Things no one tells the Noobies
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Comments
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Never run outta booze when using the BGE.
Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...
Large & Small BGE
Stockton Ca.
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bud812 said:Never run outta booze when using the BGE.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
House BGE adult supervisory beverage rules:
Lighting the BGE-time for beverages to get to the clean smoke stage;
Food on-time for a beverage and then as appropriate for the duration of SWMBO eggscape time. Low&Slow cooks can be quite a marathon.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. -
Have your credit card ready whenever you are on the forum. The purchase of the egg was by far the cheapest expense... what follows is what kills you.
Listening to @The Cen-Tex Smoker is the most direct path to the poorhouse.
#1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February 2013 • #3 Mini May 2013A happy BGE family in Houston, TX. -
dougcrann said:Stopped reading at #2, the exhaust being open. On all 3 of our Eggs if you leave the DW off you will end up with a slow but steady temperature climb. And no, none of them have any leaks. Few weeks ago experimented with the Large. Set it up to run 225*. Was hovering there for about 45 minutes. Took the DW off, checked it about an hour later and the grate temperature was at 325*. Engineer buddy tried to explain it, but it was a bit over my smarts level. Only thing I really remember is he said that the exhaust creates a venturi effect. The more open it is the more air it is suckling thru the intake...or something like that.
The directions that came with my Flameboss clearly stated to keep the DW almost shut...
But this topic is one of those Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar type of things so...XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum -
My BGE dealer was great - giving me helpful hints to get me going. He told me to moderate the DW and bottom vent together. Open bottom a little - open the top a little. I have followed this advice and it has worked well. His other advice was to ensure the DW swing screw (my terminology) is at the front - so when you open it, the DW doesn't slide. For slow smokes - he told me to have top and bottom open about the thickness of a nickel.Woodbury, MN. LBGE, Weber gasser, ECB
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This link was helpful when I knew nothing. https://youtu.be/BcBOETTzqt0Coleman, Texas
Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
"Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
YukonRon -
Newbies need to understand fireboxes will sooner or later crack and occasionally some fire rings as well so don't cry - get a replacement under your warranty. Also this may sound self-serving but I do not mean it to be...stock BGE gaskets may last a month or 3 years but they do go bad. Just like the oil in your car gaskets are a maintenance issue with your egg. There is an alternative gasket, but being a newbie you can ask me about that later.Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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byrne092 said:I add wood during the cooking process with no ill effects...lucky?
Any of these are just minor things. Lots of great bbq is made in lots of ways. These are just some things that are working for me.XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum -
Anyone who thinks the dw advice is useless should check out Mickeys cooks. He doesn't use a top at all and consistently turns out incredible looking food.XL, Small, Mini & Mini Max Green Egg, Shirley Fab Trailer, 6 gal and 2.5 gal Cajun Fryers, BlueStar 60" Range, 48" Lonestar Grillz Santa Maria, Alto Shaam 1200s, Gozney Dome, Gateway 55g Drum
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Thatgrimguy said:Anyone who thinks the dw advice is useless should check out Mickeys cooks. He doesn't use a top at all and consistently turns out incredible looking food.
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jbjet45 said:I am a newbie, ... I think the DW moved when I opened the lid...
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theyolksonyou said:Thatgrimguy said:Anyone who thinks the dw advice is useless should check out Mickeys cooks. He doesn't use a top at all and consistently turns out incredible looking food.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Well, "spa-Peggy" is kind of like spaghetti. I'm not sure what Peggy does different, if anything. But it's the one dish she's kind of made her own.____________________Aurora, Ontario, Canada -
TexanOfTheNorth said:theyolksonyou said:Thatgrimguy said:Anyone who thinks the dw advice is useless should check out Mickeys cooks. He doesn't use a top at all and consistently turns out incredible looking food.
Augusta, GA
#BGETEAMGREEN member
MiniMax, Large, XL BGE
Featured on Man Fire Food Season 7 -
This is probably heresy, but I think the fire grate is defectively designed - the holes get clogged too easily and limit the amount of air coming from below. As a new egger, you won't know this and will have trouble figuring out why your fire keeps going out or why you can't get the temperature where you want it and keep it there. I've thrown the grate that came with it away and bought this: http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Charcoal-Grate-Upgrade-MiniMax/dp/B004XU1FES -- have not had a problem since
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canuckland
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theyolksonyou said:Don't chase the temp. +/-25 is close enough most of the time.
Relax and have fun!
and post your cooks and participate hereChicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle -
Lots of great info and useful tips fellows. Great post brother Grim.
Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.
Status- Standing by.
The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. -
I may be amongst the worst for offering advice, but, here is a nickels worth for FREE: Just have fun and enjoy the ride. You will have great food, and you will spend stupid money stupidly frequently.
Me: 2 freezers, meat slicer, knives, cutting boards, 2nd BGE, patio upgrade, new patio furniture, BGE accessories by the dozens, Coolers, tumblers, new bigger fridge, new shelving for the pantry, unbreakable wine glasses, really unbreakable wine glasses to replace previously unbreakable wine glasses, patio rug to help the really unbreakable wine glasses from breaking, serving trays, tests to catch the drippings, pizza stones, and there is a million others."Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber
XL and MM
Louisville, Kentucky -
YukonRon said:You will have great food, and you will spend stupid money stupidly frequently.Coleman, Texas
Large BGE & Mini Max for the wok. A few old camp Dutch ovens and a wood fired oven. LSG 24” cabinet offset smoker. There are a few paella pans and a Patagonia cross in the barn. A curing chamber for bacterial transformation of meats...
"Bourbon slushies. Sure you can cook on the BGE without them, but why would you?"
YukonRon -
All the durable goods are nothing compared to the consumables - food, fuel, etc. But hey, we gotz to eat.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
nolaegghead said:All the durable goods are nothing compared to the consumables - food, fuel, etc. But hey, we gotz to eat.
Oh yeah, I spend it on the consumables, I love this life.....did I mention wine, bourbon, vodka, gin, beer, frozen concoction makers, a garage load of lump, and food? Yeah that too."Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber
XL and MM
Louisville, Kentucky -
Theophan said:jbjet45 said:I am a newbie, ... I think the DW moved when I opened the lid...
the only other advice I would like to add is don't be afraid to try something you haven't done before if it looks appealing...you may not always nail it the first time but you always learn from the experience...and in most cases even the mistakes don't leave you hungry...Making the neighbors jealous in Pleasant Hill, Ia one cook at a time... -
Every once in a while, you are going to get a rock in your lump. It's no big deal. Nobody is out to cheat you.
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If there's one thing I've learned on this forum, a rock in your bag of lump is the most egregious misfortunes and egger can experience. Cracked dome? No problem. Lifetime warranty. Rock in lump? As far as I know, no one has ever received a free replacement bag.
______________________________________________I love lamp.. -
One thing that helped me get started. I use a golf tee to set the top and bottom vents. The small end (with the point flattened) will get you close to 225. The large end will get you about 325 or so. It's easy to reset the daisy wheel after you open the lid.Reformed Gasser
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GATraveller said:CDPlaya said:Is it just me but the temp gauge is hard to read. Can they make it any smaller?
http://www.amazon.com/Big-Green-Egg-Replacement-Temperature/dp/B00Q7VQE1K
Thanks but out of stock. I will check with my egg supplier."One Job at a Time, One Day at a Time"
" Stop and smell the Roses " Life is too Short -
Regarding the DFMT and how to make sure it doesn't move, here's a link to a great ceramic cooking site:
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm Scroll down to #47 and you will see pics for how to place the DFMT. FWIW-
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. -
Im gonna throw some fuel on this fire. New eggers should do a couple things before lighting their egg. First learn how to use the search function on this forum. Second, Order a thermapen, and buy a small notepad. The first couple times they light the egg they should not cook food. Learn how long it takes for smoke to clear and the smell of good smoke. Then how to adjust the vents. Start low and work up to maintaining a high heat cook. Adjust vents an 8th of an inch per hour. Have a good book or a car to detail. This takes time. Learn how to dial it in and take notes. The last thing is to print and laminate a list of finished cooking temps for meat, chicken, pork, and seafood. OR in todays world. Find a good link and save it on your phone. I printed and laminated one and mounted it outside. It has good photos of a steak sliced so you can see it. I use it for guests. They tell me they want it rare and then i have to put more heat to it. Now i simply point and tell them to pick. It has saved me a lot of grief. But the last two points i make. Go topless after 300 degrees. You get much better flavor. And last. ADD LUMP AT THE END OF YOUR COOK. Let the smoke clear while you eat and shut it down. This way you are ahead all the time. Every time you light your egg the vocs are already gone.Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
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As a new Egghead, I cannot begin to say how valuable this forum has been to me. TONS of great info here. I'm always searching cooks here for new ideas. Right before I bought my Egg, I scoured YouTube for some visual education. Important things I've learned:
Relax and enjoy the experience.
Don't get too scientific with the Egg. You don't need to hold temps within 3 degrees. Your prior grill experience will serve you well.
Different brands of lump cook and taste differently. I'm still trying different brands.
Don't be afraid of your Egg. Plan your cook, do some research, and jump right in.
Time spent cooking on the Egg is not deducted from one's life.South Jersey Pine Barrens. XL BGE , Assassin 24, Weber Kettle, CharBroil gasser, AMNPS
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