Help with new Egg

Unknown

Hello all. Just got home with my new Egg. I need a little help though. This Egg doesn't have the manual. The store is going to have the company send me out one, but who would want to wait?[p]So what I need to know is what do I need to know to get started? Has any enterprising individual scanned the user manual? I was a bit disappointed that the company doesn't have a PDF version available for download.[p]Any help appreciated![p]And, as an aside, I purchased a large Big Green Egg with wooden egg nest, a few grill tools, and eight bags of different wood chips, all for $500. Not a bad deal from what I've learned over the past few days.

Smokey

Timothy Reaves,[p]Forget the manual. It won't be of much help. HERE's where you should be!! Ask and people will he happy to help![p]Also, look at:[p]Tim M's site http://www.tm52.com/bge/[p]and[p]Gfw's web site http://bbq.yyyz.net/[p]Both are here on thr forum!![p]Smokey

Tim M

Timothy Reaves,
You're a lucky guy - new Egg and no manual to confuse you with errors. The manual is OK but ignore any recipes until you check the folks on the forum first. Some are way off and will not produce good meals - ribs in 45 min comes to mind. Maybe others will add some of the more error rich ones.[p]At least you found the forum, the help here really out weighs the manual. Did you get the video? That is worth having if just to see some of the forum folk. Call BGE and ask for one if you didn't get one - the people at the BBQ store probably kept it for their "great video of food" collection. It's a good video. Check out the New User page on my site. Welcome!![p]Tim
[ul][li]Tim's BGE site.[/ul]

The Naked Whiz

Timothy Reaves,
As I recall, the manual has a recipe for perfect steaks. That was the first thing I did after watching the video. Made a hell of steak![p]TNW

Earl

Timothy Reaves,
As Tim wrote, you don't need the manual to get you up and running. Go to the main forum page & go the submitted recipes or recipes. There you will find more help, with step by step instuctions on just how to cook on your new egg.
Welcome to the forum and enjoy your new toy.
If you go with the steaks, be carefull with the flare up when you close and open the lid. This is no in the book, but it does touch on it in the video.[p]Earl

Spin

Timothy Reaves,[p]Congratulations. The benefits of what the Egg design can do for you are only obtained when cooking with the dome closed. This includes grilling. Youe Egg controls the cooking temperature by limiting the oxygen (airflow through the Egg) avaiable to the fire for combustion. The bottom vent has a larger affect on the temp with the top vent best used for finer adjustments. Your Egg cools much slower than it heats up, so catching the temperature and the stepping it up is much easier than overshooting the temperature and then waiting for it to drop.[p]You are gonna love it.[p]Spin

sdbelt

Are you wanting the manual to help you assemble the egg, or to know how to use it once assembled? For usage, just scanning this forum is going to be as useful as the manual.[p]Also, did you get a dual-function daisy-wheel top and a dome thermometer? If not, head back and get 'em, you'll need 'em. At $500, it sounds like you got a hell of a deal. I think I'm into my large egg for ~$750 with all of the eggcessaries.[p]To start, I'd try something simple. Either hamburgers, a steak or chicken. [p]When cooking in the egg the dome should be closed the entire time, aside from flipping and loading. This saves the relatively fragile felt gasket from burning off. [p]For hamburgers, get the egg hot...real hot. Above 500, even above 700 if you want. Then cook for 4 minutes per side patties that are about 3/4" thick. [p]For steak, do the same, but then add a couple of minutes on the end, with the vents completely closed. This is called a dwell. Closing the vents kills the fire, so be careful when you open it back up. (Hint: Did you see the movie backdraft?) To overcome that problem, open the vents 20 seconds before opening the dome. If you listen closely, you can hear the flame re-ignite and then you know its safe.[p]For chicken, get the egg to 325, then cook until done, flipping after 30 minutes, if you are cooking pieces. If cooking a whole bird, consider the beer butt recipe.[p]In all cases, avoid sauces until the cook is nearly complete or is complete. These will just burn and drip and flare up. Let the egg add the smoke flavor and go from there. Personally, I started out with the minimalist approach (salt and pepper), and advanced from there.[p]Also, look into getting the necessary accessories to do indirect cooking with fire bricks. An extra 18" rack (or two) and 5 fire bricks will enable indirect cooks with a drip pain that is really handy for the low and slow cooks and/or cooks with fattier foods.[p]Enjoy the Egg and come back often![p]--sdb

Painter

sdbelt, Good reply, Ya got it covered well. Nothing I can add cause youve covered all the bases. Youv'e obviously done some personal training on your egg.
Good Day To Ya.......... Painter

Janet

Timothy Reaves,
A bit of advice from a relatively new egger. After the loss of some arm hairs, an eyebrow, and an evening spent with an ice pack on my hand, I now make it a habit to open the top of my egg just an inch or two for a couple of seconds when it is hot (any time it is hot - not just after a dwell [a period of cooking with both top and bottom vents closed]). If you get into this habit, you hopefully will avoid a burst of flame or heat that occurs when the coals are suddenly exposed to excess air. Despite the pains - I'm now an egg-afficionado! Have fun and eat well!

Unknown

sdbelt,[p]Thanks for the info![p]No, the tom that I hve is cast iron with a sliding circle, not with the additional Daisy Wheel. Does this really make much of a difference?[p]I stopped by Home Depot for the fire brick, as this is something I am interested in, but I was told that the stores in Nothern Ohio don't sell fire brick. Go figure. So I'll need to find another source.

Shelby

Janet,
Glad to see you jumping in and posting to another newbie!
How's the arm?

Janet

Shelby,
Thanks for asking - the arm is fine - hairless - but fine!
Didn't really need that hair anyway...

KennyG

Timothy Reaves,[p]Where in Northern Oh are you located??[p]K~G

Unknown

KennyG,[p]Homerville. And yes, it is as small as the name makes it sound.

Unknown

Timothy Reaves,[p]To bad you don't live in north Atlanta, I know where an old house was torn down with chimney and all, and there are all kinds of loose fire bricks laying around. At least I assume that's what they were. Definately from the chimney and different shape and size from the normal bricks.[p]Kurt

KennyG

Timothy Reaves,[p]OK, I got ya now just West of Lodi.[p]RhumAndJerk and I like to think that we aromatically enhance the Greater Cleveland area. Once or twice a month, I drive down to Cincinnati via I71 for branch meetings. All Egg accessories, firebrick and bulk lump pricing are readily available up here. Just give me a shout if you need something.[p]BTW, you got a great price on your Egg. I'd love to know your source.[p]K~G

RhumAndJerk

Timothy Reaves,
That is nice find to get the old style sliding top rather than the new combo top. I have never been a big fan of the combo top. I use that old style daisy wheel and wish that I had a sliding top as well.[p]Like KennyG asked where did you get it and do they have any more?
RhumAndJerk[p]

Unknown

KennyG,[p]What kind of branch meetings? BGE? If so, I'd like to go! I could use some firebrick; the Home Depot in Medina doesn't carry it.

KennyG

Timothy Reaves,[p]Nope, boring business meetings. Your best bet for firebricks would be a custom fireplace/stove/patio store. Sometimes these places also sell high end gas grills. You should be able to find "splits" for about a buck a piece.[p]Better yet are the thin "Flametamer bricks" that Earl was showcasing a few days ago. A little more expensive, but lighter and more flexible. In either case I can get them for you or set you up with a source if you ever come to Cleveland.[p]K~G

Unknown

RhumAndJerk,
I got it at a place called the Fireplace Shop, and it was there last unit. They said they sold a dozen of them this year, but won't get any more in until next year.

Unknown

KennyG,[p]I get into Cleveland every now and them; my in-laws are up there. Where would be a good place, preferably on the west or south side?[p]Thanks!

KennyG

Timothy Reaves,[p]Check your email[p]K~G

sdbelt

Timothy Reaves, Home Depot around here doesn't have fire bricks either. Neither did the place I bought my Egg from. I went to Phoenix Brick, which is a local brick house (they make bricks). I would think you could find a source close to you by contacting a contractor that builds fireplces and asking them where they get them, or whether you could get your hands on 6 of them via a trade. I can imagine that its a wholesale product, but a contractor might let some go for a 12-pack or other suitable trade.[p]Good luck! And congratulations![p]--sdb

Unknown

Timothy Reaves,[p]I just bought an Egg last weekend and have used it three times. I can enlighten you as far as my "new" experience! [p]We've found that starting with the top open works really well, because the Egg doesn't heat up as much and then it's hard to get the temperature down. We use parafin starters (one or two) and when they burn out we close the lid and start monitoring the temperature. From then on, follow this good advice sent to me from Kelly Keefe, who gives 'Spin' credit. It's advice he gave to someone else and she saved it. Especially helpful on the amount to open the bottom vent and corresponding temperature result. Here it is:[p]Hi Jonathan! [p]Was curious to learn if you tried the Egg again last weekend and what were
the results.  I cooked up a slab of baby back ribs and some rib eyes over the
weekend and some pork steaks on Monday before the heat got to be too much to
stand being outside -- grin!  They all turned out pretty good. [p]Was thinking about your questions regarding temperature control and, after
hunting around my office, found an email that Spin sent me a couple of months
ago.  I'll quote it to you, maybe it'll be of some help. [p]"Your Egg regulates heat by limiting the amount of oxygen available for the
fire to use, this controlling the fires growth and size.  Airflow through the
Egg is where this oxygen supply is obtained.  The vents control the amount of
this airflow. [p]The bottom vent has much more control over the ultimate cooking temp of the
Egg, the top vent being used for finer adjustments.  A closed top vent
(alone) will not kill the fire, while a closed bottom vent (alone) will
slowly kill the fire. [p]The dome temperature gauge always reads the internal dome temperature.  It
fails to indicate whether this temperature is from the fire or radiated from
the stored heat in the Egg.  Your Egg heats up much quicker than it cools
down, thus it is easy to kill the fire attempting to cool the Egg down on a
temperature overshoot. [p]Good fire control practice is to start your Egg with both vents wide open (I
even remove the top vent for maximum airflow).  Light your lump charcoal from
the top in the center of the top of the pile.  Close the dome and watch the
dome temp gauge.  It will first not move as the lump slowly catches on.  As
the dome temp rises, it will tend to rise faster (more lump lit=more lump
growing=faster rising temps).  At about 200°F, the Egg will really start to
run up the temp. [p]As the gauge approaches 50°F lower than your intended cooking temp, close the
bottom vent to an appropriate opening and adjust the top vent to about a half
open setting.  This adjustment is made to limit the airflow to "catch" the
rising temp and allows the Egg to stabilize at a regulated dome temp below
the cooking temp.  Once the temp has settled to a reading, tap the bottom
vent open (or closed) just a tad to make final adjustments. [p]Approximate bottom vent setting and resulting dome temps are: 1/16"=180-210°,
1/8"=220-250°, 1/4"=250-280°, 1/2"=275-325°, 1"=325-350°, 2"=350-400°.  Top
vent settings affect regulated temp more as the cooking temp rises as more
airflow is required to maintain a hotter fire." [p]My experience has been that those settings need to be closed just a little
bit more on my Egg, but they're a pretty good approximation! [p]Hope you had a good weekend with the Egg and that this is of use to you. [p]Cheers! [p]Kelly[p]