Things no one tells the Noobies

bud812

Never run outta booze when using the BGE.

nolaegghead

bud812 said:

Never run outta booze when using the BGE.

lousubcap

House BGE adult supervisory beverage rules:
Lighting the BGE-time for beverages to get to the clean smoke stage;
Food on-time for a beverage and then as appropriate for the duration of SWMBO eggscape time.  Low&Slow cooks can be quite a marathon.

caliking

Have your credit card ready whenever you are on the forum. The purchase of the egg was by far the cheapest expense... what follows is what kills you.

Listening to @The Cen-Tex Smoker is the most direct path to the poorhouse.

Thatgrimguy

dougcrann said:

Stopped reading at #2, the exhaust being open. On all 3 of our Eggs if you leave the DW off you will end up with a slow but steady temperature climb. And no, none of them have any leaks. Few weeks ago experimented with the Large. Set it up to run 225*. Was hovering there for about 45 minutes.  Took the DW off, checked it about an hour later and the grate temperature was at 325*. Engineer buddy tried to explain it, but it was a bit over my smarts level. Only thing I really remember is he said that the exhaust creates a venturi effect. The more open it is the more air it is suckling thru the intake...or something like that. 
The directions that came with my Flameboss clearly stated to keep the DW almost shut...
But this topic is one of those Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar type of things so... 

 With a temp  controller you want the controller to have full control so you leave the dw shut. In low and slows I have to use my daisy wheel too. But when going to adjust, favor the lower if possible, this isn't black and white. I just mean to say, if you can close the lower then do that as  your first adjustment. Less intake > less exhaust.

Tbla

My BGE dealer was great - giving me helpful hints to get me going.  He told me to moderate the DW and bottom vent together.   Open bottom a little - open the top a little.   I have followed this advice and it has worked well.   His other advice was to ensure the DW swing screw (my terminology) is at the front - so when you open it, the DW doesn't slide.      For slow smokes - he told me to have top and bottom open about the thickness of a nickel. 

SciAggie

This link was helpful when I knew nothing. https://youtu.be/BcBOETTzqt0

RRP

 Newbies need to understand fireboxes will sooner or later crack and occasionally some fire rings as well so don't cry - get a replacement under your warranty. Also this may sound self-serving but I do not mean it to be...stock BGE gaskets may last a month or 3 years but they do go bad. Just like the oil in your car gaskets are a maintenance issue with your egg. There is an alternative gasket, but being a newbie you can ask me about that later.

Thatgrimguy

byrne092 said:

I add wood during the cooking process with no ill effects...lucky?

Any of these are just minor things. Lots of great bbq is made in lots of ways. These are just some things that are working for me.

Thatgrimguy

Anyone who thinks the dw advice is useless should check out Mickeys cooks. He doesn't use a top at all and consistently turns out incredible looking food.

theyolksonyou

Thatgrimguy said:

Anyone who thinks the dw advice is useless should check out Mickeys cooks. He doesn't use a top at all and consistently turns out incredible looking food.

Lots of people cook topless. Pretty sure @TexanOfTheNorth does as well. He too turns out some great looking grub. 

Theophan

jbjet45 said:

I am a newbie, ... I think the DW moved when I opened the lid...

Easy to prevent:  Rotate the whole cast iron DW assembly (i.e., the part that touches the green egg) until the screw that the part of the DW that swings from will be centered when you open the lid.  If you adjust it right, gravity won't have any reason to make it swing to the right or to the left because you made what it's hanging from centered.  Someone recently posted a picture -- I hope they do so again.  Picture's worth 1000 words, as they say.  

TexanOfTheNorth

theyolksonyou said:

Thatgrimguy said:

Anyone who thinks the dw advice is useless should check out Mickeys cooks. He doesn't use a top at all and consistently turns out incredible looking food.

Lots of people cook topless. Pretty sure @TexanOfTheNorth does as well. He too turns out some great looking grub. 

Thanks @theyolksonyou. You're correct, I do cook topless.

chrisc133

TexanOfTheNorth said:

theyolksonyou said:

Thatgrimguy said:

Anyone who thinks the dw advice is useless should check out Mickeys cooks. He doesn't use a top at all and consistently turns out incredible looking food.

Lots of people cook topless. Pretty sure @TexanOfTheNorth does as well. He too turns out some great looking grub. 

Thanks @theyolksonyou. You're correct, I do cook topless.

@TexanOfTheNorth you should at least wear an apron in case you catch a spark or something. 

reh111

This is probably heresy, but I think the fire grate is defectively designed - the holes get clogged too easily and limit the amount of air coming from below.  As a new egger, you won't know this and will have trouble figuring out why your fire keeps going out or why you can't get the temperature where you want it and keep it there.  I've thrown the grate that came with it away and bought this: http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Charcoal-Grate-Upgrade-MiniMax/dp/B004XU1FES  -- have not had a problem since

Canugghead

@chrisc133 he has one of the best aprons I've seen, custom designed/made by his talented swmbo

blind99

theyolksonyou said:

Don't chase the temp. +/-25 is close enough most of the time. 

Relax and have fun!

and post your cooks and participate here

The corollary to this is that with one thermometer you know the temperature. With two you're confused. If you're running a remote thermometer don't get concerned when it's 50 degrees off from the dome thermometer. Pick one and cook. 

SGH

Lots of great info and useful tips fellows. Great post brother Grim. 

YukonRon

I may be amongst the worst for offering advice, but, here is a nickels worth for FREE: Just have fun and enjoy the ride. You will have great food, and you will spend stupid money stupidly frequently.
Me: 2 freezers, meat slicer, knives, cutting boards, 2nd BGE, patio upgrade, new patio furniture, BGE accessories by the dozens, Coolers, tumblers, new bigger fridge, new shelving for the pantry, unbreakable wine glasses, really unbreakable wine glasses to replace previously unbreakable wine glasses, patio rug to help the really unbreakable wine glasses from breaking, serving trays, tests to catch the drippings, pizza stones, and there is a million others.

SciAggie

YukonRon said:

You will have great food, and you will spend stupid money stupidly frequently.

I've had my egg about a month and have been getting great food. Thanks to this forum and Amazon Prime, I've been spending money - but hopefully not stupid money. Today was a paella pan, saffron, rice, sodium citrate, and a PSWoo2 from the CGS.

nolaegghead

All the durable goods are nothing compared to the consumables - food, fuel, etc.  But hey, we gotz to eat.

YukonRon

nolaegghead said:

All the durable goods are nothing compared to the consumables - food, fuel, etc.  But hey, we gotz to eat.

nolaegghead is right!

Oh yeah, I spend it on the consumables, I love this life.....did I mention wine, bourbon, vodka, gin, beer, frozen concoction makers, a garage load of lump, and food? Yeah that too.

Mike_the_BBQ_Fanatic

Theophan said:

jbjet45 said:

I am a newbie, ... I think the DW moved when I opened the lid...

Easy to prevent:  Rotate the whole cast iron DW assembly (i.e., the part that touches the green egg) until the screw that the part of the DW that swings from will be centered when you open the lid.  If you adjust it right, gravity won't have any reason to make it swing to the right or to the left because you made what it's hanging from centered.  Someone recently posted a picture -- I hope they do so again.  Picture's worth 1000 words, as they say.  

I used to rotate my stock top like this and it helped but it still occasionally shifter and I didn't catch it...I switched over to the stainless top and have not been happier.

the only other advice I would like to add is don't be afraid to try something you haven't done before if it looks appealing...you may not always nail it the first time but you always learn from the experience...and in most cases even the mistakes don't leave you hungry...

DoubleEgger

Every once in a while, you are going to get a rock in your lump. It's no big deal. Nobody is out to cheat you. 

nolaegghead

If there's one thing I've learned on this forum, a rock in your bag of lump is the most egregious misfortunes and egger can experience.  Cracked dome?  No problem.  Lifetime warranty.  Rock in lump?  As far as I know, no one has ever received a free replacement bag.

lograt2

One thing that helped me get started. I use a golf tee to set the top and bottom vents. The small end (with the point flattened) will get you close to 225. The large end will get you about 325 or so. It's easy to reset the daisy wheel after you open the lid.

CDPlaya

GATraveller said:

CDPlaya said:

Is it just me but the temp gauge is hard to read. Can they make it any smaller?

Here ya go:
 http://www.amazon.com/Big-Green-Egg-Replacement-Temperature/dp/B00Q7VQE1K

Thanks but out of stock.  I will check with my egg supplier.

lousubcap

Regarding the DFMT and how to make sure it doesn't move, here's a link to a great ceramic cooking site:
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm Scroll down to #47 and you will see pics for how to place the DFMT.  FWIW-

Jstroke

Im gonna throw some fuel on this fire. New eggers should do a couple things before lighting their egg. First learn how to use the search function on this forum. Second, Order a thermapen, and buy a small notepad. The first couple times they light the egg they should not cook food. Learn how long it takes for smoke to clear and the smell of good smoke. Then how to adjust the vents. Start low and work up to maintaining a high heat cook. Adjust vents an 8th of an inch per hour. Have a good book or a car to detail. This takes time.  Learn how to dial it in and take notes. The last thing is to print and laminate a list of finished cooking temps for meat, chicken, pork, and seafood. OR in todays world. Find a good link and save it on your phone. I printed and laminated one and mounted it outside. It has good photos of a steak sliced so you can see it. I use it for guests. They tell me they want it rare and then i have to put more heat to it. Now i simply point and tell them to pick. It has saved me a lot of grief. But the last two points i make. Go topless after 300 degrees. You get much better flavor. And last. ADD LUMP AT THE END OF YOUR COOK. Let the smoke clear while you eat and shut it down. This way you are ahead all the time. Every time you light your egg the vocs are already gone.

SmokingPiney

As a new Egghead, I cannot begin to say how valuable this forum has been to me. TONS of great info here. I'm always searching cooks here for new ideas. Right before I bought my Egg, I scoured YouTube for some visual education. Important things I've learned:

Relax and enjoy the experience. 
Don't get too scientific with the Egg. You don't need to hold temps within 3 degrees. Your prior grill experience will serve you well.
Different brands of lump cook and taste differently. I'm still trying different brands.
Don't be afraid of your Egg. Plan your cook, do some research, and jump right in.
Time spent cooking on the Egg is not deducted from one's life.