First time out for me..

slantback37 · May 2015

Well I cooked a 4 Lb pork butt this morning. I have a small egg. Everything went fine except for burning out after 4hrs. The meat temp was only 152. I had to lift it pull out the pork, grill and plate setter and refill it. It fired up pretty quick after that, and stayed on the 152 for 15 minutes. Then it started cooking just fine again. I started at 250, but jacked it up to 290 for the last 18 degrees. I even took a pic. Question though.. Could I increase the temp to 290 from 250?? I would still go at maybe 1.5 Hrs per pound?? I don't want to run out of wood again..

Skiddymarker · May 2015

Did you fill the firebox to just below the plate setter? Would think with a small part of the lump lit, you would be good for at least 8 hours or so, MBGE is good for 15 without trying.

Butt looks good.

Suggest your pit probe be sheltered by a setter leg.....

theyolksonyou · May 2015

You could bump temp, no problem. I usually cook butts around 270 as the large likes it better. Agree with Skiddymarker, filler up!

slantback37 · May 2015

I filled that fire box. i didn't know I could go above it.

theyolksonyou · May 2015

Long as you can get the platesetter in, you're good

Scottborasjr · May 2015

Fill it as much as you can just try not to get too many coals going on initial light because if you get to many going it will be damn near impossible to stay below 350* for a long while.

slantback37 · May 2015

Guess I shouldn't eat the bark on it. Got sicker than a dog last night. I pulled the meat at 190 internal temp. My meat thermometer has 170 is Well Done. The meat was more pink inside that the grey I see on oven roasted pork.

AUCE · May 2015

Bark is wonderful..doubt it made you sick.. On a low and slow I only light about an 6-8" circle max. You don't need to light the whole firebox. When dampers are set it'll balance out. I light the center. You should have lump left on a butt. Good looking cook... on my xl for low and slow I have my smokeware cap and bottom damper set at about an 8th inch..225 degrees...weather is a factor..windy conditions etc. Will change the dynamics as will our blazing fla. sun.

I also bring all meat except chicken to room temp. Or close...It takes much longer than you think as your probe will tell the tale.

I'm a noob as well with less than a year into eggdom however have cooked on her 2-3 times per week and learn something new all the time.

Enjoy....

slantback37 · May 2015

I did the SPOG. I used apple wood chunks in with the BGE chared wood. Was 190 the right temp for it to be?? Also. On a Butt. Shouldn't there be a bone in it?? This one did not have one.

slantback37 · May 2015

Last night I cut the bark off. I thought that maybe that would have helped it. It didn't. It still smells, and tastes like a piece of meat that went threw a house fire. How do I prevent this from happening again?? I plan to do a 12 lb turkey next. I don't want to have to throw that away as well. Thanks

johnmitchell · May 2015

I reread your initial post and I think the fact that you had to refill during your cook, maybe you didn't let the new lump clear the dirty smoke and that led to the foul smell..If you put anything in the egg you must let the white smoke clear and have a clear blue smoke... Just a thought keep on egging

Chubbs · May 2015

I have done 8 hours on mini. You can get a lot more with small. More than 4 that is. Would have to think a solid 10 hours.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · May 2015

The bark would not have made you sick unless it was rancid when you started. You would have known that. I usually take butts to 200-205. It's more about them being jiggly and having almost no resistance when you stick a thermo probe through it. Foods cooked on a smoker will look and taste different (like the pink meat) than oven roasted meats. This is a good thing

As far as the smoke flavor goes....it's bbq. It's going to be smoky if you put wood chunks in there. BGE Lump is also smoky and is the #1 complaint on here by new users who say their food is too smoky. It tastes like an ashtray to me and would use almost anything else over BGE/Royal Oak. I only use Rockwood. It's very smoke neutral and my smoke flavor comes from wood chinks that I choose. You can get Rockwood at select Ace stores and other retailers depending on where you live. I order through Firecraft.com. If you don't like super smoky food, a good, clean burning lump is your friend. Rockwood is the best I've ever used hands down (Jonathan, where's my check?).

Also, sounds like you just tasted the bark. That's where all the smoke is. you are supposed to mix all that in with the rest of the meat to give a more nuanced flavor. The smoke does not really get in the meat; it's all on the outside in the bark. If you eat that alone, it will be 100% smoke and you won't have any of the other meat to balance it out.

Butts do not always have a bone. Any cut from the shoulder is part of the butt (weird but I didn't make up the name). The shoulder blade runs through the butt but is often removed (I think all Costco sells are boneless butts). Also, if you are buying a 3-4 pound butt, you are only buying part of the shoulder. a butcher would remove the bone and cut the roast down to smaller sizes in case someone does not want to good a 10lb monster. That would be the case with the 4lber you cooked this morning.

for the turkey, try to find some rockwood and don't add any wood chunks to the cook. If you want a little smoke, try a small piece of apple wood right on top of the hot spot in the fire. You want the wood to burn clean and not smolder. Smoldering wood gives an acrid taste as well.

Stick with it; you'll get it in no time by asking lots of questions on here. We are here for you when you need help

grege345 · May 2015

The small woo and stone with drip pan from cgs is by far the best accessory I have for my small. Look into it. It should come with it imo

The Cen-Tex Smoker · May 2015

@johnmitchell

excellent call. especially with BGE lump. smells like a camp fire until it goes clear

slantback37 · May 2015

I am also thinking now that may e the meat was bad. I took it out of the freezer, and let it sit in the fridge for 4 daysvbefore putting the rub on it. The next day I put it in the egg. It didn't smell at all though when I first unwraped it. I will look in to buying some different wood. We do have a lot of fires here with campgrounds in the area. I don't want to have to eat it also. Thanks.

slantback37 · May 2015

Ok. At work, so it is kind of hard to do this, but I never got any instructions or catalog with my egg exceipt for how to inxtall the bands. Now what in the world is a woo??

slantback37 · May 2015

I just ordered the Rockwood Lump. With my egg I never got any instructions. Just a sheet that told you how to use a torque wrench to put the bands on. Only way I found out about filling the fire box came from youtube.

As far as pulling it and mixing the bark in goes.. I waited. Put it in a plastic bag, and put it in the fridge. The next day I cut all of that bark off, and took off both ends. Still smells and tastes pretty bad. Nearly gag when just taking a small piece. I don't know what I did wrong, but I plan to do it again as soon as that lump comes.

slantback37 · June 2015

A guy here at work says that maybe becaue my egg was new I should fired it up empty to season it first. He did ribs yesterday. He just lights the egg, and puts on the ribs
He said no need for waiting, or anything like that. Just let it smoke. He said that he has never had a problem yet.

Foghorn · June 2015

Was your drip pan set on something to give some air space between the pan and the platesetter? If not, sometimes fat dripping onto a hot surface and burning can cause an acrid smoke that affects the meat.

And +1 to everything Centex said - especially the part about going easy on the wood with poultry. It is easy to get turkey and chicken to taste like an ash tray.

mtbguy · June 2015

A woo raises the cooking grid. Ceramicgrrillstore.com got one for large and one for the MM. Actually going to get another for the MM. Then I can leave the platesetter in one woo. Hard to get out when it's hot if you need to go direct after indirect. Cooking my first butt today right now on the LBGE.

MelSharples · June 2015

The house fire smell most certainly came from not burning the VOC's off before you started cooking or before you put the meat back on after your first fire died out. You have to let the lump come up to temp to burn off the bad juju otherwise your meat will be tainted with the overpowering acrid taste and smell of smoke (not good wood smoke). Fill your box to the brim, light a small area and once the dome thermo hits 225 start closing your vents. Once stabilized at your desired temp for a good 30 minutes (or atleast until the smoke clears) add your smoking wood (pecan, oak, hickory, etc) then add your food. Also, if you are using a drip pan make sure you raise it up off the plate setter by at least a 1/2 inch, otherwise your liquid will boil off and/or your rendered fat will burn. Finishing temp and feel is a personal preference, I usually start probing somewhere between 190 and 195.

Once you get the hang of it you can start experimenting with turbo cooking and the countless other methods discussed here daily.

Good Luck!

GATraveller · June 2015

If your buddy at work is lighting the egg and cooking as soon as egg is up to temp then he is doing it wrong!! Trust the advice you get from the folks here. They know what they are doing. Your food will have a bitter smoke taste if you are cooking when white smoke is still boiling out the chimney. Wait 25-45 mins for the blue smoke. You will notice a huge difference.
I have several friends who cook on eggs and their significant others have said (on different occasions) that they like the food I cook better because their husbands cooking all taste the same. I've witnessed both cook and THAT was their mistake as well. They'd light lump.....wait till unit up to temp then dump protein on grate.

slantback37 · June 2015

So then pretty much.If like tomorrow. I am going to try a couple of steaks. They are both thick, but only 8 oz.
I fill with lump to the top of that fire box. Put that little starter piece in the center and light it.. Open the bottom vent full, and open the top full. let the temp climb to near 600. Then let it sit like that for near 30 minutes. Then put the meat on. 2 minutes each side x 4. Sound about right for Med??

Wolfpack · June 2015

600 is really hot. First thing is get a meat thermometer. Cook to temp not by time. However, if you do cook that hot make sure to pull steaks earlier than usual. You will get a lot of carry over cooking.

Google Search for reverse sear if the steaks are thick- almost fool proof method.

Try ray different methods and see what you like the best- good luck and ask questions if you get stuck.

slantback37 · June 2015

What is a good temp to cook at?? I have a controller..

First time out for me..

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