1st egg use - chemical flavor -help!

Boilermaker Ben · September 2010

You'll find that this only happens with new lump. When you have enough lump left in the egg from a previous cook, and don't have to add more, the old lump will come up to temp faster, and won't have the nasty smell. Makes for a very fast cook.

My first cook went the same way...pizza...looked wonderful, better crust than any pizza I'd ever made...tasted like I'd cooked it over a burning tire. Never made that mistake again.

I was at an eggfest this weekend, and representatives from the mothership were there. During the demo, it was refreshing to hear honest information about what it takes to get an egg ready to cook, rather than what you'll occasionally hear from dealers: "up and ready to cook in 10 minutes."

ILL--EGGER · September 2010

I would be willing to bet anything you are experiencing a very common problem with egger's trying to grill and getting a "chemical" or "strong smoke" taste that no one likes. The problem is the smoke being trapped inside the egg from the fat and grease and it needing to be let out by TAKEING OFF the daisey wheel completly when grilling at 350 or above. Now if bakeing or smokeing you use the daisey as always but for GRILLING be sure to remove the daisey wheel on top as it is not needed and causes smoke to be trapped.
You can control the temp. completely by useing the bottom slider only and all the smoke is let out resulting in grilling perfection. Give it a try and I bet you're problem is solved.

stevesails · September 2010

Now, there is an AHA moment. i will be trying this next time I do a splatchcock chicken!

grillthriller · September 2010

Ill Egger,

You are correct in closing the grill too much, in fact I went by BGE's video that said to CLOSE THE GRILL COMPLETELY for the last 4 minutes of grilling. No wonder it tastes like petroleum, even as leftovers days later. But I suppose my half-burned coals were to blame too. A double whammy.

mcook · November 2010

I use MAPP and starters. MAPP on new lump spits particles and sparks. MAPP in the gray areas on old lump = no spits nor embers. The weird thing about wax starters is they resist lighting from the MAPP, using a butane magic match or lighter gets them going.

stike · November 2010

taking off the daisy doesn't let out any more smoke than leaving it on.

let me explain.

if your egg is at stable temps, and remains stable when you take the daisy off, then you are actually controlling the temps with the lower vent. if taking the daisy off doesn't cause a change in temps (a rise), then you aren't letting any more smoke out. letting more smoke (or exhaust) pout means that you'd need to be letting more air IN. that means temps would rise.

if temps don't rise, then the airflow is the same. and that means no more smoke is coming out than when the daisy was on in the first place.

chemical taste is usually from brand new lump, and putting the food on too early.

if you come back the next day and reuse the unburned lump from a previous cook, you will generally not have the same problem, because even though it is unlit (unburnt) the VOCs HAVE been driven off. merely being in a hot drafty environment will help to purge the vast majority of VOCs from unburnt lump.

99.9% of the "chemical taste" is from new lump and putting food on too early.

dripping fat can be a cause, too, but usually it is that the fire is not burning clean

stike · November 2010

closing the lid will not cause a problem. just wait til the smoke smells good, and then it will taste good.

reusing unburnt lump from a previous cook will NOT cause chemical taste in your food. the VOCs are long gone.

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1st egg use - chemical flavor -help!

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