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Newbie and first time I fired up my LBGE over the weekend

Homebrewguy
Homebrewguy Posts: 158
edited November 2015 in EggHead Forum

Good morning, everyone!  I'm a newbie here since I Just received my LBGE as wedding gift a few weeks ago and we just got back from our honeymoon last week.

So, I'll bet everyone can guess what I did on my first available weekend,  I fired up my BGE.  I was advised by the dealer when they delivered my LBGE that I needed to cure/condition the gasket for 10-12 hours without going above 300-350 degrees.  Thus, their advice on a first cook was a pork butt.

My LBGE isn't my first smoker, so this didn't seem like a big deal whatsoever.  I started the cook around 6:30-6:45am after I had the fore going a solid 1/2 an hour or so.  About 12 hours later it was done.  I noticed the last 1 1/2 hours or so I was having trouble keeping the temp high enough even with opening the vent to about 1/2 open.

All in all I would say the cook went well, but I Noticed 2 things I'd change in the future.  I would brine the pork butt, not for moisture and juiciness, but rather so the flavor penetrates the whole pork butt (I normally brine when using my Masterbuilt Electric smoker).  I would also use wood chunks as opposed to using wood chips since I did not get a smoky enough flavor.

P.S. - I'm surprised people think BGE/RO lump is smoky.  I did not think it was very smoky tasting as all, then again maybe that was because I was setup for an indirect cook. 

LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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Comments

  • Raymont
    Raymont Posts: 710
    Welcome aboard! Congrats on the wedding and the BGE!

    Small & Large BGE

    Nashville, TN

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,798
    Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  As you will see, there are many ways to cook most things on the BGE and lump discussions are like religion around here. 
    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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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158
    Thank you!
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
    Welcome to the zoo.

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

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

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  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 17,261
    The two most costly things you will ever do is:1) Get married, and the most expensive thing you will do is: 2) own a big green egg. In both cases the cost to get in is nothing like the cost to stay in.
    Seriously though, congratulations! I, too got married this year and it is wonderful.
    Have fun and post the cooks! Welcome to heaven for the OCD foodies!
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877
    Agree that chunks work better than chips.  If you were having trouble holding temp at the end, you probably didn't fill it with enough lump.  Fill it up - right up to the platesetter.  You can reuse any lump that doesn't burn the first time.

    And welcome!
    NOLA
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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158
    I figured I didn't have enough fuel in it.
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    A new wife and a new Egg

    Uh Oh
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    Homebrewguy said:

    Good morning, everyone!  I'm a newbie here since I Just received my LBGE as wedding gift a few weeks ago and we just got back from our honeymoon last week.

    So, I'll bet everyone can guess what I did on my first available weekend,  I fired up my BGE.  

    So, the above is not what I was expecting you to say.  I was going with smoking boots, not smoking food..... :grin: 
    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
    Facebook
    My Photography Site
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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158
    Well, she is the one that gave me the Egg.
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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  • slovelad
    slovelad Posts: 1,742
    You will notice allot more smoke if you use wood chunks. I prefer apple wood.

    also, for your temp problems, sounds like you didn't have enough lump in there. I fill mine up as high as I can when I am doing 12+ hour cooks. Almost to the plate setter, especially if you are looking at 16 or 18 hours.

    i have never brined a pork butt, I would be interested in your method.

    enjoy! And make sure you post plent of pictures... We are like little kids... Books are great... But add pictures and boom!!
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  • Mosca
    Mosca Posts: 456
    Homebrewguy said:
    Well, she is the one that gave me the Egg.
    This is a woman to stick with through thick and thin. I would put up with a lot of #%@&*!! from a woman like that.
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  • tarheelmatt
    tarheelmatt Posts: 9,867
    Homebrewguy said:
    Well, she is the one that gave me the Egg.
    Good deal!  

    Welcome and enjoy your stay.  

    ------------------------------
    Thomasville, NC
    My YouTube Channel - The Hungry Hussey
    Instagram
    Facebook
    My Photography Site
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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158
    I just make a 5% brine brine which is 50g salt to 1L of water and I will add pepper corns, lemon zest, a lemon halved and juiced, and a few sprigs of thyme.  It usually takes about 4L to cover the pork butt.  I cook the brine until the salt dissolves and let it cool then add the pork but and brine overnight.
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
    @Homebrewguy   Welcome aboard, and congrats on the marriage.
    Phoenix 
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  • JohnnyTarheel
    JohnnyTarheel Posts: 6,629
    Welcome.... Have fun!!
    Charlotte, NC - Large BGE 2014, Maverick ET 733, Thermopen, Nest, Platesetter, Woo2 and Extender w/Grid, Kick Ash Basket, Pizza Stone, SS Smokeware Cap, Blackstone 36"
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  • Davec433
    Davec433 Posts: 463
    Welcome!
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  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Welcome aboard and congrats!
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 23,179
    Welcome. Nothing wrong with chips vs chunks or the other way around. they are both exactly the same. I have been a chunks guy from the start but I'm migrating to chips as I feel I could get cleaner smoke from a fully ignited chip vs a smoldering chunk. probably splitting hairs but I like to play around with stuff. Just use the same amount of either and you'll be fine. I've been splitting my chunks in to tiny little splits and I like what I'm getting out of that.




    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158

    Well, I added probably 3-4 handfuls of chips and spread them around across the top of the charcoal and layered them through the middle and just did not get a smoky enough flavor compared to my Masterbuilt (which didn't output the coveted blue smoke).

    I figured chunks would provide more sustained, longer smoke generation.

    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,530

    P.S. - I'm surprised people think BGE/RO lump is smoky.  I did not think it was very smoky tasting as all, then again maybe that was because I was setup for an indirect cook. 

    The smoke isn't too bad if you've only used BGE/RO lump. It's when you use a more neutral lump you'll realize how smokey it is. There's definitely worse lump out there than BGE/RO
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158
    Maybe I'm being silly, but I thought that was the point.
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877
    Homebrewguy said:
    Maybe I'm being silly, but I thought that was the point.
    It's a trivial detail, but the thought is that if your lump is more neutral, you have more control over which smoke flavor (choice of wood) and how much you are adding.
    NOLA
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,530
    edited November 2015
    buzd504 said:
    Homebrewguy said:
    Maybe I'm being silly, but I thought that was the point.
    It's a trivial detail, but the thought is that if your lump is more neutral, you have more control over which smoke flavor (choice of wood) and how much you are adding.
    +1. People also bake with their eggs. But more less you can ad the smoke flavor you want rather than thick smokey lump
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158
    Well, I could buy into that, I guess.
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
    Homebrewguy said:
    Maybe I'm being silly, but I thought that was the point.
    It's when the wife says, "everything tastes the same" and you're cooking things that you don't necessarily want to taste like smoke that the neutral lump come in also. 
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  • logchief
    logchief Posts: 1,431
    Congrats and Welcome, I think about everything has been said.  Don't forget to post pics
    LBGE - I like the hot stuff.  The big dry San Joaquin Valley, Clovis, CA 
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  • Ladeback69
    Ladeback69 Posts: 4,484
    Welcome sir and congrats on getting married.  Your BGE could be about as expensive as having a kid at times so be ready for what tool or toy you want to go with it next.  This forum is a lot of fun, but there are many tempting things on here that you will want to spend more money.  

     I have never brined a pork butt, but I like to inject mine, with apple juice/cedar and some of the rub I use on it.  Brining would work, but I take it you don't leave it in the brine very long or it would more taste like ham so I am told.  I take the pork tasted good.  I like using chips for chicken or fish and chunks for longer cooks.
    XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas Grill

    Kansas City, Mo.
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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158
    I brine it overnight normally.  So, approx. 6-8 hours.
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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  • Homebrewguy
    Homebrewguy Posts: 158
    Oh and it doesn't taste like ham because I just use standard kosher salt and pink curing salt.
    LBGE & Masterbuilt 30" Stainless Electric Digital Smokehouse w/Cold Smoker
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