Small Egg Questions

IMF

Similar to the recent post - Medium egg question - how long can you do a low and slow cook on a single load of charcoal in a small? And do you usually fill it to the top of the fire ring?

Also, I am interested in any tips/techniques related to cooking on a small and pictures of the different setups that people use for raised direct, indirect, multi-layers, etc. So far I have a plate setter and a pizza stone (but i think the stone is too big at 12 3/4 inches). I cooked a good pizza the other day but had trouble keeping the temp above 400, I think there's not enough room for air to flow with a stone that big...

Unknown

The small BGE will do a fine job with most cooking tasks with some inexpensive homemade setups.

I usually add charcoal at about the 7-8 hour on my larger cooks and my setups allow me to do this very easily.



This is about 16 pounds of pork butts and I start them on their sides to get them on the cooker.



Later, I can get them laid down when I add my charcoal and more smoking wood.



I also cook on two layers with my setup. This is three bone in skin on chicken breasts on the lower level.



I then add my top raised grid and wrapped hearth stone and place a casserole of scalloped potatoes on the upper level. Usually run the cooker around 325 degrees for this kind of cook.



Potatoes about done.



Chicken done.



This is a butterflied chicken being cooked on my single layer raised grid setup with drip pan.



This is my raised grid single layer 10 inch in diameter hearth stone setup for baking in the small Egg. On the hearth is a nice big loaf of sourdough hearth bread. This size hearth stone work perfect for all baking in the small Egg.



This is a 10 inch pizza on the above setup.

Good Stuff!!!

Dipstick

cookingdude555

I got 13 hours out of my small doing a pork butt that was about 8 lbs. I filled to the top of the fire ring (acutally over), and I used Chubbys grate mates ring (http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/gratemates/gratemates.htm) to hold a pie tin for the indirect piece. At first it was sitting on top of lump and smoke wood, but it sunk as the burn went on. The amazing thing about it is I think I could have gone a several more hours. Since it was my first overnight cook on it, I packed the lump in pretty tight. My Maverik woke me up at about 5 hours into the cook, as I had dipped below 200, but I opened the vent about a credit card width more and it slowly went back around 230 and stayed there.

My only complaint on the small is not on the low/slow side, but on the hot/fast side of things. The large is easy to get roaring fast, the small takes planning. I usually have to clean it, use newer lump, and a weed burner (I had a gasket before the weed burner, havent seen it since).

Ripnem

Here's 10 bone-in chops.

Just needed some creative flipping. :P

While they rested..


Halibut went on. Fed 14 in about 25 minutes of cooking on the small...with ease

This is the small after a 12-13 hr slo n lo. with Wicked Good Lump

IMF

Thanks Dipstick, great pics. Never thought you could fit that much meat on a small...

So it looks like you have 2 pieces of metal, recessed in the middle, running across the fire ring with about a 9" metal pie pan sitting on top. And for the raised grid, looks like a second grate with a bolt/washer setup to elevate. Were you able to find a weber (or other make) grate or did you have to get one from BGE? Is that pizza stone from BGE or somewhere else? Any other details you can share so that I could try to duplicate this setup?

All the grub looks amazing by the way...

IMF

Nice, 13 hours (or longer) seems like a long time for such a small amount of lump.

I've noticed in the few times I've cooked so far that getting high temps can be a bit of a challenge. Seems like the ash builds up quickly - I've started vacuuming it out before each cook and that seems to help a little.

For low and slow cooks do you usually light the whole top layer of the coals (i'm guessing so with a weed burner http://www.eggheadforum.com/components/com_simpleboard/emoticons/smile.png)? I use a mapp torch and have been lighting 3 areas to try to get everything evenly engaged...

IMF

Great pics, thanks. I've always thought the small was too small to cook a lot of food, but I'm learning that's not the case if you get creative.

I need to build a compact table, about the size of yours, cause I'm short on space. Can you post any additional info/pics of the table?

Thanks

cookingdude555

I use the mapp torch to light when doing low and slow, usually 3-4 places. Weed burner is for when I want it hot quick, and for scaring the neighbors. I bet they just love the jet engine going off once a day ...

EggSimon

fantastic post, thanks a lot for the pics and the set up describtion !

Ripnem

I used salvaged or extra trim material and cabinet doors for this one and a couple others just like it. You can pull the egg out and flip the table over to get your cooking height a little closer to what is desired.

Both of mine are about shot because the materials aren't exterior grade stuff. just on hand and free. My next will be heavy duty and able to handle the elements. They travel a bunch.

Frank from Houma

I've seen that little guy strapped in the back of a boat

IMF

Thanks!

EggSimon

jabinns wrote:http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/gratemates/gratemates.htm)[/quote]

thanks Jabinns for that link, he works.

But the contact link (www.gratemates.com) doesn´t work. Knows anybody if the grate mates are still available ? When yes, where ?

Thanks

Simon

eenie meenie

Simon, GrateMates are still in production. Just toogle down to the bottom of this section on the Naked Whiz site and you will find the contact info for ordering. http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/gratemates/gratemates.htm

Unknown

The grate is from a Weber Smokey Joe grill. The hearth stone is TWO kiln shelves which I stack from New Mexico Clay Company. These are 1/4" thick and 10" in diameter.

Dipstick