Various noob ??s

Flyboy777

Hi all, As of this past Friday, I am a proud new LGBE owner. Have used it 4/5 five nights since then. Starting to have some questions come to mind. 1) how do you clean the plate setter, does it matter? 2) what is a spider? 3) cooking chicken pieces, what is the best way to avoid excessive dripping burnoff/vapourization? 4) when do you use the PS legs down 5) is the DIGIq required to get a good long smoked BB or Brisket? Regarding the chicken, I used the PS legs up with a drip pan on top of PS, got really smoky for about 10 minutes during the cook. Slightly off flavour from that bit of the cook. 375 was the temp, once sauce was on the pieces, the smoke died down significantly. The chicken was tender as hell. Just know i can get it better flavour wise. FB

Foghorn

Welcome.

I'll take the easy ones and let the experts fill you in on the rest.

"1) how do you clean the plate setter, does it matter?"

No.

 

4) "when do you use the PS legs down?"

Never.

 

SmokinDAWG82

1. Keep it covered in foil, never use soap on it. you can clean burn it.
2. Eggcessory
3.Chicken fat burns, try raising the grid or cook longer over lower heat
4. NEVER
5.NO, people have been doing for years without one

Skiddymarker

Welcome, always room in the boat to nowhere!

1) how do you clean the plate setter, does it matter? 

Wrap it with foil if the crud markers bother you, otherwise brush it like a grid and chuck it in when you do a clean burn.

2) what is a spider? 

Go to the Ceramic Grill Store and the Ceramic Grill Works Google will get you there. 

3) cooking chicken pieces, what is the best way to avoid excessive dripping burnoff/vapourization? 

Do them raised direct if very fatty or indirect with a legs up setter and a drip pan on the setter. Raise your drip pan 1/2" or so using foil wads or whatever so it is off the setter to avoid burning the drippings.

4) when do you use the PS legs down 

Mostly for baking, or if you have no gasket, for pizza. If you have a BGE gasket and do a pizza cook with legs down, you will not have a gasket after the cook.

5) is the DIGIq required to get a good long smoked BB or Brisket? 

No, but if you want to go overnight a stoker is best, you will get some sleep. 

Regarding the chicken, I used the PS legs up with a drip pan on top of PS, got really smoky for about 10 minutes during the cook. Slightly off flavour from that bit of the cook. 375 was the temp, once sauce was on the pieces, the smoke died down significantly. The chicken was tender as hell. Just know i can get it better flavour wise. 

As noted above, raise the drip pan off the setter with an air gap, foil wads, washers, copper elbows, tile strips, dollar store racks - anything to get the pan off the setter as it will get very hot during the cook. 

Good Luck!

robnybbq

Answering inline

Flyboy777 said:

Hi all, As of this past Friday, I am a proud new LGBE owner. Have used it 4/5 five nights since then. Starting to have some questions come to mind.

1) how do you clean the plate setter, does it matter?

Usually a high heat - clean burn or Pizza cook will clean it - I use a drip pan or wrap the ceramic in foil to help prevent the mess but it WILL get dirty.

2) what is a spider?

Its a rack that you use a smaller grill grate to cook closer to the fire.  See the ceramicgrillstore website for more details on that.

3) cooking chicken pieces, what is the best way to avoid excessive dripping burnoff/vapourization?

For spatchcock chicken Raised in the dome will keep flare ups away

4) when do you use the PS legs down

5) is the DIGIq required to get a good long smoked BB or Brisket? Regarding the chicken, I used the PS legs up with a drip pan on top of PS, got really smoky for about 10 minutes during the cook. Slightly off flavour from that bit of the cook. 375 was the temp, once sauce was on the pieces, the smoke died down significantly. The chicken was tender as hell. Just know i can get it better flavour wise. FB

No - I do not have a controller - Once you learn how to adjust adn work the Egg it will hold temp for hours.  I have gone 19 hours at 250 without touching it.  The controllers are nice for piece of mind but you do not need them.

Skiddymarker

@robnybbq - great minds think alike, eh?

Flyboy777

Thanks for the answers, much appreciated. SkiddyMarker, need some clarification re gasket. Are you talking about the felt rim gasket on the egg?

robnybbq

Skiddymarker said:

@robnybbq - great minds think alike, eh?

Just learning along the way. 

tazcrash

Another trick to prevent bad dripping smoke on an indirect: 

put a drip pan in with some water, but have it raised off the stone. That is the important part. I use copper tees. 

henapple

I like my place setter like my women... black and nasty
a spider, or arachnid is an eight legged creature that may move into your egg if overly dormant.
cook your chicken with a pan of veggies under it. evo, s&p with a little broth
I go legs down when using my ci do... but it has legs. don't set it directly on it.

welcome to the asylum.

lousubcap

Welcome aboard-degree of Kool-Aid consumption is a matter of choice.  All good comments above-and any time someone mentions gasket here it is the material that makes the seal (if intact) between dome and base.  And eventually you will change it out-BGE HQ will provide a free replacement during your first-year of ownership or so it has been said here.   Meant to add-a controller is a matter of personal choice-I would get comfortable with operating the BGE before investing in one and it is clearly optional.

Flyboy777

Anything I can do,to prolong the life of the gasket? What about high temp cooks ie pizza? Tightness? I can pull out a single sheet of paper from between gaskets with lid closed. A little tighter at the handle, more loose at back under hinge.

SmokinDAWG82

If you just bought your egg it most likely came with the new high temp Nomex gasket which is a little better than the old felt gaskets however, if your cooking pizza and searing steaks its still gonna fry.

You wouldn't buy a Ferrari and only drive it 10 mph to prolong it so don't be afraid to use your Egg for all it's worth. Just know that you will have to spend an hour replacig the gasket sometimes, or as many others have discovered the Egg works great without a gasket.

six_egg

Welcome aboard. Might need to adjust your egg. Do a search for it on the forums. I would not worry much about the gasket. It will go bad over time. Not a hard fix and relatively cheap.

Already answered but I love my DiGi Q. I put a butt on. Went out of town to shop with SWMBO. I called the neighbor and asked him to FTC when he heard it beep. Came home to perfectly cook food. I can watch tv, play with kids or shoot the bull with my neighbor no need to watch egg at all.  

Solson005

First off welcome! 

Where are you from? I'm a Oklahoma egghead here.

@Skiddymarker and the rest have done a great job answering your questions but I will give you my take on them and add some pictures to help you understand a little easier. 

1) how do you clean the plate setter, does it matter? 

It does not matter but if you want you can do the next cook legs up or down and that will self clean it. 

2) what is a spider? 

A spider is a eggcessory from the Ceramic Grill Store that allows you go put a smaller grate lower than the fire ring to sear steaks at a very high temperature

It is also great for keeping a wok centered over your egg. 

3) cooking chicken pieces, what is the best way to avoid excessive dripping burnoff/vapourization? 

I like to cook chicken "raised direct" 

you will see this mentioned quite a bit in recipes on this forum it can be as simple as firebricks or bolts and washers or the ceramic grill store make another product called the Woo that keeps the grate at gasket level, i have one for my small egg and I love it. They even have one that is compatible with the platesetter. I just use 3 firebricks for my large. But if you do it indirect raising your drip pan with spacers or foil balls will help as others have said. 

4) when do you use the PS legs down 

I use it legs down for pizza with a air gap between the stone and the platesetter, otherwise the stone gets too hot.

and when I made the maple bourbon ham for easter.

5) is the DIGIq required to get a good long smoked BB or Brisket? 

I love the digiQ and use it anytime I am cooking over an hour except for pizza. Do you need it no, but it takes the stress out of long cooks and gives you a temperature reading of your food so you aren't checking it and opening the dome a bunch. They now have a cyberQ which can be connected to your home network and you can even set it up to view remotely on your phone or computer at work. 

I will add one more note: A good instant read thermometer is a very important thing to get as now you will be cooking to temperature instead of just a time. Most people on here use the Thermapen as it is one of the best and fastest on the market. I also use it to check water for tea and oil for frying. They are expensive, but so was your egg. Both are worth every penny. 

I really don't see how people are going through gaskets like crazy, I do multiple pizza parties all the time and have only had to change my gasket once on my large egg in 3 years and once in my small egg that I've had about 6 months. Both were the old felt style and the new high-temp ones are holding up great! It is a warranty item so if it does go bad, take a picture and email BGE and you will have a new one in a week or two. 

Here is a video to help show you how to adjust the dome from Fred's Music and BBQ

CANMAN1976

The New bge high temp gaskets that come on the newer eggs are nomex ??

Skiddymarker

CANMAN1976 said:

The New bge high temp gaskets that come on the newer eggs are nomex ??

@CANMAN1976 - your new egg should have the BGE high temp nomex gasket. It is a lighter gray than the old "low temp" BGE gasket. IMO the High-Q Nomex is both whiter and thicker than the BGE gasket. 

Little Steven

Flyboy777 said:

Anything I can do,to prolong the life of the gasket? What about high temp cooks ie pizza? Tightness? I can pull out a single sheet of paper from between gaskets with lid closed. A little tighter at the handle, more loose at back under hinge.

You Canucks are hilarious! The dollar bill test and you use a piece of paper. I tried a loonie and didn't get a good seal.

Seriously, learn to do an overnight without any assistance first. Look at the Elder Ward pulled pork method in recipes and follow it exactly, except for the 225* part, should be 250* or 275*. It will help you understand what the egg is capable of.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

CANMAN1976 said:

The New bge high temp gaskets that come on the newer eggs are nomex ??

no. just hi-temp material

CANMAN1976

Flyboy 777 you a pilot? Do you use fhe GE90-115b? My favorite aircraft!