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Eggfest Revelation - New Eggs Stink?

Iceman5705
Iceman5705 Posts: 83
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum

All,

I was at the Cincinatti Eggfest a few weeks ago and I had a major revelation.  On my first several cooks on my egg, I noticed a very distinct taste that wasn't so good on everything that came out of the egg.  Kind an acrid, chemical taste.  Over time it became less and less prevalent and today is non existent.

The revelation was that when I went to the Egg fest, that taste was back!  It then dawned on me all the eggs there were being fired for the first time.  I guess I am wondering if BGE should advise a seasoning of the egg before you actually put food on the thing.  I am guessing it took 100 hours or so of smoking of use before that taste went away for good.  I am guessing that the ceramic has a chemical release agent that gets sprayed on the egg so it won't stick to a form?  Any input would be cool as to whether or not there are chems on the egg upon delivery.

Thought I would pass on my experience to see if anyone else might have had a similar events occur with their new egg.

Thanks, cheers!

Iceman

«1

Comments

  • Kristinnn
    Kristinnn Posts: 133
    nope didnt notice
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    At a minimum, they cast the ceramic in forms, then bisque fire it, then glaze, then fire it again.  They may have an extra step in there but any release agents should be long gone.  So I wouldn't suspect the ceramic, unless they applied something to it afterwards (I can't imagine why).

    I'm going to guess it's the firebox/fire ring, the gasket or adhesive or maybe some treatment of the cast iron that's causing the "stink".

    Seems like, if that makes food taste funky, a new egg might need to be broken in with a massive high temp clean-out firing.  That would make the gaskets sacrificial...maybe they're easier to scrape off virgin rather than burnt. 

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    If you are correct (not saying you are not) then Egg Fests are over. Hell, we have a small one in Salado and have over 40 new eggs going. I hope they used something as a starter in yours that screwed it up.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I've used some wax starters that smelled like the wax was scraped out of a bunker crude tank.  I stopped using them.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Iceman5705
    Iceman5705 Posts: 83
    @Mickey: for me it wasn't so over powering that I didn't eat what we cooked.  It just was enough that my palate picked it up.  Not saying we should stop the fests, just making an observation.
  • Rubmyrock
    Rubmyrock Posts: 266
    Same here. My wife hated my first few cooks because of the chemical taste. Fifteen cooks in she loves it
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    The problem as you state it is new people would be worried to buy with a putoff taste at all. The second reason (first is EggHeads have a ball) for fest is to sell new Eggs. Sure hope you have a local problem.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Drink a 6-pack prior to eating anything in the first few cooks, the chemical taste is much less noticeable.
    :)
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Rubmyrock
    Rubmyrock Posts: 266
    Wasn't there a situation last year on BBQ Pittmasters - Johnny Trigg's shootout where the judges said Leeann's ribs had a bad chemical taste. If I'm not mistaken, she flew into Texas and cooked on three brand new eggs loaned out from a local dealer. My first hamburgers on my brand new egg were hideous.
  • Iceman5705
    Iceman5705 Posts: 83
    @Mickey: calm down, did you read my post.  I said its no longer a problem. Geez.
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    Rubmyrock said:

    Wasn't there a situation last year on BBQ Pittmasters - Johnny Trigg's shootout where the judges said Leeann's ribs had a bad chemical taste. If I'm not mistaken, she flew into Texas and cooked on three brand new eggs loaned out from a local dealer. My first hamburgers on my brand new egg were hideous.

    she borrowed friends egg' who had previously used lightter fluid.
  • ratcheer
    ratcheer Posts: 189
    I got a new Egg last Friday. I definitely noticed a chemical taste on my first cook (grilled chicken breasts), but I haven't noticed it since. I said to myself at the time, it tastes just like I used way too much charcoal starter fluid - which I didn't use at all.

    Tim
  • Mine smells like smoke
    Cookin' on the coast
    Shellman Bluff, GA
    Medium BGE

  • Daveh1976
    Daveh1976 Posts: 62
    Got my egg 3 weeks ago.  The wife said the same thing on Day 1 cook but I ignored her.  Day 2 she said was fine.
  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    Drink a 6-pack prior to eating anything in the first few cooks, the chemical taste is much less noticeable.
    :)

    +1

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    edited July 2012
    @Mickey: calm down, did you read my post.  I said its no longer a problem. Geez.

    Once more. If what you say is correct it is a major problem for Fests as all Eggs are new. Funny you are the the first to bring this up. I have 4 new Eggs never having the problem. Put on a fest last March with 40 new Eggs and no problem. So now from your little report Eggs have a problem or you do. Geez
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    I had that problem when I first got my Egg. I was using BGE starters, and not waiting long enough for them to burn up before shutting the lid. After shutting the lid, the flame went out on the starter and they smoldered with bad smoke. Once I learned to be patient, (and switched to either an electric starter or oil soaked paper towels) the bad smell/taste went away. As has been stated many times on the forum, wait til the smoke smells good before putting on the food.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I had that problem when I first got my Egg. I was using BGE starters, and not waiting long enough for them to burn up before shutting the lid. After shutting the lid, the flame went out on the starter and they smoldered with bad smoke. Once I learned to be patient, (and switched to either an electric starter or oil soaked paper towels) the bad smell/taste went away. As has been stated many times on the forum, wait til the smoke smells good before putting on the food.

    Hey, maybe that's the source of the mysterious problem.  New users get the wax starters, batch of wax stinks, food stinks, they eventually run out, food stops stinking, BGE CSI case solved.

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Rubmyrock
    Rubmyrock Posts: 266
    I had this problem and have only used an electric starter.
  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    Lots of new eggers close the egg up tight and leave the food in there.  This might be an answer to some of the bad tastes.  Not all, but some.
  • R2Egg2Q
    R2Egg2Q Posts: 2,136
    Fortunately, I haven't experienced that. In June, we handed out 400+ servings of Eggfest food cooked on 2 new XL Eggs and heard no complaints of off taste or odor from our food or others. We baked over 125 cookies on the Egg and folks were smelling them as they were concerned they'd be smokey (no one detected any smoke or off odors). I had no off tastes on my first cook on my new Large Egg nor did my 3 friends who took home demo Eggs. It seems like there are isolated incidents but I can think of a couple of other possibilities beyond those previously mentioned: grease from the hinge assembly getting in the Egg or maybe some bad lump. Who knows for sure but I don't think all new Eggs have that issue.
    XL, Large, Small, Mini Eggs, Shirley Fabrication 24x36 Patio, Humphrey's Weekender, Karubecue C-60, MAK 1-Star General, Hasty Bake Gourmet, Santa Maria Grill, Webers: 14" WSM, 22.5" OTG, 22.5" Kettle Premium, WGA Charcoal, Summit S-620 NG

    Bay Area, CA
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited July 2012
    Never had this problem with either of my eggs or any of the food I ate or cooked at Salado.

    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Never had this problem with either of my eggs or any of the food I ate at Salado.
    Good, must not be a wide-spread systematic problem.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Perhaps the stink was associated with the Bungles! :P
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • DocWonmug
    DocWonmug Posts: 300
    I did one high temp test fire before cooking anything and never noticed anything on the food after that.
    LBGE
  • I did one high temp test fire before cooking anything and never noticed anything on the food after that.
    Same here
    :D
  • ratcheer
    ratcheer Posts: 189
    edited July 2012

    Once more. If what you say is correct it is a major problem for Fests as all Eggs are new. Funny you are the the first to bring this up. I have 4 new Eggs never having the problem. Put on a fest last March with 40 new Eggs and no problem. So now from your little report Eggs have a problem or you do. Geez
    Well, I noticed it as I said above, and I had never heard of it or had any preconceived notion that it might happen. It was a pretty strong, chemical flavor. And I had started my lumps in a chimney with no chemicals of any kind, just paper.

    Tim
  • misu
    misu Posts: 213
    one of my more recent large eggs had a gunpowder smell for the first 5-ish cooks, I blame it on the charcoal. 
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    new gaskets give off fumes, i wonder if the lump grate is coated with something so it doesnt rust before use, other than that, new eggers dont allows wait for the lump to burn off the nasties before food goes on
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • talltrevor
    talltrevor Posts: 54
    I noticed it - but mostly when my egg wasn't fired up.  Even my mother commented she didn't like the smell.  I thought I just got used to it over time and didn't notice it but she mentioned last month my egg "doesn't have that stink" anymore.

    I assumed it was because I was smelling the old smoke on the bare ceramic and now that I have a nice coating of black grease in there, the ceramic, and the smoky ceramic smell, is sealed in.
    I love my egg.