Allow myself to introduce... myself.

MrWilliams

Hi everyone

I am a new (to me) owner of an XL BGE.  Wanted one for years while smoking on a propane smoker.  I have been using this forum to get started and am having a great time as well as some success!  Picked up a large package of chicken legs and have been smoking them with rub to practice temperature regulation.  Will try ribs this weekend.

Bill

scruffee81

Welcome! Enjoy the Egg! Once you get passed the learning curve off the dampeners its smooth sailing!

theyolksonyou

Welcome, post some cooks for our enjoyment.

MrWilliams

Whats left of my second cook.  3 legs with rub one plane - very good.  I am cooking them for 2 hours at 225 to get used to regulating temp for ribs.  I have been able to maintain between 200 and 250 fairly well.  I think i need more charcoal and start with a much hotter file as its taking me 30 minutes to stabilize around 225.  Hard to ruin chicken legs or thighs imho.

robnybbq

Welcome - Where in CT?

MrWilliams

robnybbq said:

Welcome - Where in CT?

Bethel (Western CT)

Jeepster47

Welcome Mr. W ...

Canugghead

Welcome, great idea to learn basic temp control manually first.

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  WRT your comment about more charcoal and a much hotter fire to get going with low&slow-within reason you can never load too much lump.  For long duration low&slows you can load to the top of the fire ring. 

Now with speeding along to a low&slow cook temperature-don't get too large a fire initially going or when you throttle down the vents you will be dang near snuffing the fire to stop the temperature rise where you want it.  Many different approaches to establishing a good burning low&slow fire-but once you get the ceramics heated, it take a long time to cool down.  FWIW-

jcaspary

Welcome aboard. Can't wait to see more food of your Egg.

fence0407

Nice - welcome to the madness!

MrWilliams

lousubcap said:

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  WRT your comment about more charcoal and a much hotter fire to get going with low&slow-within reason you can never load too much lump.  For long duration low&slows you can load to the top of the fire ring. 

Now with speeding along to a low&slow cook temperature-don't get too large a fire initially going or when you throttle down the vents you will be dang near snuffing the fire to stop the temperature rise where you want it.  Many different approaches to establishing a good burning low&slow fire-but once you get the ceramics heated, it take a long time to cool down.  FWIW-

Thanks you Lou

After i get the fire lit and close the lid how high should the temp go if my target is 225?  Maybe i'm getting the initial fire to hot and it is snuffing to stop the temperature rise as you have explained.

lousubcap

@MrWilliams-I have a LBGE so not the same as the XL.  That said, I generally get around a softball or grapefruit sized area of fire going (light only in one spot for low&slows) with dome open and lower vent full open.  Once the fire is up to size (may need a larger fire for the XL) then load the platesetter and cooking grid etc, shut the dome and close the lower vent around half open.  Watch the temp and once around 25-50*F short of the target temp, then shutdown on the lower vent to around 1/4" and use the DFMT with petals full open to dial it in.  And don't chase temp.  On a low&slow +/- 15-20*F is close enough.  FWIW-

You may want to check out the search function for methods of lighting the BGE as there are as many options as forum posters, it seems.

blind99

@lousubcap yes, but *my* way is the best: mapp torch to light paper towels soaked with lighter fluid, which then starts the coals in my chimney starter.  i then arrange those in an equilateral triangle facing the moon as it rises in the 3rd star of venus...

 

just kidding of course, @mrwilliams welcome! lots of nice helpful folks here to help get your egg up and running smoothly.  have fun with the ribs, they'll be awesome i'm sure, and remember to post pictures so we can live vicariously!

RAC

Welcome aboard!

cook861

Welcome have fun 

tulocay

Welcome

WeberWho

Smart man with keeping the first cook simple and learning how it works. Ask, ask, ask with any little or big questions. Always someone willing to help out

500

http://youtu.be/67E42LQsU24

NPHuskerFL

Welcome! With smoking on your the egg or for that matter any cooking on your new egg it has got to be like a newborn seeing and smelling for the first time in comparison to LP. ENJOY!!! Now let me introduce you to @Mickey‌ King Of Turbo (period). Ribs do em L&S or Turbo. Me I'm a L&S kinda guy.
Eminem - My Name Is: http://youtu.be/sNPnbI1arSE

bud812

Welcome to the zoo.

SGH

Welcome aboard brother. Glad to have you.

Smokinpig

Welcome aboard. You might turn into fat bastard hanging around here.

anton

Welcome sir, and may I say, great idea teaching yourself temp regulation right off. You will benefit greatly from that. It was one of my issues at first. This forum will walk you through most cooks you can think of. The people are top notch, and fun to interact with. Just ask a question, and you will get answers.
:-bd >-

MrWilliams

Thanks for the responses everyone.  More legs last night - 225 for 2 hours - still working on temp regulation.  Then I ramped it up to 450 for 10 mins to crisp them up.  A little dry as expected but very good.  I'll say that the egg has well exceeded my expectations.  Very cool device!!!  Thermometer is next.  I'll post the rib pics this weekend.  Thanks again...

JRWhitee

Welcome aboard, the more the merrier.

johnmitchell

Welcome..

tarheelmatt

henapple

Welcome

The Cen-Tex Smoker

lousubcap said:

@MrWilliams-I have a LBGE so not the same as the XL.  That said, I generally get around a softball or grapefruit sized area of fire going (light only in one spot for low&slows) with dome open and lower vent full open.  Once the fire is up to size (may need a larger fire for the XL) then load the platesetter and cooking grid etc, shut the dome and close the lower vent around half open.  Watch the temp and once around 25-50*F short of the target temp, then shutdown on the lower vent to around 1/4" and use the DFMT with petals full open to dial it in.  And don't chase temp.  On a low&slow +/- 15-20*F is close enough.  FWIW-

You may want to check out the search function for methods of lighting the BGE as there are as many options as forum posters, it seems.

this^^^^^^^^^(and welcome aboard).

dldawes1

@MrWilliams...Welcome from the big KY state as well. Lots of great folks here from everywhere on the forum. Enjoy the eggdiction !!

FYI, what my friend lousubcap says for the large applies equally well for the XL. 

For a little variety for chicken legs, try searching "lollipops". The preparation method provides a new twist that the kids (and adults) will love.