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Virgin cook starting now

popping my egg cherry with a spatchcock chicken. Well, sorta spatchcock. I just cut it in half so I dint have to listen to the girls complain about how my good spices touched their side of the bird. Currently trying to get the temp locked in. I'm hovering at about 350 and about ready for the chicken. 

Comments

  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    Looks great, thanks for sharing :-) I'm predicting you will be very happy with the results. One small tip, I like to foil my plate setter, not necessary but helps with clean up. Look forward to seeing the finished product!
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • gmac
    gmac Posts: 1,814
    Good luck and enjoy. Remember for chicken you don't need much smoke. A light touch is best. I am sure it will be great. 
    Mt Elgin Ontario - just a Large.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Great first cook and savor the clean BGE pics-never will be that way again ;)
    An observation-with regard to loading lump-within reason you cannot load too much.  Well into the fire ring for long duration L&S and easily to the top of the fire box for anything else.  As the air-flow dictates the volume of fire, you won't be wasting the lump and you will have insurance against running out of fuel during the cook.  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.
  • rk772
    rk772 Posts: 31
    Hans61 said:
    Looks great, thanks for sharing :-) I'm predicting you will be very happy with the results. One small tip, I like to foil my plate setter, not necessary but helps with clean up. Look forward to seeing the finished product!
    gmac said:
    Good luck and enjoy. Remember for chicken you don't need much smoke. A light touch is best. I am sure it will be great. 
    lousubcap said:
    Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Great first cook and savor the clean BGE pics-never will be that way again ;)
    An observation-with regard to loading lump-within reason you cannot load too much.  Well into the fire ring for long duration L&S and easily to the top of the fire box for anything else.  As the air-flow dictates the volume of fire, you won't be wasting the lump and you will have insurance against running out of fuel during the cook.  FWIW-
    I put a drip pan under the chicken. Should provide adequate coverage 

    i didnt put put any wood in this time as my wife "thinks" she doesn't like the smoked flavor. 

    I was was wondering about the coal level. My thought was short cook, minimum coal. You're right though, no reason not to put more since it'll be there for my next cook. Thanks for the tip. 
  • johnmitchell
    johnmitchell Posts: 6,546
    Welcome.. Another observation, move your fire ring so you have the slots for your place setter  at 10:2: and 6 o'clock... This will make sure that your dome thermo is in the shadow of your place setter and not getting the direct heat from your fire. Looking forward to following your cook.. Good luck and have fun.
    Greensboro North Carolina
    When in doubt Accelerate....
  • Life is good. Enjoy!
  • Thatgrimguy
    Thatgrimguy Posts: 4,723
    Love the look of a new egg!! Won't be that color long!
    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
  • rk772
    rk772 Posts: 31
    Flipped at 30 minutes. Brushed on some olive oil For the skin. Breast temp is at 112*. The weber has become a metallic surface to stick my Dot thermometer 
  • smokesniffer
    smokesniffer Posts: 2,016
    Way to go. Many more great meals are on their way in your household. BTW love the background shot of the pool, enjoy it. ;)
    Large, small, and a mini
  • LRW
    LRW Posts: 198
    edited April 2016
    @rk772 Looking good and welcome to the forum
    Volant, PA 1 LBGE ,Smokeware Cap, igrill2
    My Foodtography


  • bhedges1987
    bhedges1987 Posts: 3,201
    She will eventually love the smoke if you throw in a light chunk of cherry or apple with poultry. 

    Try raising your grate and cooking direct next time with a spatch chicken. I think they come out better!

    Kansas City, Missouri
    Large Egg
    Mini Egg

    "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" - Gandalf


  • bhedges1987
    bhedges1987 Posts: 3,201
    By the way... Your yard from what I see looks incredible. 

    Kansas City, Missouri
    Large Egg
    Mini Egg

    "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" - Gandalf


  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
    It will never be that clean again ;)

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

  • rk772
    rk772 Posts: 31
    Only issue in having with my egg is the temperature difference between the dome and thermaworks. These pics are about 20 minutes after closing the lid from the chicken flip. I checked both thermometers in boiling water prior to using and they were nuts on. 
  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    edited April 2016
    Looks like you have a good backdrop to your Egging as well.  Enjoy.  You have the perfect avatar for this site too.  Cheers!
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Robo2015
    Robo2015 Posts: 267
    rk772 said:
    Only issue in having with my egg is the temperature difference between the dome and thermaworks. These pics are about 20 minutes after closing the lid from the chicken flip. I checked both thermometers in boiling water prior to using and they were nuts on. 
    No worries, your grate and dome temps will be different for awhile after starting a cook.  During a long slow and low, they will eventually even out.  
    A Lonely Single Large Egg

    North Shore of Massachusetts
  • rk772
    rk772 Posts: 31
    Finished product:
    also, great advice on filling up with coal instead of using small amount for short cook. My temp started dropping significantly right as the chicken was done. I was having a problem just holding 350* with vents open wide. 
    Chicken turned out perfect though. 180 in dark meat and 165 in breast. Very juicy 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    Great result right there.
    And regarding BGE temperatures, there are thermal gradients within the BGE just like your oven.  You can overload on temperature info.  A suggestion, get used to how the BGE responds/cooks with one instrument and go from there.  But I like to keep it simple.  
    Wherever you land-don't chase temps.
    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.
  • johnmitchell
    johnmitchell Posts: 6,546
    That chicken looks great nice and juicy.. Whats next  =)
    Greensboro North Carolina
    When in doubt Accelerate....
  • rk772
    rk772 Posts: 31
    That chicken looks great nice and juicy.. Whats next  =)
    My favorite, ribs. Then a pork butt.
    I've got the whole week off. I'm going to practice temp control on the ribs prior to an all night pork
  • 1move
    1move Posts: 516
    Others have mentioned it but think of it this way, more charcoal = less air = better temperature control.

    The more Air you add the harder it is to maintain a reasonable temperature. You can easily fill it up to the bottom of the second fire ring, this will give you a measurement and a consistent basis. By that I mean you will know how much you need to open up the vents for which temperature if the charcoal is always the same amount, one less variable to worry about.
    XLBGE, MMBGE, CyberQ
  • rk772
    rk772 Posts: 31
    1move said:
    Others have mentioned it but think of it this way, more charcoal = less air = better temperature control.

    The more Air you add the harder it is to maintain a reasonable temperature. You can easily fill it up to the bottom of the second fire ring, this will give you a measurement and a consistent basis. By that I mean you will know how much you need to open up the vents for which temperature if the charcoal is always the same amount, one less variable to worry about.
    Lesson learned. My fire did go out right at the end of the cook. This is all that was left. I was using nature glow since it came free with my egg purchase. The nakedwhiz reviews were pretty good