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Hello! Newbie here!

Good morning, everyone! 

We're new to this forum, and new owners of a large Big Green Egg.  I've been lurking for a couple weeks, but finally signed up a few days ago.  I'm still trying to figure out the jargon, but it's coming along.

The egg was a gift from my husband's employer.  They wanted to thank him for all that he's been doing for him.  But it was a bit of a fiasco.  The boss called me to let me know and make sure I'd be home for the delivery, but he wanted me to keep it a secret.  Then he told him the next day.  :-) 

They ordered a medium egg from Sam's.  It was delivered by some contract courier.  I had the guy put the boxes in my entry, and left them for my husband to open when he got home.  So after dinner he started opening the boxes, and it was broken.  I'll try to figure out how to post a picture later.  He let the folks at work know, they apologized and said they'd take care of it.  Except Sam's isn't an authorized dealer.  About a week and a half of having to squeeze around these boxes in my entry (I have a small house!), I started ENCOURAGING my husband to ask about the status.  The boss fussed at the accounting lady (in charge of ordering for us), so she ordered a large egg from a local authorized dealer.  Managed to get Sam's to pick up the medium with their 100% satisfaction guarantee (took two weeks). 

While the guys from the local dealer were delivering the (assembled) large egg, the tornado sirens started going off.  Yay.  We're in central Oklahoma, just a few minutes south of OKC.  I was watching the clouds swirl above our house as they were unloading.  A tornado did form a short while later, but luckily (for us) it was a few miles to the east. 

So we were off to a bumpy start, but now that we have it we're enjoying it.  It was a gift, so we'd be happy with anything, but I'm really glad they ended up getting us a large.  I don't know what comes standard, but it came with a big bag of BGE lump charcoal, ash tool, and a plate setter (I think that's what it's called).  My husband went and got us a cast iron grate (it's what we were used to from our old grill), a cover, and then we went together and got a tool for lifting up the hot grate. 

Now he wants a laser/infrared thermometer.  I want to get him a set of some gloves instead of the cumbersome long oven mitt.  Any advice on other items that come in very handy? 

We've done some smaller things, but would like to do a larger piece of meat soon.  I've enjoyed looking at all of your posts & looking forward to learning from your experience! 

Comments

  • JethroVA
    JethroVA Posts: 1,251
    Welcome to the journey.  For starts, get a pair of welding gloves from a hardware store.  Great for moving hot Egg parts around.  Also get a high quality instant read thermometer.  I suggest a pork butt as the first big piece of meat.  Very forgiving. Search for Turbo method on here - same end result in a lot less time than an overnight low and slow. 
    Richmond and Mathews County, VA. Large BGE, Weber gas, little Weber charcoal. Vintage ManGrates. Little reddish portable kamado that shall remain nameless here.  Very Extremely Stable Genius. 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    edited June 2016
    Congrats for soldiering thru your ordeal to arrive at the promised land.  Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  
    You must have expressed some interest in a BGE for your husband's boss to buy it as it is not a main-stream gift (at least in my mind).  That said, you are in for some new-found enjoyable cooking experiences.  What follows is a collection of thoughts that you may or may not find useful:

    Here’s a link to all things ceramic-chances are if you have a question the answer is within this site somewhere.  Check out the recipe section for some great ideas.  http://www.nakedwhiz.com/nwindex.htm

    For additional links to cooking/recipe sites; here are two very good ones, depending what you are cooking:  This site contains a wealth of the science behind Q cooking along with info on about every type of meat cook you would attempt: http://amazingribs.com/

    Here’s the second one:  http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/

     After-market toys- With the BGE there are three basic styles of cooking;  “direct”-where the cooking grid is on top of the fire ring; “raised direct”-where the grid is elevated at least to the gasket-line (this setup requires after-market stuff-easiest is to get another grid and then use three fire bricks (or three empty aluminum beer cans) and place them on the grid at the fire ring and then put the second grid on top. The third is “indirect” where there is a heat deflector (platesetter or some other type stone) between the burning lump and the cooking grid.  This is the setup for low&slow long duration cooks.  I would get comfortable playing around with the BGE before any major after-market investments.  Will save you $$ in the long run.

     Some observations-make sure you calibrate your dome thermo-boil some water, then insert the thermo and check the temp.  If not around 210*F, then note the off-set and use the nut on the back to correct.  Then recheck.

    Temperature is a controlled by the volume of lump burning.  The volume is controlled by the air-flow thru the BGE.  In thru the bottom vent and out the top.  Make sure when you set it up that the fire box opening is aligned with the lower vent. 

    When adjusting the vent(s) to change temperature, the feedback loop can take some time.  Changes in air-flow are reflected in the dome thermo temp.  Don’t chase temperature; +/- 10-15*F is close enough.

    “Stable temperature” is a relative term.  Means you haven’t moved the vents and the temperature is steady for anywhere from 30-60 minutes.

    That's more than enough for now.

    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.
  • Jstroke
    Jstroke Posts: 2,600
    AHA, another victim(member) First of Welcome to the crazy train. It looks like things are well in hand. Just so we have everything laid out in black and white, here are some hints to longevity with this forum and your egg.

    Go make friends with a good butcher, a bank and a shrink who specializes in addiction. Do not under any circumstances get on this forum with an adult beverage and your wallet in the same room. Do not ask us if you should buy an egg or an accessory for it. We are professional wallet moths. Eggs are not solitary creatures. They are extraverts that require other eggs in order to feel good about themselves. As such It will be best if you wait before designing an outdoor kitchen. Expansion is a guarantee.  Other than that welcome, we love pictures but appreciate it if dirty forks are out of sight. 

    With that said--most people will recommend some welding gloves--harbor freight-- A thermapen instead of infra red, or both (see, told you). And some good tongs and a good commercial grade spatula. Get to know who @RRP is, you will need his services eventually. That's enough for one day---welcome.
    Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,230
    @YukonRon, care to set the proper expectations for this fine Lady?
    New Albany, Ohio 

  • johnnyp
    johnnyp Posts: 3,932
    Welcome.  It looks like you've gotten some good advice and direction above.  

    I would second using a pork butt as your first big cook.  It's very forgiving and will be great practice.  I suppose my only advice would be to skip the Turbo method (at least the first time).  Use the forgiving meat as an opportunity to learn low temperature control.  
    XL & MM BGE, 36" Blackstone - Newport News, VA
  • dldawes1
    dldawes1 Posts: 2,208
    Welcome to the eggdiction.  My friends above have given great suggestions....they helped me get started a couple of years ago....no I get crazy with it !!!!

    You shall enjoy the egg and all the delicacies that it produces.

    Donnie


    Donnie Dawes - RNNL8 BBQ - Carrollton, KY  

    TWIN XLBGEs, 1-Beautiful wife, 1 XS Yorkie

    I'm keeping serious from now on...no more joking around from me...Meatheads !! 


  • shtgunal3
    shtgunal3 Posts: 5,629
    Welcome aboard

    ___________________________________

     

     LBGE,SBGE, and a Mini makes three......Sweet home Alabama........ Stay thirsty my friends .

  • mrs_story
    mrs_story Posts: 136
    Wow!  We left for a couple hours to run some errands, to return & find all these friendly, helpful, and funny responses.  Thanks!   You know how to make a girl feel welcome!

    And someone referred to me as a LADY.  *giggle*  You don't know me yet!  ;-)

    One of our stops was to the local dealer to get more charcoal.  I'm under the impression one fill can last a long time (sorry if my terminology is incorrect).  We have been closing it up once we finish cooking, so the coals/fire will stop.  This is one of the reasons I'm nervous about doing a big piece of meat -- I'm not sure about refilling coals mid-cook.  But I'll look around a bit more and eventually we'll just dive in.

    While we were at the shop, we asked about trading out the unopened Looftlighter that came with the grill (I forgot to mention that).  We've been using the little sticks that you light and put in the pile of charcoal.  They were nice and let us do an exchange.  Again, sorry if my terminology is off . . . we got a cast iron half griddle, a grid extender, and some little rings for standing up & cooking apples (husband wanted that).  And the bag of charcoal.  I bet we'll be heading to Harbor Freight sometime this weekend to look for the gloves -- thanks so much for the recommendation! 
  • johnmitchell
    johnmitchell Posts: 6,545
    Welcome.. Looking forward to seeing you in action.. Have fun and stock up on Adult Beverages !!!
    Greensboro North Carolina
    When in doubt Accelerate....
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    When you load the BGE with lump, within reason you cannot load too much-go well into the fire ring (the last piece of ceramic in the BGE) and you can run 24+ hours with 250*F on the dome.  As you are aware, you can snuff the fire after the cook.  Put your DFMT (aka Daisy Wheel) inside the BGE when you shut it down.  Spray a few times with cooking spray and that will condition it for the duration.
    Recognize there is an off-set temperature-wise between the dome reading and the cooking grate especially on low&slow cooks (indirect).  The offset can be 20-40*F or more (dome higher in most cases) at the start.  The longer the dome is shut the closer the temps converge.  
    Don't worry about the temperature differences, I would offer to get used to how the BGE responds with the dome thermo (all bGE's have one) and go from there.
    Cooking temps quoted here are generally dome unless otherwise stated.  
    Most BGE's have natural low&slow "sweet-spot" some where in the 240-260*F range.  When it settles in-go with it.
    Again-enjoy the journey.
    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.
  • mrs_story
    mrs_story Posts: 136
    lousubcap said: 
    You must have expressed some interest in a BGE for your husband's boss to buy it as it is not a main-stream gift (at least in my mind).  That said, you are in for some new-found enjoyable cooking experiences.
    It came as a total surprise to me! 

    When the boss-man called me, he started out with something like, "His grill is broke, right?  I was thinking about getting him a new one.  Do you know what a Big Green Egg is?  I have one and it's probably the last charcoal grill I'll ever need!" 

    Apparently a lot of the management at his work have BGEs.  Our old grill has two sides, and we primarily used one side.  The tray that collected ash was deteriorating.  But we still have a second side we can use (and I did mention this on the phone).  I had seen BGEs at a gardening center, but we honestly weren't looking for a new grill.  Maybe just a replacement for the ash tray on the old one.  But we're not complaining!!!  :-) 

    It was a very generous gift, and also thoughtful -- showed they were really listening to him when he was talking about our old grill.  He has a long history with them.  Worked with them at his old job (he was there just shy of 20 years), but a lot of them jumped boat about 6 years ago.  My husband stayed as long as he could, but quit last year, and followed his old co-workers to this new location.  The drive is long, but it's mostly through the country.  He's so much happier now (even without the fancy gift!). 

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,167
    @mrs_story - thanks for sharing.  I can see why he moved on to his current location.  You are in for quite as journey-the degree of Kool-Ad consumption is a matter of choice but this forum will answer any questions or concerns dang near 24/7.  
    You should be alerted to the fact that when you ask a question you may get several different answers, any of which will work.  Pick one-note how it goes then change up on the next cook.  
    And above all-have fun ;)
    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.
  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,310
    Welcome aboard! I'm a newbie myself. My first recommendation is to make sure your thermometer is calibrated. Mine was 30* off out of the box. Second, just cook on it. The more you cook the more comfortable you become. I'm very surprised on how fuel efficient the egg is. I have 20-25 cooks on mine and I'm still using the first 18# bag of lump. 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

  • Ima_good_egg
    Ima_good_egg Posts: 590
    Welcome. I'm a newbie too. I've been having a great time learning from this forum and cooking all kinds of new to me things.  Just tried my first brisket. It was turned out incredible, thanks to all the knowledge here.
    Wisconsin, lbge, MM, kab, pig tail flippers, bear claws, and more rubs than I will admit to.
  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,741
    Welcome and good luck. We were all beginners at one point and like many of the more recent converts I can't imagine that I would be using the BGE anywhere near its potential without all that I have learned on this site. You will get disagreements on certain topics, but as suggested above, search as needed and go with the consensus and adapt from there. You will learn quickly what you like and what works best for you.
    Stillwater, MN
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
    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
  • calracefan
    calracefan Posts: 606
    Get yourself a good thermometer (Thermopen highly recommended), on your daisy wheel (top vent) be sure the screw is torwards the front when installed (it will be less likely to change setting when you open the dome). Most of all ENJOY !
    Ova B.
    Fulton MO
  • bill37
    bill37 Posts: 127
    Welcome  I have been grilling for 20 plus years and still learning    so much fun
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    Free egg = worth the wait and inconvenience. glad to see you guys stayed positive through the ordeal. your patience will be well rewarded with all your future eggcelent cooks! have fun with it! welcome
    “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
  • SMITTYtheSMOKER
    SMITTYtheSMOKER Posts: 2,668
    Welcome and congrats on the free Egg.

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,984
    edited June 2016
    @YukonRon, care to set the proper expectations for this fine Lady?
    Thank you @THEBuckeye, it needs to be known.
    @mrs_story Unfortunately, you have avoided the least costly aspect of owning a BGE. The expensive part of the BGE is the ensuing lifestyle. We respectfully refer to it as "wallet genocide."
    It starts out with the little things; gloves, IR guns, then seasonings, bags of lump, adding shelves, KAB, AR/Woo. Bins for lump. Table for the BGE. Smoking wood varieties, and Bins for storage. More shelves. Bigger fridge. Deep freezer. Bigger deep freezer. Cooking area redesign, bigger cooking area. Redoing the patio. New patio furniture. More storage area for your new patio furniture pads. LARGER cabinets for the kitchen. New kitchen redesign, demolish and build. Second egg. All accessories for that if a different size. Table for new BGE. Outdoor lighting for all night, low and slow.  Audio system. Air FLOW control, remote alarms for cooking, scales, knives, coolers, storage for all of those. Drip pans, foil, aluminum disposable pans, and that is just the start. We have not begun to cover everything, such as adult beverages and unbreakable stemware, blenders, etc.
    The cost of the BGE is nothing compared to the cost of owning one.
    It is all about having fun. We love ours, and I hope you will too. It is worth it.
    This forum is the best. These folks are the best. Very helpful, and are sincere.
    Have some fun, and saving for retirement is way overated.

    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
  • Jstroke
    Jstroke Posts: 2,600
    all of the above--except he forgot to mention a new house. Much easier to give the egg away now and forget you ever saw one. 
    Columbus, Ohio--A Gasser filled with Matchlight and an Ugly Drum.
  • bluebird66
    bluebird66 Posts: 2,716
    Welcome!
    Large Egg with adjustable rig, Kick Ash Basket and various Weber's
    Floyd Va

  • logchief
    logchief Posts: 1,415
    Welcome, you've come to the right place
    LBGE - I like the hot stuff.  The big dry San Joaquin Valley, Clovis, CA