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

Serious 'Seasoned Egg' Question for Seasond EGGers !!

Options
Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Ladies and Gentlemen:[p] Do I risk permanent (or at least long term) contamination of my Large BGE if I cook oily or fatty foods with no drip pan or barrier ??[p] The basis for my question is a recent discourse, with BDS (Big Drum Smoker) users, regarding the strong points of their popular smokers/cookers. Their positive results seem to be based on the 'sweet spot' distance from product to the fuel ... apprx 24" to 30", allowing juices and other by-products to drip directly down on the fire. One user emphasizes the great results he gets with large pieces of salmon, although most users emphasize doing ribs, butts and briskets.[p] If I do this type of cook on my BGE, and use the GX or other extender to raise the meat/fish to the 'ideal height' from the fire, will the fishy, or other 'greasy' smoke odors permeate the ceramics sufficiently to carry over and degrade subsequent important cooks ??[p] Those of you who have had specific 'negative' OR 'no problem' results please help me before I incur some unplanned problems.[p]Many thanks![p]Tom B (EggSport)
[p]
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Toy Man
    Toy Man Posts: 416
    Options
    I do this. No problems.[p]Toy Man
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mad max beyond eggdome
    mad max beyond eggdome Posts: 8,134
    Options
    Tom B (EggSport),
    simple answer to your question is "NO". ..when you have finished a particularly greasy or oily cook, simply open the vents, let your egg get up to around 500 - 600 degrees (hot, but not so hot as to cook your gaskets, and let the egg run till it stops smoking. . ..its like a self cleaning oven. ...the grease will all burn off and you will have a nice clean egg for next time.... .be very careful about opening your dome though, as if there is still plenty of black smoke pouring out, and you open the dome, that smoke is going to turn into instant, and major, backflash/flames. ...HTH[p]the self cleaning aspect of the egg is one of its great qualities. ...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • icemncmth
    icemncmth Posts: 1,165
    Options
    Tom B (EggSport),[p]I would doubt that the grease or oil would be a problem...unless you only cooked at 220 deg all the time.[p]I would think that once you brought the egg up to 600+ deg all oil and grease will be burned off..[p]don't know for sure
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    Toy Man,[p] Good news !!! I haven't yet sorted out what could/would be the worst 'cross-combination', but probably fish-to-chicken would not be good. I'm guessing that butts and briskets would overpower any possible fish odor. I guess it could go the other way and the greasy meats might affect the fish ??[p]Thanks,
    Tom B (EggSport)


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    mad max beyond eggdome,[p] I appreciate your thorough and very logical comments. Your expereince really helps![p]Regards,
    Tom B (EggSport)[p]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Toy Man
    Toy Man Posts: 416
    Options
    I have not noticed ANY odor retention. Might be a little on/in the lump charcoal if I don't let it burn off.[p]Toy Man
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    icemncmth,[p] The 'burn-off' concept makes solid sense and I feel comfortable now to ... go for it ... and then do the 'self-cleaning' process.[p]Thank-you,
    Tom B (EggSport)[p]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,740
    Options
    Tom B (EggSport),
    if you do mainly low and slows for an extended period the build up can be excessive. what will happen is big pieces that look like tarpaper will start to peel from the dome. im not talking the little flakes, but big pieces that look like tarpaper. occasionally bring it up to high temps and give it a good scrub with a ball of tin foil. for the average cooks this doesnt happen, but if your doing a tremendous amt of low and slows there will be some buildup
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • GrillMeister
    GrillMeister Posts: 1,608
    Options
    Tom B (EggSport),[p]As other folks have stated, no. I only use a drip pan when I cook indirect.[p]On another note, if you ever want to do pizzas or bread, you will want to build a good fire long before to let it burn off all the grease from the sides and platesetter first, otherwise your first pizza will come out smelling like burgers, pulled pork, or ribs.[p]Cheers,[p]GrillMeister
    Austin, TX

    Cheers,

    GrillMeister
    Austin, Texas
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dos Huevos
    Dos Huevos Posts: 368
    Options
    Tom B (EggSport),[p]Let me tell you this. Basically, I am an idiot. Granted, I am now an idiot who can produce a much higher quality of food thanks to his cookers of choice, but in the end, I never stray too far from being an idiot. [p]I have forgotten to put drip pans in for everything you'd use one for: ribs, brisket, even butts, and it's never mattered. They've always been great and it's never affected my next cook. once humpty's warmed up for next time, all that otehr stuff just disappears.[p]p.s. Let's not have everyone jump on how much of an idiot I am all at once though... LOL
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,740
    Options
    Tom B. (EggSport),
    so far the worst odor in the egg has been from cooking lobsters and steamer clams on a bed of ocean rock weed and not cleaning it out for a few days.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dos Huevos
    Dos Huevos Posts: 368
    Options
    fishlessman,[p]To be fair, the results of that cook wouldn't smell too good anywhere, except in a bag at the bottom of a landfill or the bay or something. LOL
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    Hey!! ..many thanks to all who have helped![p]I do several low and slow's so the tarpaper and foil idea is a helpful one.[p]I also do lots of bread and pizza, so I will be careful to heat the cooker well after any 'odorous' direct cooks.[p]If I ever get a chance to to lobster and clams (Yum!) i'll just live with the smelly result for a while.[p] Incidentally, I did some measurements this morning, and about the best I can hope for is 17 to 18 inches from lump to raised grate. That is not the 'sweet spot' referred to by BSD users, but I feel it will be close enough to get me some 'good eats' on the BGE.[p]Many thanks to all![p]Tom B. (EggSport)[p]

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Smokin Bob
    Smokin Bob Posts: 239
    Options
    Dos Huevos,[p]I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that nobody chimed in about you're being an idiot... [p]Surely everyone was aware???[p]Any idiot with quality lump is a good idiot in my book!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dhuffjr
    dhuffjr Posts: 3,182
    Options
    SmokinBoB,
    Sometimes you have a friend that is an idiot...other times an idiot that is a friend.....then there is our hero with a garage full of lump. Hero to us Eggnutts but likely idiot to the wife.[p]This is a thread screaming for "the stump".[p]Dennis "fellow idiot"
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JSlot
    JSlot Posts: 1,218
    Options
    That's a bad thing? :)[p]Hope all is well with you and yours, Ed![p]Jim
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • drbbq
    drbbq Posts: 1,152
    Options
    Tom B. (EggSport),[p]That's plenty far away from the coals. You have better fire control with the egg so you can cook closer. I've cooked direct on the egg and it works well. It's one of many options for great egg cooking.[p]Don't believe the hype, your cooker is a hundred times better than theirs.
    Ray Lampe Dr. BBQ
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    drbbq,[p] Thanks for commenting .... many of these 'valid' remembrances go back decades, but do not take into account solid experiences on different style cookers. Since our tastes are a very personal thing as well, I will proceed and do a bit of direct 'lower_slower' cooking on the BGE to see what works for me. Right now I'm focused on smoked salmon using the current excellent availabilty of fresh sockeye here in dry, southwestern Utah.[p]Regards,
    Tom B (EggSport)


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dimple's Mom
    Dimple's Mom Posts: 1,740
    Options
    Tom B (EggSport),
    Hmmm, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that! I have been dripping for over a year now and have never noticed any flavors staying in the egg to permeate another cook.[p]Gwen

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    dimplesmom,[p] Was raised once and seemed plausible and I did not want to create a lasting problem. From all the hekpful responses it sounds like a non-issue with the BGE and some heat will resolve it anyway. [p]Tom B (EggSport)

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories