Egg gets HOT

lizzard333

Just purchased a Medium BGE and used it for the first time over the weekend. I was told that the outside
would not get hot, but it was very hot to the touch. Do you think all is ok with the egg?

The Naked Whiz

lizzard333,[p]The outside gets plenty hot with time and temperature. However, it doesn't get as hot as a metal cooker. If you cook a steak at 750 degrees, the outside will be way too hot to touch, although you can probably touch it really fast without burning your skin. Your cooker is fine. Just be aware that it does get hot.[p]TNW

Pug

lizzard333,
Yes, all is well. It will get hot if you are cooking at higher temps. [p]Steve

lizzard333

The Naked Whiz,
thanks - I've got four kids and wanted to double check. I will need to get a 'daisy wheel' for the top to help regulate temp. What other accessories are a 'must'? This was my husbands father's day present and I want him to enjoy it.

Unknown

lizzard333,
That shouldn't be a problem.[p]While ceramic cookers remain considerably cooler on the outside than metal cookers, they do still get hot.[p]The big difference is that during most cooks, you can briefly tap the exterior of the cooker without searing your hand or fingers the way you would with a metal cooker.[p]Don't worry about hurting the egg, but you should make sure you are protecting whatever it's sitting on, and of course keep the kids and pets away from it.[p]bc

lizzard333

bc,
Our cooker is on a short basket with casters. It is currently in the garage but when we move it to the deck do we still need to put bricks under it?

Unknown

lizzard333,[p]I'm not sure what you mean by the basket, but if the egg is going directly on the deck absolutely put some bricks down![p]My web server is down right now so I cant point you at them, but I posted some pictures a while ago of the damage my large had done to my cart when I failed to insulate it from the egg bottom. The directions for building the cart even specificaly said not to put anything between the egg and the wood, but my "eggsperience" taght me otherwise.[p]bc

Unknown

lizzard333,
Strongly consider getting a table for your egg. I can't tell you how many people have posted expletives after rolling their egg over a little bump and tipping humpty over and breaking it. If you MUST keep rolling it, ALWAYS PULL IT!!!!! That way, if it starts to tip, you are in front of it and can stop it, hard to catch up with an egg falling away from you. Welcome to egging, I hope you get as much from your egg as I have. This Forum is priceless. I learn something new every week.

lizzard333

bc,
I am assuming the 'basket' is the metal holder with casters. Our basket is short -4 inches off of the ground> Do I need to put bricks under the basket between the egg and my deck? I just put out a request for table plans for the egg. I'll try to pull up your pics later. Thank you for the info.

lizzard333

Seth Howard,
I just put a request up for table plans so my husband can build. Thanks!

The Naked Whiz

lizzard333,
Another good reason to put the egg in a table is that it makes it just a little bit harder to accidentally touch the sides when it is hot. [p]Daisy wheel is a must. The ash tool is nice but you can use any old thing for scraping out ashes and stirring them up. I like the plate setter a lot. You can use it for indirect cooks, but my main use is for doing pizza. It brings the pizza stone up to the level of the egg's opening. Gotta have a thermometer for the dome. Get a probe type thermometer like a Polder if you want to do meats that require measuring internal temp. If you do a turkey for example. :You don't want to have to open the egg up just to check the temp. A grid lifter of some sort is a must to take out a hot grill or a greasy grill and not get messy. That's pretty much what I have.[p]TNW

The Naked Whiz

lizzard333,
No, if you have your egg in the Egg Nest 3-4 inches off the ground, you don't need bricks under it. If you are using it on a wood deck, do beware of hot coals coming out of the bottom vent, though.[p]TNW

Gretl

lizzard333,
A dome thermometer is a must. I have a couple of extra grills so I can raise one above the other; this can be accomplished with the use of three thin firebricks set on edge. I do have a grill extender from BGE that works well, too. A daisy wheel is nice. A polder remote thermometer is also good, but they're a little pricy and I find that after cooking for awhile I can pretty much tell when to check the internal temp with a cheap instant-read thermometer from Taylor. I also have a chimney-style charcoal starter that I like to use in conjunction with some Weber starter cubes. Again, these are cheap items from Lowes. When you start cooking and Eggsperimenting, you'll begin to know what you need to make or buy. Also, check the Forum as there are many, many great ideas and helpful pictures of cooking set-ups posted here. Great source for all kinds of information about ceramic cooking. Have fun!
Gretl

hounddog

I agree. I suggest also that you go to Lowes and get one of those fireproof mats for a grill and put it on the section of the deck where you intend to use the egg. That way, any sparks go onto the mat and not onto the deck. I did this on an outside deck, and the mat lasted two years before I had to replace it because it rotted. Total cost -- less than 20 bucks, I think.