The Unofficial Newbie Silly Question Thread

Big Red Egg wrote:

Hello Everyone.

I've spent most of the last 48 hours reading these forums and other BGE sites (don't tell my boss). Lots to learn and it's been fun. My sister gave me a medium BGE for Christmas, and I'm very excited. I live in Atlanta and will pick it up next week. I've always wanted one but never could pull the trigger as I'm very frugal and have a gas grill that works ok.

Here are my questions, and ones I hope other newcomers learn from or y'all get a kick out of:

1. How much does a bag of lump charcoal cost and how many cooks do you get out of it? Which might be asking how much it costs per cook (on average).

2. Where do you put the ash? Can you dump it in the yard? In a flower bed? Or just in the trash can?

3. I'll be upgrading to the large and building my own table. I will also buy the plate setter, the ash tool and some lump charcoal. Any other immediate needs? I'm mostly cooking for a family of 4 but come Spring I'll host some parties. Do I need that grill grabber thingie?

4. When and why do you use a drip pan? Just for poultry? Just to keep the fire going and/or keep it clean? Do you/can you cook potatoes or something in it while juices drip on them?

5. What do you do with the drippings? Dump them in the garden, over the railing? Wait for them to cool and rinse down the sink? Use for gravy?

6. Is flashback common? I don't want to blow myself up and have a weird paranoia about oven explosions and such.

7. I forgot what 7 was.

8. Are the grill tiered platform thingies only really used for low and slow cooking? When I see one used in a photo it seems to be a low and slow indirect setting. What if I want to grill 100 burgers at once. Can I used that platform thing? Probably not, right?

9. I'm all for saving money. Is there a way BGE can help me with this? Cook 5 birds at once and freeze them? Buy bulk meat? I'm trying to find a way I can think this isn't just another expense for me.

10. Why don't they make Big Red Eggs? It's my favorite color.

Thanks and Happy New Years!

1. The cost varies depending on brand. Go to www.nakedwhiz.com and read their reviews on lump and pricing. Although Idk where their prices came from, and they are a little out of date. BGE lump cost about 20 a bag, and if you are just doing shorter cooks, it can last 5-10 cooks easily.

2. After my ash cool(typically just before I am cooking again) I empty mine into an ash bucket. Once that bucket is full, I just pour it in a trash bag and put it with trash.

3.Grill grabber is a must. Also get in intant read digital thermo, and a Polder or Mav(from reviews) leave in digital thermo with a cord and screen for outside the cooker. LONG GLOVES are also nice, my hair still isnt right on my right arm, and I have had my LBGE for over 4 years.

4. The drip pan is a must to keep your plate setter clean, also wrapping the PS in foil helps(just started doing this). The drip pan is also good to add liquids to for low and slow cooks, although that isn't a must. One more thing it does is keep the grease from dripping on the lump and causing odors, bad smoke, and most of all, FLARE UPS.

5. The drippings can indeed be used, just depends on what you are cooking. Standing rib roast=au jus, etc,etc. However, if you aren't gonna use them, wrap the drip pan in foil, and then once the drippings cool, just take the foil out and trash it.

6. Flashbacks: Yes they are real, and suck. Again, go to www.nakedwhiz.com and watch his video about them. http://www.nakedwhiz.com/flash.htm

7. Happens all the time to me......LOL.

8. Yes, you can use the grill extender on all sorts of cooks. Put meat up there for folks who don't like theirs quiet as done, or just rotate the meats from top to bottom to get even doneness on all burgers, etc.

9. Sure it can help save money. For instance, I am having a few folks over tomorrow, only needed a small boston butt, but I found two packaged together totaling 18lbs and the butcher gave me an eggcelent price, so I am smoking them all tonight and gonna freeze the pulled pork in one lb packs to use later.

10. You can get a red "egg", only it won't be an egg, it will be Komado Infinity(i think)

Happy New Year!!

Hi Big Red,
I have only owned my egg for less than a year but I'll try and give you a little help....

1. I usually buy Royal Oak or Cowboy brand lump which cost about 6-7 bucks a bag. How many cooks you get per bag really depends on what you're cooking and for how long. If I had to estimate the average cook isn't going to cost more than a couple dollars unless you're doing a low and slow and even then I can cook for 24hrs straight using just one bag. Also you wont burn all the lump you put in the egg every time you cook. When you shut down the egg the fire will eventually snuff out and you will be able to use the remaining lump on your next cook.

2. I put my ash in a small metal trash can that has a lid (no bag). When its full and I'm sure there are no embers I dump it in the trash. Don't see why you couldn't dump it in the yard or garden. Just make SURE there are no embers left.

3. You're going to want some sort of raised grid / multi tiered grid set up as this will be helpfull for certain cooks.

4. I use a drip pan for low and slow to keep the drippings from going on to the plate setter or into the lump. Or when I want to use a drip pan as a heat barrier for partial indirect cooking.

6. So far I haven't experienced a flash back. I'm pretty cautious when cooking at high temps and always burp the egg before opening and I guess so far I've been lucky. Although many here look at experiencing a flash back as a right of passage.

9. Get a food saver.

Good luck and have fun!

Some answers I can offer:

1. I watched how much lump I used over the course of on summer month two years ago, and I figured I was spending .55 per cook on average for lump.

2. Check to see if your soil is acid/alkaline. If acid, some ash will be good for youe garden and plants.

3. Once in a great while, the grill grabber will be essential. I use mine maybe once a year, but when I do, it really is immensely handy.

4. When grease falls onto hot coals, it forms nasty by-products. In general, it is good to avoid letting the fat dribble onto the coals.

5. Depends on the drippings, and how they were collected. If they are not scorched, they can be used for gravy. However, often enough by the end of the cook, what I have is mostly just fat. I let it congeal, then place in garbage.

6. Lots and lots of people experience a flash back at least once. It is a dramatic learning experience, and one tends to avoid it after that. The main hazard, aside from the jolt, is just burnt off fore arm hair.

7. 7 is failing to check in the middle of the night to see how the fire is doing, and waking at 7, and finding the fire went out unknown hours ago.

8. Multiple levels does mean you can cook more at once, as well as set up various pans, and heat blocks.

9. Yeah, but a couple of pork butts, and freeze it in pound bags. Many good meals from one cook. And, as mentioned, you will eat out a lot less.

10. You can have any color of Egg you want, as long as its Green.

senior moment. you are right, 10lbs. must have been all that boston butt i have been tasting :ohmy:

You can forget about Fat Matts now, unless you just wanna go for the music. You now have the ability to match or exceed his ribs, although they are tasty. As for Pulled Pork, it is very easy and your first attempt will have you wondering why you would ever buy it already cooked.

1. How much does a bag of lump charcoal cost and how many cooks do you get out of it? Which might be asking how much it costs per cook (on average).

from 6 dollars to 30 dollars a bag. The cost depends on the size of the bag. How many cooks depends on what you are cooking and how

2. Where do you put the ash? Can you dump it in the yard? In a flower bed? Or just in the trash can?

I put mine out to pasture.. I live on a farm. I am told they are rather acidic so the flowers wouldn't be a good choice.

3. I'll be upgrading to the large and building my own table. I will also buy the plate setter, the ash tool and some lump charcoal. Any other immediate needs? I'm mostly cooking for a family of 4 but come Spring I'll host some parties. Do I need that grill grabber thingie?

What does the grip lifter have to do with having a party? Get one they are cheap..

4. When and why do you use a drip pan? Just for poultry? Just to keep the fire going and/or keep it clean? Do you/can you cook potatoes or something in it while juices drip on them?

You use a drip pan anything you are cooking stuff indirect that has a large fat content.Yes you can cook potatoes in the drippings of some foods.

5. What do you do with the drippings? Dump them in the garden, over the railing? Wait for them to cool and rinse down the sink? Use for gravy?

They join my ash!!

6. Is flashback common? I don't want to blow myself up and have a weird paranoia about oven explosions and such.

Flashback occur under certain conditions. If you burp your egg every time you use it you want have to worry too much..

7. I forgot what 7 was.

That's good I forgot my answer too

8. Are the grill tiered platform thingies only really used for low and slow cooking? When I see one used in a photo it seems to be a low and slow indirect setting. What if I want to grill 100 burgers at once. Can I used that platform thing? Probably not, right?

Guess you didn't see my pork loin cook yesterday. 2 tiers at 375.

9. I'm all for saving money. Is there a way BGE can help me with this? Cook 5 birds at once and freeze them? Buy bulk meat? I'm trying to find a way I can think this isn't just another expense for me.

I cooked enough pork loin for 100 people yesterday.
I typically cook for 300-699 people. Hope you have a really big freezer

10. Why don't they make Big Red Eggs? It's my favorite color.

You'll get over that Beside if the Egg eas Red the company wouldn't be called Big Green Egg now would it.[/color]

If you want to upgrade to a large "get the large now". Family of four you need the large. Trade your medium before you light it and get a full refund towards a large then buy all your gadgets.
DMo

Welcome Big Red, looks like you already got most of your answers, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.

Lump - you can also get an 8# bag at Publix for about $5.50. Supposedly its the same as Royal Oak from Wal-mart, but I have heard that the Publix bags don't have many large pieces.

Other Accessories - I think you'll also want a pizza stone and a raised grid. The raised grid allows you to cook direct, but not worry as much about burning the meat. Great for wings and spatchcock chicken. I made my own following Nakedwhiz's instructions.

Saving Money - not sure, but we're definitely eating in more. The Egg'd food is fantastic.

Losing Weight - not sure again, but can't you eat all the meat you want on the Atkins diet. :laugh:

Happy Egging,
Bryan