Not liking my egg at all

keep in mind that times given are at best a guide.

never, ever, ever, simply cook a steak or hamburger by timing it.

there are way too many variables. you must always use the times as a rough guide, and cook either to internal temperature, or to touch (or some other consistent method).

a grill cannot overcook a steak. not trying to be a peeve about it, it's just that frankly you cooked them too long.

Keep at it! You'll get it...don't go back to the gas grill..
Sounds like you need to get a handle on temperature...
Others will chime in, I know, but my suggestion is to go through some of the basic's already posted regarding control of temperature, using a thermometer, and checking and calibrating the OEM thermometer.
There's an inordinate amount of truly great info on in this forum.

Here's a link of to some previously posted tips and helpful hints, I hope it helps:

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=746787&catid=1

Give it more time. Believe me it will get much better. I think I posted on here that I'm selling my egg when I first started. Nothing worked out and now it's great. I'm no eggspert at all but the hardest part believe me is regulating and maintaining the temp. Read on here and listen to the eggsperts here they will walk you through the cooks one by one if need be. The biggest thing is to be very patient and do not rush things at all. One you have learned to regulate the temp it's sooo much easier. Post your cooks so they can help you ahead of time before it's too late. Good luck

Mark

As others have said, you need to get your temperature control down.

Here is a link by Grandpas Grub, showing typical vent settings for certain temperatures. At first, I was surprised how little an opening is needed for desired temps.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=670088&catid=1

Also, stabilize the temp before adding your food. That may take 30 minutes to an hour. Never "chase" the temperatures.

Good luck. Keep at it. You'll get it.

just like BoilerMaker Ben, stated calibrate the thermometer if you havent already. Dont cook for time, if someone says it took 5 min per side for steaks or burgers, we dont know how think they were, what temp they were cooking at, was the meat at room temp before it went on, did they put it on when the egg was heating up or when it was heated! To many variables there. Just like on your old gasser, you probably burnt a few things and adjusted from there. trying doing your burgers again, but cook at 400 - 500 rather than 500+. but keep an eye on them, when i do mine, i usually keep a close eye on them for the first 2 turns, usually i do 3min a side, but if i see the temp spike i flip them righ away, and turn down the vents cuz they are going to get done a lot faster. you just need to get a hold of how the temp control works and how to hold a temp and when to increase the temp if it gets to low. by the sounds of it you need to learn how to get a hold of the high temp, remember the best way to control the temp is on the way up not the way down, if your desired temp is 400, dont let the grill get to 500 or 600 degrees, keep an eye on it and when it is reaching 350 -375 you will know to start closing your vents, play around with it without food. My grill will hold 350 with the bottom vent open at about 2in and the top daisy wheel open and the bottom part of the daisy wheel open 1/2 to an 1'. you will get the hang of it. if you are having troubles with heat cook at lower temps first. any other questions ask away!

Land sakes, Jolly Bill, relax. You have stumbled onto and now have at your finger tips the most powerful resource/eggcessary you could ever want--this forum. Welcome to the family. Pose any and all questions one at a time or in bunches and they will be answered. We are here to help you. Have a cold beverage, beer or iced tea and chill. If you remain teachable there are teachers aplenty here.


Start with temperature and research your cook. Decide what you are going to cook, many here will suggest easy cooks and how to do them. Do them as suggested and report anything that didn't turn out as expected or what a success it was because the Egg did it for you, a common theme. Yes, there is a learning curve but this forum exists to help shorten it.


Explain in detail as you learn what eggcessories you used, what type of cook, indirect, direct, raised, at what temp(dome) to what temp(internal, the temp of the meat)for how long. That gives us an idea where the cook failed if it does.

Glad you made it here

ditch the watch and get a thermapen instant read thermometer, it will speed your progress faster than anything. heres a good temp chart that will teach you about carryover temps and when to pull the meat off the grill, use it and take notes as to your preferences for meat doneness.

http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/doneness_chart.htm

those that come from cooking on gassers need to relearn a few things, meat thickness is one , a 1 inch steak or under doesnt work well with most of the methods you will see here, practice on 1.5 inch thick steaks or thicker, dont time the cook, watch how its searing and when it looks right stop searing. the trex method for steaks is my favorite, no rushing, you sear it, rest it on a plate while you drop temps, roast it. get or make a raised grid, cooking higher up in the dome is easier for alot of cooks. start posting cooks with pics and state what you like or dislike about the cook, you will get alot of responses to how to fix something that you didnt like, could be simple things like the steak tasted bitter and it was bitter because maybe you peppered it before searing, alot here will salt a steak, sear it, add pepper or rub while it rests, then finish with a softer roasting temp. seems that those coming from the world of gas just habe a slightly longer learning curve, but its worth it in the end to stick with the egg

Hi, my name is Hungry in Lilburn and I the manager of the Big Green Egg Return Center. Please be aware that we are only allowed to pay $300 for a Large BGE when it is returned. Please contact me offline and I will be happy to make the arrangments.

Just Kidding! Go back and read my posts and you will see that I burned up steak, chicken, ribs ($25 worth!) and my gasget when I first got my BGE. Then when I finally thought I had it all down I switched lump and ended up with petroleum based tasting food! Yuck! Then everything I started cooking tasted great but looked like I cooked it with a rubber tire. Black as smut. I too became very disillusioned. Then I went back and started doing some simple cooks. Hamburgers raised grid at 400 degrees. Pizza with platesetter and stone on feet at 400. Steaks at 400. Pulled pork at 325 indirect (my new handle is TuboButt). Once I slowed down and figured out what I was doing I begin to really enjoy my BGE. Now the wife doesn't want fast food anymore and she compares everything we eat out when we travel to how well it tastes as compared to the BGE.

Here is a simple recipe for a great bone in prime rib, this will make you a hero with your entire family:
preheat BGE to 400 degrees controlled for at least 30 min. Platesetter in with feet up, grid on top of legs. Rub prime rib roast with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder. Put on rack and put rack in drip pan (I bought my rack and drip pan at the BGE Corp store, my wife would not let me put her $100 rack and Capahlon pan in the BGE, now she would let me use a silver pan if we had one!). Put the pan in BGE. Cook until internal temp of 140 for rare, 150 for medium and 160 for dried out and nasty, which is the way my wife likes it. Take it out, let it rest for at least 20 minutes, then carve and serve. You will be amazed at how good it is!!!

Potatos: poke holes in skin, rub with EVOO and then cover in Kosher Salt, Set on grid, cook until internal is 210. Serve with real butter and salt. Yummy!

What you just said is a do able cook for a steak but I wonder how much lump you had in your fire box? Was it full up to the top of the fire ring? Tim

In this pic my lump is half way up the fire ring.

JBB, use the search forum function to do a little or a lot of reading. Trex and hot tub will give you two of the many steak techniques. If you spend some time reading old forum threads you will learn more than just what you are researching. For a quicker answer post a new topic. Members will answer questions that have been asked a "million" times already, so ask away. Maybe a new member who just learned an old technique will share.

First Jolly Bill welcome to the egghead forum and the wonderful world of the BGE! I have been an egghead for a little more than a year and I learn something new everyday on this forum. We have all had trials and tribulations with our eggs at one time or another.
I posted something this morning because I had a problem with a cook yesterday so it is a contant learning eggperience. :laugh: One of the things that I have found to be most helpful is learning from this forum. It is a valuable tool.
One of the most useful eggccessory to me is the plate setter. A neccessary tool to cook indiirectly. The majorty of the things I cook on the egg are with indirect heat. The only thing I cook directly are steaks and burgers. Like everyone has already said everyone has their on method of cooking.
For example my steaks are seared at 650 degrees for 90 seconds on both side then off the grill. I like my steaks rare. Did I mention that they are usually 1 1/2-2 inches thick. An important factor. For those who like theirs done more I close all of the vents and leave them on then check them every minute or so. The longer they stay in there the more done they are. BTW did a whole turkey yesterday for a family gathering and all I heard is that they have never tasted such good turkey. Now I am the official turkey egger for Christmas and Thanksgiving.
So hang in there buddy and it will all come together and you will be serving some of the best food your family has ever eaten.

I do my 1.5 steaks using the adjustable rig and spider 13 inch cast iron grate on spider legs up just above the lump. Half grate on top of the adj. Rig. Dome temp around 400 to 500 were ever it settles. Sear for. 60 to 90 second no longer on the cast iron then move to the half grate and cook to temp.

I forgot...

4) CHARCOAL LEVEL. Use lump charcoal only. I find the BGE brand to be consistently "well behaved" (no sparks). I fill the firebox up to the bottom of the fire ring (or to just a little higher). With the standard fire ring this puts about 4" between your fire and food. I use the 2" fire ring to get me to 6" between fire and food.

... I'm no EGGxpert, but this works for me. Still have not yet mastered baby back ribs, but I'm getting there.

I'm not sure what you're doing wrong but read these forums before you go any further! I owned a $1300.00 Vermont Castings "top 'o the line" BBQ before I bought my BGE. I was never REALLY happy with the results. I started to do some research on the web and discovered the "EGG". I started off slow!, low temp cooks, read the forums and worked up from there. After a few months I started to use the egg for everything. I know it's more hassle than a "switch on" but I stuck with it, last month I gave the gasser to my next-door neighbor, he's happy and I'm MORE than happy with the BGE. I'll never go back to gas. Say what you will, once you learn to use it you'll be addicted for life. As a bonus, there are very few parts to wear out and the ones that do are mostly guaranteed for life..

Keep the faiith...