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*THAT* question again

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!

I'm making the leap into the world of the BGE next week. I have more than one buddy who swears by them and I've been talking extensively to one of them. I'm coming from a stick burner (250 gallon converted propane tank) to something a bit more personal. I'm antsy to get back into cooking, and I'm planning a labor day cook for my family. Pops wants a brisket, Mom wants pork. After people telling me over and over that a large is all I need for me I'm getting into actual planning and am being told that a packer brisket and pork shoulder would be tough (if not impossible) to squeeze on a large. This isn't a really atypical cook, but it's not one I do all the time either. So I'm asking for the wisdom of the group - do I go one step larger or do I just stick with large? If I'm going up I need to let my table builder know ASAP :)
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Comments

  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,458
    edited August 2015
    Get what you can afford. That said I recently cooked a 7# butt and a 13# brisket on the large with a homemade raised grid. 

    Edit: welcome to the forum. 
  • stemc33
    stemc33 Posts: 3,567
    I'm sure someone on here has made it work. It seems people stuff crazy amount of food on what ever size egg they have and always wish for more space.  

    With that said, I'd go with what you're going to be egging 90% of the time. I look at it like buying a suburban because you have visitors a few weeks a year, but can get by with a smaller SUV the rest of the year. Doesn't make sense to get the suburban. 

    Then again, some people go big or go home. 

    Get ready for lots of opinions. 

    Steven
    Mini Max with Woo stone combo, LBGE, iGrill 2, Plate Setter, 
    two cotton pot holders to handle PS
    Banner, Wyoming
  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    Just did an 11lb packer and a 7 lb butt Saturday.  I have a bought raised grid.  I don't have a photo of that though, but do have the below.  

    Packer 13lbs, 5-6 split breast, and a rack of spares.  

     


    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
    Facebook
    My Photography Site
  • GaBGE
    GaBGE Posts: 556
    As stated above, if you can afford it go with xl. You will not regret it.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    8 pound butts and 8 pound flats in a large. i have a hard time timing whole packers, not sure i would want to do butts and a packer together. you could simply cook the butts the day before and reheat while the brisket finishes off



    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    GaBGE said:
    As stated above, if you can afford it go with xl. You will not regret it.
    Oh, I don't know. I was thinking XL back when I bought mine. Came from a Weber kettle with its 22" grid and the Large just seemed so... small! I decided on the large anyway, but 6 years later, I have yet to use its full capacity.

    Folks told me that there were more accessories available for the Large, which is probably true. I just haven't bought many accessories so it didn't matter. I won't go so far as to say I "regret" buying the large, but for my needs, I should probably have bought a Medium, or even a small. There is no doubt I absolutely would have regretted buying an XL!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    if you do go with the large check out the ceramic grill store and look into the adjustable rig for the bigger cooks. the bge grid sits on top for two level cooking, the stone sits underneath on the spider for indirect (dont buy the platesetter), and the spider holds a wok nicely

    http://shop.ceramicgrillstore.com/large-adjustable-rig-customer-combo/

    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    edited August 2015
    Look at it this way. Your second egg will either be for those larger cooks you can't do,......or a smaller one that better meets your everyday needs of the family. If the bug bites, you will likely be in for more than one.
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
  • jak7028
    jak7028 Posts: 231
    edited August 2015
    I bought a large and am glad I did.  I have had it for about a year now and cook on a regular basis for five people.  I used a homemade raised grate to get two tiers of cooking when necessary.  Only once, did I need the XL.  We decided last minute to cook a brisket, and the only one HEB had was about 17 lbs.  It really didnt fit on the Large well until it shrunk down.  I don't like briskets that large anyway.  A 10-13 pounder fits fine, and you can use the second grate to cook something else if necessary.

    Very rare will most people need more than the large can cook at one time:

    2-3 pork butts (w/second tier)
    2-3 whole chickens (w/second tier)
    6 racks of ribs (w/ vertical rib rack)
    1 brisket
    1 whole turkey
    and so on.....

    All that being said, my friend has the same cooking needs I do and he just bought an XL because of those couple times a year, he wants to make sure he has plenty of room.  95% of his cooks, a large would of worked for him, but he wanted the XL and can afford it, so he got it.

    If you are on a budget, keep in mind, the Egg itself is probably 50% or so of what you will spend when it is said and done.  It comes pretty bare bones, so you will need a table, plate setter, and accessories.  Over the first year, I spent a total of about $2000 on my large BGE, table, and accessories.  My friend with the XL, went all out from the beginning and is in for $2700 already.  He was very thorough and talked to a lot of people, and got pretty much everything he will need/want right from the start.

    Edit: Just noticed your Auburn symbol.  On second thought, all you need is a mini max, you can put a whole packer and pork butt on that easy :)

    Good luck this season! (egging and football)
    Victoria, TX - 1 Large BGE and a 36" Blackstone
  • Jstroke
    Jstroke Posts: 2,600
    You are coming from a 250 pound propane tank if it was me I would go stand in the showroom and really look at a large versus an extra-large if you are used to having elbow room I promise you won't like being cramped. The question isn't where are you going to put a brisket and a pork butt, but rather where are you going to cook the sides
    Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
  • I have the XL and couldn't imagine going any smaller.  There are just two of us at home, but we tend to entertain and having the extra room sure does help.  I don't have a raised grill yet or many accessories (again yet).  But I love it.  Here are a few pics from some of the larger cooks I have done.  I added 4 racks of ribs to the brisket using a couple of rib racks.  Just forgot to take a pic.  I also forgot to take a pic of the butts actually on the grill.   
    Midland, TX XLBGE
  • Forgot to mention that the brisket was a 15 lb. packer
    Midland, TX XLBGE


  • DIY RaisedGrid with stainless steel bolts, washers, and nuts is the way to go.  I've gotten 4 10# Boston Butts on my Large at one time.  Chugged away with no problem!

    I buy a cheap Weber grate from Home Depot and add my hardware.  I've done 3-legged and 4-legged and liked the 4-legged much better.  Felt much more stable.  This pic is a grid from a medium BGE rigged up with the bolt legs.

    LBGE #19 from North GA Eggfest, 2014

    Stockbridge, GA - just south of Atlanta where we are covered up in Zombies!  #TheWalkingDead films practically next door!

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    Jstroke said:
    You are coming from a 250 pound propane tank if it was me I would go stand in the showroom and really look at a large versus an extra-large if you are used to having elbow room I promise you won't like being cramped. The question isn't where are you going to put a brisket and a pork butt, but rather where are you going to cook the sides
    as soon as either the butt or brisket is done and sitting in a cooler, theres plenty of room for sides =)  who am i kidding, i just cooked brisket and butt and drank twenty beers, who needs sides B)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
    edited August 2015

    Are you going to keep the big smoker? If so, the large should be more than adequate since you have a back up for the truly big stuff. If the smoker is going away, I would get an XL. Either of these can be fitted with the adjustable rig though. I recently cooked 45 lb. of pulled on the XL on an adjustable rig and easily had room for 2 more with no crowding. If needed the butts could have been cooked on edge to load even more into the Egg. The versatility of these cookers is unbelievable.


    I also would suggest going to CGS and getting the AR, Woo and indirect stone instead of the plate setter (Conveggtor), flimsy BGE folding raised rack or a bunch of sooty fire bricks. Much more versatility for not a lot more money. You also don't have to deal with a bunch of "Kind of works okay" things in storage. Five years into Egging I finally accepted these facts, spent the money  and have a sturdy very adaptable setup for doing almost every type of cook I can imagine.

    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
  • leemschu
    leemschu Posts: 609
    I just recently purchased a large since it's just 2 of us right now. At first I thought it was small but after cooking on it a few times with just the basic grid it has more room than you think. I put 6 boneless chicken breast on there thinking I wouldn't have any room left. I probably could have fit 6 more on there and with a raised grid you could cook a lot more. 
    Dyersburg, TN
  • Davec433
    Davec433 Posts: 463
    edited August 2015
    I was originally looking at getting a large myself. I think it was 999 with the nest and egg mates. When I went to purchase it looked small sitting next to the XL which was only 300 more for the same set up which is what I ended up buying.
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,943
    edited August 2015
    If you have the $$ and the room, and you are used to cooking multiple butts, briskets, etc get the XL.  Sure you can do it on a large, but it is like a puzzle.

    Here is my XL with my largest cook on ~50lbs of pork:


    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • Jickey
    Jickey Posts: 13
    Thanks for the responses folks. I can see that opinions are all over the place here. Budget isn't a *huge* concern, and there aren't a ton of options that I want (now, at least.) Plate setter, BBQ Guru, pizza stone...nothing else on the list (and man have I researched...) The stick burner is gone, and has been for about a year. I miss cooking but not at that scale. 

    Ultimately the raised grate is cool, but doesn't give me exactly what I need. Occasionally we entertain and cook for people, I cook shoulders instead of butts, more than one turkey, and I think the packer brisket is just too long. Ribs...those are an altogether different story. The rack is cool, but I'm a glazer. The last hour of my rib cook I'm putting glaze (not BBQ sauce) on them. That doesn't work with a vertical rack. I'm going to check with my supplier and see what she has to say, but the XL will likely be my choice. I'll keep everyone updated!
  • Jstroke
    Jstroke Posts: 2,600
    Sides are necessary socially.  Most men do not need sides and we all eat them at barbecues in order to not offend. But if we get down to brass tacks most guys would put a meat or other protein on a plate and grab a beverage. 
    Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
  • But there is where the raised grid (that does not attach to the lower grid) come in perfectly...  A pair of good heat resistant gloves and lift it off, glaze/mop/sauce the lower meat units, reapply the raised grid, and glaze/sauce/mop the upper meat units.....  Works perfectly for me!

    LBGE #19 from North GA Eggfest, 2014

    Stockbridge, GA - just south of Atlanta where we are covered up in Zombies!  #TheWalkingDead films practically next door!

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,665
    Jickey said:
    Thanks for the responses folks. I can see that opinions are all over the place here. Budget isn't a *huge* concern, and there aren't a ton of options that I want (now, at least.) Plate setter, BBQ Guru, pizza stone...nothing else on the list (and man have I researched...) The stick burner is gone, and has been for about a year. I miss cooking but not at that scale. 

    Ultimately the raised grate is cool, but doesn't give me exactly what I need. Occasionally we entertain and cook for people, I cook shoulders instead of butts, more than one turkey, and I think the packer brisket is just too long. Ribs...those are an altogether different story. The rack is cool, but I'm a glazer. The last hour of my rib cook I'm putting glaze (not BBQ sauce) on them. That doesn't work with a vertical rack. I'm going to check with my supplier and see what she has to say, but the XL will likely be my choice. I'll keep everyone updated!
    once you start cooking on the egg you will need a raised grate, alot of things cook better higher in the dome from the heat radiating from the ceramics and its a pain cooking down on the lower grid. theres another option, two eggs, the vast majority here have more than one =) i do see the point of sides being cooked on the xl, but most cooks are staged were come dinner time foods are waiting in a warming cooler while other pieces are still coming up to temp, infact when i do a big cook, all the brisket and butts are in the cooler before the guests arrive, i want to enjoy the party, not be a slave to it
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Only two of us here but I do family get together cooks 2 - 3 times a year.  Plus I like to do extra and vac seal for later meals. I have a Large and an XL.  I bought the large first and always wished I had bought the XL. I have found that I am now cooking more on my XL than the large.  The main reason is I don't worry about squeezing everything into the large.  The XL has plenty of room to handle everything I am doing.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    Jickey said:
    ... Occasionally we entertain and cook for people, I cook shoulders instead of butts, more than one turkey, and I think the packer brisket is just too long. Ribs...those are an altogether different story. The rack is cool, but I'm a glazer. The last hour of my rib cook I'm putting glaze (not BBQ sauce) on them. That doesn't work with a vertical rack. I'm going to check with my supplier and see what she has to say, but the XL will likely be my choice. I'll keep everyone updated!
    I think you're right, and the XL would be best for the way you want to cook.  We're all different.  The XL would be way too big for me.  I started with a Medium and it's still my favorite, what I cook on most frequently, but I also have a Large, and for me, the combination is perfect.  But I don't cook huge stuff the way you do.  Given the things you like to cook pretty often, I think you are very likely to feel more comfortable with an XL.
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    edited August 2015
    I can fit 90% of every cook in my large and the other 10% I can make work. 

    The XL does come in handy but the large sees the most work at home
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • Raymont
    Raymont Posts: 710
    Sounds like you are leaning towards the XL.. Hey, if you can swing it go for it. I am 100% happy with my large.  Let me throw another thought at you.. Pork butt is easy to reheat and has no ill effects. If you had "just" a large, it would be easy enough to cook the pork butt the day, or a few days before. As for the packer being to big, you can wrap (1) brick with tin foil and lay the brisket over it until it shrinks some.. I guess what I'm saying is, with a little thought, a large can almost do as much as an XL. Ribs -- I have an AR rack don't use v-rack anymore. 

    Small & Large BGE

    Nashville, TN

  • ar15203
    ar15203 Posts: 86
    I got an XL and have the adjustable rig with the woo2 from the ceramic grill store. I have found it to be very versatile and I can cook a ton of food with that setup. 
    XLBGE, Egging in NH
  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    You can't go wrong either way. I have a L (first egg) and XL.  It's just me and my bride except when hoards of college kids descend on our lake place. That's why I got the XL. 80+% of my cooks are on the L. I do love them both!
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • nolan8v
    nolan8v Posts: 400
    Welcome to the BBQ Rabbit Hole!

    As for as size of Egg, it is better to have and not need, than to need and not have.
    "You can live in any city in America, but New Orleans is the only city that lives in you."
    Chris Rose 

  • stv8r
    stv8r Posts: 1,127
    Initially looked at the XL, but ultimately decided on a large.  So glad I did! It's plenty of space for the cooks I do(family of 3, but sometimes as many as 7 when company comes over) I've been keeping my eye out for a smaller one as a companion.