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New Egghead observations...

bem1
bem1 Posts: 14
in EggHead Forum

1.  I smell like hickory/oak every time I cook which reminds me of camping (which I love).
2.  I am drinking a lot more beer.
3.  This thing heats/lights up FAST.
4.  Dialing in the temp is tricky.
5.  Struggling with not being able to see my food when it cooks...have actually peeked down the metal top with a flash light a couple of times to see how my food is cooking.
6.  Using a shop-vac works great at cleaning out the fire box ashes.
7.  Itching to make some pizza, but want to make sure the gasket is good to go.

Items I've made thus far:
-Grilled chicken breast - bbq marinade
-Grilled veggies - burnt them as I did not use the plate setter
-Cheese Burgers
-Angus hot dogs wrapped in bacon (so freggin awesome!)

Blake

LBGE from Texas
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Comments

  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    1. Agree
    2. Move a fridge nearby
    3. Yup
    4. It gets easier
    5. Be careful of flames coming out the top when you cook hot
    6. You can burn a hole in your vac if you don't wait long enough
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 21,673
    All good observations.  @theyolksonyou is right.  Vacuum with caution:

    I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.

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  • RiverDoc
    RiverDoc Posts: 572
    You are not alone with no.2, but this entire trip is a blast
    -Todd
    Franklin N.C. LBGE and a SBGE
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  • logchief
    logchief Posts: 1,431
    edited May 2015
    Welcome, agree with the shop vac.  Haven't burned a hole in mine yet.  Now it's time to do a Low and Slow with a pork butt for some pulled pork.  it's the best way to start out with L&S
    LBGE - I like the hot stuff.  The big dry San Joaquin Valley, Clovis, CA 
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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,768
    Your gasket is fine from day one
    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). Just given a Mini to add to the herd. 

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  • Hunter1881
    Hunter1881 Posts: 406
    I still struggle with no 3 and 4 on occasion. 
    Henderson TN. 1 large BGE, 1 Webber Gasser (recently seems to have converted into a warming oven)
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  • Hotch
    Hotch Posts: 3,564

    @bem1 For Pizza, remember plate setter with legs up.

    On #3, trust the Egg

    And, welcome to the herd.

    Large BGE, MiniMAX BGE, 2 Mini BGE's, R&V Fryer, 36" Blackstone Griddle, Camp Chef Dual Burner 40K BTU Stove
    BGE Chiminea
    Prosper, TX
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  • icunrse
    icunrse Posts: 87
    Oh boy. I've already got a beer fridge in the garage. I'm not going to peek in the top. I'd like to keep my long eyelashes. I just know that I'm going to have temperature control issues. I'm prepared to burn a few things. This weekend boys...the girl will be drinking beer and grilling. I don't know what to grill first! Of course pics will follow. 
    Amy 
    Hope Mills, NC
    LBGE, and the only one on the block. My neighbor just got a new gas grill...let the games begin!!

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Welcome. #6 do this myself. A little commonsense goes a long ways. :wink: 
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,227
    Welcome. 

    8. Take some pics and post them here.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • Big_Green_Craig
    Big_Green_Craig Posts: 1,578
    Congrats and welcome to the club!
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  • Offpiste
    Offpiste Posts: 47
    Agree with above comments and add the following observations.

    -can't pass any meat counter without stopping to look.

    -Have to have at least one pork butt on hand in freezer or do not feel prepared.

    -Hording meat when on sale in freezer.

    -Trying to cook anything and everything on egg.

    -Becoming lump snob.

    -Getting in trouble for stealing wife's CI for cooking experiments.

    -Neighbors think I'm planting but actually just have egg apart for maintenance, they think it's a pot.

    -Spend to much time looking at this forum.
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,528
    Welcome - enjoy your cooks. 
    I suggest you leave a little ash, ½” or so in the bottom of the ash pit. It actually insulates the base from the heat as embers fall thru the grate and does not hinder air flow. A rake is much faster and easier than a shop vac. Once the novelty wears off you will see that although it is often said that cleanliness is next to Godliness, the same is not so true with an egg. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    edited May 2015
    Couple of things...

    Temp control - You'll get the hang of it. It's not so tricky, just takes a little practice.

    Be careful when peeking...


    Fishlessman's egg at 1200° ^^^

    Actually, if you need to open the dome to look, do it. IMO, it's not as big a deal as people make it out be. Especially with a ceramic cooker that retains heat so well.

    I used a vac once or twice, I think. In almost 6 years. It's really not necessary. But yeah, no live coals please. And don't leave the ashes in the vac or put them in a flammable or meltable container or in an inhabited structure regardless of container type. Amazing how long coals can stay hot! And you don't want to mess with carbon monoxide...  https://www.extension.iastate.edu/pages/communications/CO/grill.html

    Gasket's gonna go anyway. Mine lasted 2 months even though I followed "the rules". Go for it. 

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • DaveRichardson
    DaveRichardson Posts: 2,324
    icunrse said:
    Oh boy. I've already got a beer fridge in the garage. I'm not going to peek in the top. I'd like to keep my long eyelashes. I just know that I'm going to have temperature control issues. I'm prepared to burn a few things. This weekend boys...the girl will be drinking beer and grilling. I don't know what to grill first! Of course pics will follow. 

    Get a mirror to use to look down the top of the egg....  That'll save those eyelashes!

    Temp control gets much easier.  Plan on doing a couple of things that are about the same temp cooks and watch your vent settings.  Soon you'll be able to dial it in within 25 degrees without thinking about it! 

    First cook - go east with burgers or yard-bird.  That way, you aren't sweating an expensive cut of steak!

    LBGE since 2014

    Griffin, GA 

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  • icunrse
    icunrse Posts: 87
    Thanks Dave :)
    Amy 
    Hope Mills, NC
    LBGE, and the only one on the block. My neighbor just got a new gas grill...let the games begin!!

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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 19,173
    Skiddymarker said:
    Welcome - enjoy your cooks. 
    I suggest you leave a little ash, ½” or so in the bottom of the ash pit. It actually insulates the base from the heat as embers fall thru the grate and does not hinder air flow. A rake is much faster and easier than a shop vac. 
    Skiddy speaks the truth. 
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  • bem1
    bem1 Posts: 14
    Hotch said:

    @bem1 For Pizza, remember plate setter with legs up.

    On #3, trust the Egg

    And, welcome to the herd.


    Hotch, why legs up and not the other way around?
    LBGE from Texas
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  • bem1
    bem1 Posts: 14

    Thanks for your replies!  My son (10) has asked me to now cook the hot dogs wrapped in bacon twice now......that boy loves meat!

    Another couple observations I have come across:  After checking in on the egg while it's cooking, I come inside and everything looks foggy :-)

    Additionally, I am waiting for my neighbors to start beating down my door when they smell what's cooking as the smoke is traveling all over the place....

    LBGE from Texas
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  • aukerns08
    aukerns08 Posts: 253
    bem1 said:
    Hotch said:

    @bem1 For Pizza, remember plate setter with legs up.

    On #3, trust the Egg

    And, welcome to the herd.


    Hotch, why legs up and not the other way around?
    I do legs and put the grate on the plate setter for indirect heat and then put my stone on the grate.  That's probably how he sets up as well.  I've seen some cook pizza right on the plate setter but I've never done it that way.
    Large and Mini BGE

    Hamilton, VA
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,791
    Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Good idea to keep track of "lessons learned" as you go.  Makes the next go-round easier. 
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period. CHEETO (aka Agent Orange) makes Nixon look like a saint.  
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  • abpgwolf
    abpgwolf Posts: 564
    Welcome to the club, it sounds like you're having fun already! 

    Lititz, PA – XL BGE

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