Learning to use a new large BGE - New to BGE

Kyle · May 2003

I have just purchased a new BGE. It has not arrived yet. I am wondering if it takes a while to learn to control temperature, etc. Should I play with it for a while before trying to actually cook on it?

mad max beyond eggdome · May 2003

Kyle,
welcome to the club. ..everything you need to know is right here on the forum. ..first rule. . .throw out the book that comes with the bge (or use it for fire starter after you send in the warranty card)... [p]the learning curve is unbelievably fast on this thing. . you will find that you can control temps better than your kitchen oven, at almost any temprature.. . .(for example, i did meat loaf last night with a temp of 350 degrees that stayed rock solid for the whole cook)[p]just don't believe what you read about "a couple of handfuls" of lump. .. load the bge up every time.. .what doesn't burn for the current cook will be there for the next one after you shut down. . .[p]don't remember who said it first here, but once you get it the temp where you want it with the bottom vent, maintain temps with the daisy wheel on top. . .once i get it set where i want it, i rarely ever touch the bottom vent except to shut her down... .[p]just keep reading this forum and have fun. . .[p]good luck[p]max

The Naked Whiz · May 2003

Kyle,
I don't remember what I cooked second on the egg, but I do remember what I cooked first. I did steaks first, which required no real temperature control. Just heat it up as hot as it will go, sear, shut down, dwell, open up and FLASHBACK! (My apologies to the rest of the forum....:-)) See my webpage on flashback if you want to keep your arm and facial hair intact. [p]As for the first cook that actually required temperature control, I recall seeing somewhere the advice to let the egg heat up, but before it reaches the temperature you want, you should start closing down the vents and slowly approach the temperature from below. Don't let it overheat because it can be difficult to lower the temperature once the ceramic heats up. [p]A good thing perhaps to try for your first cook requiring temperature control might be a spatchcock chicken. You can cook a chicken anywhere from 350 to 400 for an hour and the temperature won't make much difference. You'll have a 50 degree window to play around with and you will get a feel for how the egg reacts to your adjustments. I have a webpage on spatchcock chicken, too. Here are the links:[p][li]Flashback
[li]Spatchcock Chicken[p]Good luck!
TNW

Kyle · May 2003

mad max beyond eggdome,[p]I appreciate your comments Max. I am looking forward to the BGE.

mad max beyond eggdome · May 2003

The Naked Whiz,
kyle, tnw's spatchcocked chicken is an excellent way to start. . my first cook, i also did chickens (i split them, but its the same). . .they let you play a little more without any fear of failure. .. you will impress your whole family by serving them the best chicken they ever ate right from the start. . .[p]from there, the world is your oyster. ..try trex's steak method (basically, sear at 700+ for 1 -2 minutes per side, pull the steaks off and let them sit on a plate uncovered for 20 minutes (watch out if you have pets) while you shut down the egg and get the temps down to about 400. . .then throw the steaks back on for about 3 minutes per side (less for real rare) in the sealed egg. .. best steak you'll ever eat. . .btw. ..make sure before doing this that you go to that link from tnw on backflash. ..[p]enjoy

stike · May 2003

Kyle,
I did steaks for my first cook, actually tenderloin filets.
It was rewarding to touch off the BGE and let it roar at 750 or so, something no other grill I had could do before.[p]And I think the cut of meat was a good choice because it was thick enough (1 3/4") that it would be impossible to screw up and overcook if you were over by 30 seconds a side (even a minute), and it wasn't as fatty (ok, or as flavorful) as a ribeye, and so no flaring fat-fire when opening to turn them over.[p]Basically, the first cook at a high temp gave me a bit of proud "cave-man" feel, resulted in a better steak than I've had at Morton's, and impressed the diners.[p]Second cook was the opposite end of the spectrum, a short lo-and-slo of ribs. It gave me the practice of hitting and maintaining a 225 degree fire without panicking overnight as I might have with a shoulder (18 hour cook). AND it helped reinforce my rationale for buying the egg in the first place... VERSATILITY.[p]Welcome aboard. Now get out there and spark that baby off.[p]

BBQBluesStringer · May 2003

Kyle,
I remember my first few cooks 'cause they were not very long ago. The dealer recommended burgers or chicken for my first, just in case I incinerated it. Ignoring good advice, I read some of the archive material (better advice) and recipes compiled on the nekkid wiz's site (best advice), and did a low-n-slow butt. Best que I can remember! Next I did beer can chicken, and they came out wonderful. I've since done spare ribs, baby backs, a turkey, pork loin chops, fillets, chicken breastisies, pizza, and even deviled eggs, and everything has come out excellent. The secret? It's right here... the forum! Folks here have this egg down pat. Go forth and egg like a veteran![p]BBS-

CR · May 2003

Kyle, in my opinion chicken or a pork loin is a good first choice. I would stay away from hamburgers; for one thing they cook very fast so you don't get to see how the dampers work very well, the second thing is that they will create big flare-ups when you open the Egg due to the grease that drip onto the coals.[p]No matter what you cook it will be fun and delicious.[p]

Unknown · May 2003

Kyle,[p]No, it does not take long to learn to control the temperature. Both vents are wide open after you light it and you can stand there for a few minutes and watch the temp climb. If I'm shooting for 350, I just shut the bottom vent to about 1/4 inch when I get to 300 and close the slide portion of the daisy wheel. You can spin the wheel for fine tuning. It will take some practice to hold a temp, but just remember its a lot easier to get the temp up than it is to get it to drop and you'll be fine.[p]If I were you I would build a table before the egg even gets there (unless you also bought the nest and mates). A polder, some long tongs, and a platesetter & stone are the only extra's I would say you need to have to get started. I don't think you really need to play with it before actually cooking, unless you just want to. You could do steaks and try to hold the temp at certain levels while its on its way up to 750 or so, just to get a feel for it.

Kelly Keefe · May 2003

Kyle,
Email me please. I have some written notes that might help out.[p]Kelly Keefe
Jefferson City, MO

Kyle · May 2003

RG, Thank you for your help. I am excited about that thing.<smile>

Kyle · May 2003

BBQBluesStringer,
I appreciate your help. I am excited about this new toy.

Kyle · May 2003

CR,I appreciate your help. I am looking forward to the BGE.

Unknown · May 2003

Kyle,
I just got my BGE last week so I'm a newbie also. We started with a pork butt and had problems at all adjusting it to our target 300 degrees. Did some chicken and steaks shortly after that and am amazed at how rock steady the temperature remains. Take the advise of others, narrow the vents as you are approaching your temperature and you'll be fine. You will be tempted as we were, to stand over the egg and watch the temperature gauge for the first 1/2 hour or so. Make sure you have beers on hand for your "hatching".

Learning to use a new large BGE - New to BGE

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