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Newbie convert

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jamiemeyer
jamiemeyer Posts: 97
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
All - I am the proud owner of an XL, just six weeks old. As a long-time resident of ATL, I had to move to Texas to buy one. But, I am thankful for the folks here in Austin at BBQ Outfitters for helping to promote the Egg. I am now a convert! I do not know how I got along for so long without a BGE!

Tonight, I am in the midst of my second brisket. The first was OK, but I did find several errors in technique, and I am attempting to correct them. Practice does make perfect... Actually reading all the posts here makes perfect :-)

So, the question...
As I said, I am using the XL egg. One of the things I find to be very different from the photos here is the distance between the grate and the platesetter. I do not understand how folks have so much room for drip pans! I have a cookie sheet in place now, and the grate sits on the cookie sheet, not the platesetter. This causes me great concern, as there is little or no room for convection to occur on the underside of the brisket.
Have I done something wrong in my setup? Is there something I am missing?

Thanks in advance for assistance to a newbie. Y'all are great!
Jamie
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  • Eggtucky
    Eggtucky Posts: 2,746
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    are you putting your platesetter in 'legs up' or 'legs down'? try legs up and sit the grate on top of the legs..that should give you plenty of room for a drip pan..you may also see some here using optional accessories such as gratemates, adjustable rigs, grid extenders, etc. that might be throwing you off... ;)
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  • jamiemeyer
    jamiemeyer Posts: 97
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    eggtucky - I am definitely in "legs up" mode. they are pretty short legs, but they are up!
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  • jamiemeyer
    jamiemeyer Posts: 97
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    eggtucky - I am definitely in "legs up" mode. they are pretty short legs, but they are up!
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  • jamiemeyer
    jamiemeyer Posts: 97
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    eggtucky - I am definitely in "legs up" mode. they are pretty short legs, but they are up!
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  • Eggtucky
    Eggtucky Posts: 2,746
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    hmm..dunno then..I have a L not an XL, and w/platesetter legs up there is plenty of room for a drip pan between the platesetter and grid...by the way...welcome to the community!! :)
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  • Egg Pirate
    Egg Pirate Posts: 114
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    I may be wrong here, but my understanding was to remove the fire ring, then place the plate setter in, then put the fire ring back in and the grate on top of that. that should give you plenty of room for a drip pan.

    PS: check out http://www.eggaccessories.com/ I just got their set up for my xl and it's a whole lot easier. I think that is tjv on this forum. He's in Tx. I could be wrong.
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  • Frank from Houma
    Frank from Houma Posts: 5,755
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    You haven't done a thing wrong - the legs on the XL platesetter are much smaller than other Eggs. For shorter duration cooks that don't require as much lump you can put the platesetter legs down between the fire box and fire ring. Otherwise you can

    1) Use fire bricks to get some distance between the platesetter and your grid.

    2) Simply set the grid on top of your pan

    3) Use nuts and bolts to elevate the grid

    4) Buy a grid extender

    5) Use balled up foil to create extra room between the platesetter and the grid

    There must be a whole bunch of other ways if there are "50 ways to leave your lover"
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  • jamiemeyer
    jamiemeyer Posts: 97
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    EggPirate and Frank in Houma,

    Thanks for this. The docs are a bit sketchy in this area, and I am using it as I saw it "at the dealer".

    I will not be interrupting the cook tonight to figure this out, but this is good advice.

    I really like how much lump I can load up for a long term cook - I hope that this is not compromised with the approaches identified here.
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  • Egg Pirate
    Egg Pirate Posts: 114
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    I've cooked 4 Boston Butts for over 12 hours with the same set up I described earlier. Don't try to change things in the middle of a cook, but next time, give it a try. BTW, I'm a BGE dealer myself.

    good luck and welcome!
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  • jamiemeyer
    jamiemeyer Posts: 97
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    Thanks, Egg Pirate. I am amazed at the speed and quality of responses here. This is a great community, and I hope to continue to learn, through participation and by lurking!
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  • Egg Pirate
    Egg Pirate Posts: 114
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    I lurked for almost a year. There are so many great cooks on this forum and they all want to help. Remember to have fun and experiment with your egg. The more you learn, the less likely you will want to go out for dinner!

    D
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  • jamiemeyer
    jamiemeyer Posts: 97
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    The missus reminds me that we have not gone out to eat since we got the egg, and that her cooking time has gone down dramatically! She is already very happy with the results.

    I, as an engineer (software) am never happy with the results, and I must always improve to something better! Perfection is elusive, and often unattainable for those with exceptional standards. That is why I must continue to improve. ;)

    I will get there someday!

    Thanks.

    Jamie
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  • Beanie-Bean
    Beanie-Bean Posts: 3,092
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    Congrats on the XL...I'm looking to get one at the Texas Eggfest soon. I also bought my other BGEs (large and small) from Scott and Co. over on 620/2222. I think that the fire ring is supposed to go on top of the platesetter to create some distance for you on that cooker. Let me know what you end up doing to make room for the drip pan.

    Thanks!
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  • jamiemeyer
    jamiemeyer Posts: 97
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    Mike,

    Will do.
    I am also a newbie to Austin, being her about a year. The location of 620/2222 is what I recognize as BBQ Outfitters. I see that they mad a post in the last couple of days regarding and eggfest here. I will be completing the paperwork this weekend! We are so sold on the egg that we will be buying smalls for two of our kids for Christmas this year! I am sold ;-)
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  • Scubadog
    Scubadog Posts: 100
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    The stock XL indirect set-up is a design flaw. BGE, or someone else, needs to make the fire ring 1 inch shorter and then make the platesetter with the legs 1 inch taller.
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  • jamiemeyer
    jamiemeyer Posts: 97
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    Scubadog,

    As I further consider the responses here, I am now puzzled by the platesetter with the XL. If you are to remove the fire ring with the platesetter, and you must insert it between the firebox and the fire ring, then why are there legs on that device?

    As Yoda says, "Useful purpose, the legs, they have none".

    Still seeking the answer....

    Jamie
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