Family doesn't like the smoke can I convert them?

Byrne29

I bought a large bge roughly 2 months ago family doesn't like the taste. I love it use it probably 4 days a week for myself cook there food on bbq. Doing some smoked jerky right now and did nachos last night(which they disliked). Is there any trick of the trade to turn them onto the flavor?

lkapigian

Type of wood and how much ? If you can see smoke, its not going to taste good, thin blue almost clear smile is what you want.....start with fruit woods, or none at all , lump on its own is hardwood ...my 2 cents

Its tougher in a smoldering cooker like an Egg

JohnInCarolina

Is finding a new family an option?

Just kidding (mostly).

 If you use it as a grill to cook things hot and fast (like searing a steak, or cooking chicken kabobs) the protein will really just get a kiss of smoke.  I guess I’d hope with time it would grow on them.  You can also try different kinds of smoke wood, and of course make sure your smoke and lump is burning cleanly.  

But if your family members don’t even like stuff that’s grilled quickly over the hot coals, then they may just don’t like food that’s cooked over a live fire and you may want to find a good hypnotist to work with them.

buzd504

You can probably file this under unpopular opinions (especially around here), but the egg is not the best tool for every job.  Grilling meat?  sure.  Smoking a chicken?  Definitely.  Cooking nachos?  Eh, the oven works pretty well for that.  I don't want smoke on everything.

lousubcap

Try using a very smoke neutral lump like Rockwood.  That and letting it burn clean (smoke smell test mentioned above) will definitely help.  FWIW-

Byrne29

JohnInCarolina said:

Is finding a new family an option?

Just kidding (mostly).

 If you use it as a grill to cook things hot and fast (like searing a steak, or cooking chicken kabobs) the protein will really just get a kiss of smoke.  I guess I’d hope with time it would grow on them.  You can also try different kinds of smoke wood, and of course make sure your smoke and lump is burning cleanly.  

But if your family members don’t even like stuff that’s grilled quickly over the hot coals, then they may just don’t like food that’s cooked over a live fire and you may want to find a good hypnotist to work with them.

Byrne29

Now that's funny.

Byrne29

lkapigian said:

Type of wood and how much ? If you can see smoke, its not going to taste good, thin blue almost clear smile is what you want.....start with fruit woods, or none at all , lump on its own is hardwood ...my 2 cents

Its tougher in a smoldering cooker like an Egg

Byrne29

I'm using just basic green egg lump hardwood just trying to get them to like that before moving forward 

Byrne29

buzd504 said:

You can probably file this under unpopular opinions (especially around here), but the egg is not the best tool for every job.  Grilling meat?  sure.  Smoking a chicken?  Definitely.  Cooking nachos?  Eh, the oven works pretty well for that.  I don't want smoke on everything.

Byrne29

That's very true just trying things with the bge just like a new toy learning. What I can tell you is my stove hasn't been used for cooking in like 4 years or more except for the wife baking at Christmas. I cook everything on bbq until I bought the bge. I shovel off my patio before the driveway so I can cook when I get home from work

lousubcap

I would park the BGE branded lump and go with Rockwood.  If you can't find (sold at Ace hardware stores-or they can order it) then you can order it on-line.  

Photo Egg

Even BGE lump, given 30 minutes to stabilize, will normally burn clean enough to bake cookies and bread with no off taste. This is assuming you are not adding any wood for smoke or have drippings in your Egg from past cooks that are burning and smoking. 

For something else to try…set up for indirect with plate setter and put a drip pan under the grate. Add a little water so the drippings don’t burn. Cook some chicken thighs or bone in chicken breasts at about 350 degrees. You should have almost zero wood fire taste assuming you give the lump time to stabilize and are burning clean first. If this is still something they don’t like, rest assured you have done all you can do. Either they truly don’t like grilled food or they just have a predetermined negative block in their mind. Even a gas grill will add grilled flavor from drippings being burned.

Byrne29

Thanks for the tips will definitely try. Probably try them tonight with chicken if that's what the wife wants

Byrne29

lousubcap said:

I would park the BGE branded lump and go with Rockwood.  If you can't find (sold at Ace hardware stores-or they can order it) then you can order it on-line.  

Byrne29

I will try it to get the family converted. Is Rockford not briquettes?

Carolina Q

Byrne29 said:

I will try it to get the family converted. Is Rockford not briquettes?

You're thinking of Kingsford (briquettes). The lump being recommended is Rockwood.

RRP

Even in person I have helped guys with similar issues. What I have discovered is the  root cause is ONE family member (most times the wife HERSELF) who has embittered the kids! Good luck, but until you figure out the source of the hate and address it head on one on one you won’t solve the problem. Sorry…

BTW I have seen the same resistance to trying to dry age beef in the family refrig! You know the term…if momma ain’t happy, nobody is happy! 

dmchicago

Where are you located?

maybe a fellow egged can pay a visit and help you out. 

Or wack your family. Dirty deeds, etc. 

Mattman3969

 I’ve got to echo all the clean fire advise. Before you put the protein on hold your hand over the top of the egg then smell your hand. If it smells like something you would eat it’s ready but if it smells nasty wait and check again.  

 Another piece of advice would be start with simple easy foods but not the whole meal or anything crazy out of the norm. Forget about using any additional wood for smoke until you get your process dialed in.  The egg takes time to learn but once you figure it out it’s great.  I was in the same boat as you when I first got my egg but now my wife is totally on board with the food that comes off of it.  

Good luck in your journey 

dmchicago

Seriously tho, I had this happen with my wife. 

When I first got my Egg, she complained about the smoke. I only used the egg when she traveled for work. 

Eventually, I would introduce smoke in small quantities. 

Now, she’ll request a specific smoke wood for certain proteins. 

Worked out great cause I would have hated to lose her!

Photo Egg

dmchicago said:

Seriously tho, I had this happen with my wife. 

When I first got my Egg, she complained about the smoke. I only used the egg when she traveled for work. 

Eventually, I would introduce smoke in small quantities. 

Now, she’ll request a specific smoke wood for certain proteins. 

Worked out great cause I would have hated to lose her!

That’s Hilarious!

YukonRon

just let the white heavy smoke clear just let the heavy white smoke clear, use a neutral smoke lump, and you will be fine.

dstearn

Is it the smoke flavor or something else? Years ago my ex wife’s Mother did not like grill marks on her food from a gas grill. My poor father in law had to cook on aluminum foil. Whenever we visited he asked me to take charge of the grill as she would not complain if I did the grilling ( no foil ). 

RyanStl

All good advice here.  When I do pizzas or work the wok I get a good flavor, but not a smoked flavor.  You need good lump, like Rockwood, and wait for the Egg to stabilize.

I got my XL from a guy that sold because he had just picked up a Blackstone. Reason was the family didn't like smoked meat.  It came with all kinds of accessories, even bags of wood chips. His loss, my gain.

OP, since you pretty much solely bbq/grill, was a gasser your normal go to?

CtTOPGUN

 Let temps stabilize well beyond what you think is good. I had that heavy smoke flavor when I started cooking on my BGE and food was too smokey tasting for all. Once I learned to get it to stabilize after burning clean I got way better reviews. Rockwood and Fogo burn cleaner faster. But Royal Oak(cheaper version but same as BGE lump) gets to burn clean too.


  Jim

Botch

dstearn said:

Is it the smoke flavor or something else? Years ago my ex wife’s Mother did not like grill marks on her food from a gas grill. My poor father in law had to cook on aluminum foil. Whenever we visited he asked me to take charge of the grill as she would not complain if I did the grilling ( no foil ). 

This post makes me very, very sad.    

nolaegghead

How and where are you starting the fire?

Mark_B_Good

What cooks exactly did they find too smokey?? What did you cook, what temp and for how long?

I cannot imagine a tomahawk steak being cooked direct for 20 minutes on a BGE at 500F tasting all that smokey ... that's my point.

nolaegghead

I don't think I'd like any steak cooked 20 minutes direct unless it was 3 inches thick.

Canugghead

I'll get blasted for saying this ... if all else fails, buy or trade your egg for a pellet pooper.  One major complaint on pellet pooper is lack of smoke flavour, which may be just what you need.  Don't get me wrong, I still love my XL and Large eggs but sometimes you have to think outside the egg.