Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Howdy from Colorado

Zamfir
Zamfir Posts: 32
in EggHead Forum
Figured I would say hi now that I can. I have been lurking and learning for a while now. I got a large BGE from my Mom. She had gotten frustrated with it and did not want to put the time into learning how it worked. Damn lucky for me!  I had my eye on it for the last 4 years. They finally said uncle and it rode with my in-laws from Omaha to Windsor Colorado. Since I did not have to buy it, I was able to get some goodies to hedge my bets on having success. So I got signals and a billows and a shiny smokeware top. I just finished making a stainless steel adapter for the billows so I am ready to rock!!  Been smoking with electric in the past and am ready for the next level of awesomeness!  Anyone here cute and smoke their own bacon?  That’s where I wanna go soon! 
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Zamfir
    Zamfir Posts: 32
    The adapter took some trial and error and thinking. Finally ended up filing off most of the screw heads on the left side of the bottom vent so I could slip it in or take it out on that side and never mess with the original setup. Bent the catch tab down a little. Just enough to still catch the screen but can slide over it if I want. The adapter tucks right in under the screen side when open. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Zamfir
    Zamfir Posts: 32
    Ok. What’s next! =)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Ike
    Ike Posts: 404
    So now you will be master of the BGE and The panflute?
    Owensboro, KY.  First Eggin' 4/12/08.  Large, small, 22" Blackstone and lotsa goodies.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Zamfir
    Zamfir Posts: 32
    I also figured out with the help of this forum that the place that built this BGE put the damn lid hinge on upside down. I think that was a major frustration point for Ma. Lid stays up real nice now with it on correctly. I am sure glad they built it wrong or I might not have it right now. Lol. That was fun fixing. But sooo worth the effort!  Like night and day difference!
    Now I can read USA on the hinge!  
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 34,848
    What does the Billows thingy do?
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike

    "The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand." - Deep Throat
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SmokeyLopey
    SmokeyLopey Posts: 435
    Welcome! I haven't tried bacon on BGE, but imagine someone around here has. You can search the forum by clicking on magnifying glass...or wait a few minutes and someone will come along with all sorts of helpful info.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mEGG_My_Day
    mEGG_My_Day Posts: 1,661
    I have tried bacon only once and it came out OK but not great.  The pork belly I used was too lean - not what you want in bacon.  Inspect your pork belly before purchasing to insure a good fat to meat ratio.  

    Also, when I first tried, @dharley and/or @Sea2Ski suggested I look up the ‘equilibrium method’.  It helps to keep the bacon from being too salty. This is the method I used, and will use it again.  Make sure you get the correct curing salt for the process you are using.  Most recipes I see for bacon use cure #1.  But longer cures call for cure #2.  Google is your friend here.

    Also, you really should use a kitchen scale to measure your curing ingredients.  I bought this cheap scale for under $15 on amazon.  So if you don’t have one, get one IMO.


      (It also comes in handy for baking/bread making.

    Good luck and welcome aboard. 
    Memphis, TN 

    LBGE, 2 SBGE, Hasty-Bake Gourmet
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,541
    Welcome and I'm glad you found the site! 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    Welcome. Lots of people do bacon on here. ask away when you are ready. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 7,347
    Zamfir said:
    I also figured out with the help of this forum that the place that built this BGE put the damn lid hinge on upside down. I think that was a major frustration point for Ma. Lid stays up real nice now with it on correctly. I am sure glad they built it wrong or I might not have it right now. Lol. That was fun fixing. But sooo worth the effort!  Like night and day difference!
    Now I can read USA on the hinge!  
    My cousin bought an XL Egg for his mother and assembled it himself. He put the lid on backwards so it faces away from the bottom air intake when open. I should mention that he has a PhD in polymer science.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,905
    Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun. 
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,173
    Zamfir said:
    Figured I would say hi now that I can. 
    This made me laugh coming from Colorado. Just bustin on ya. Welcome aboard.
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • six_egg
    six_egg Posts: 1,112
    Welcome aboard @Zamfir. The method I have been using for years now is from Amazing Ribs. Bacon Recipe .

    XLBGE, LBGE 

    Fernandina Beach, FL

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 1voyager
    1voyager Posts: 1,161
    edited August 2019
    Zamfir said:
    I also figured out with the help of this forum that the place that built this BGE put the damn lid hinge on upside down. I think that was a major frustration point for Ma. Lid stays up real nice now with it on correctly. I am sure glad they built it wrong or I might not have it right now. Lol. That was fun fixing. But sooo worth the effort!  Like night and day difference!
    Now I can read USA on the hinge!  
    Hello, neighbor. The distributor (Ace?) that assembled the Egg also placed it incorrectly in the nest. Do you see the crossbar to the left of the picture? It should be at the rear of the Egg.
    Large Egg, PGS A40 gasser.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • alaskanassasin
    alaskanassasin Posts: 8,968
    Welcome! Make sure you get those band bolts tight enough or you will be picking the lid up off the lawn on a hi temp cook.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Zamfir
    Zamfir Posts: 32
    I think I got them on tight.  I will look to see what they should look like fully tightened.  I have a torque wrench if anyone has a value for that but I seem to remember seeing a picture somewhere on how bent they should look. I will poke around.  

    @1voyager: It was built from some hottub/fireplace place in Omaha. But I put it on the nest once it made the journey here from there.  Thanks for the heads up. That will be fixed!  

    Thanks!  
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Zamfir
    Zamfir Posts: 32
    edited August 2019
    JohnInCarolina said:
    What does the Billows thingy do?
      Blow air into the egg when it is below temp and not blow air into the egg when it is at temp.  Slows down and pulses as it gets close to temp. It worked damn well in my test today. Made a separate post on that. https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1221023/dry-run-with-thermoworks-signals-and-billows-and-conveggtor#latest  Lots of details on it there. And I am no way connected to thermoworks or got it for free etc. just liked what they had and picked it up to help me not ruin any meat.  Hedge my bets!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Zamfir
    Zamfir Posts: 32
    I am impressed with how efficient this sucker is at using the charcoal!  More I play with it the more excited I am to play with it more!  
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • NorthPilot06
    NorthPilot06 Posts: 1,179
    Zamfir said:
    I am impressed with how efficient this sucker is at using the charcoal!  More I play with it the more excited I am to play with it more!  
    Thanks for the feedback!  I’m getting more and more interested in buying one
    DFW - 1 LGBE & Happy to Adopt More...
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories