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First two cooks on my new BGE and a few questions

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toogoodootgr
toogoodootgr Posts: 27
in EggHead Forum
I just got a large BGE at the end of August. I made a table, and cooked my first two butts last week. They turned out great. I decided to try a Pizza last night since the wife was away and i had the two girls. I got the dome temp up to 475F and preheated the stone for about 20 minutes. The pizza cooked great. The only issue is that my Pizza tasted a lot like my butts. I didn't really do any special cleaning prior to cooking the pizza. I just wanted to get suggestions on how to keep this from happening. I wouldn't think you would need to clean the entire BGE after every cook. I was wondering if I should have used all new charcoal. I had a little left from the first cook and just started some new and mixed it in. I used a pizza plate on the egg-vector. I am sure there was some residual smell on it from the original butts. Any insight will be appreciated. Glad to be a part of this group. I wish I would have taken a picture of the butts, but it just slipped my mind.
Irmo, SC
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
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    Did you use a drip pan with the butts?
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  • toogoodootgr
    toogoodootgr Posts: 27
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    theyolksonyou said:
    Did you use a drip pan with the butts?
    No, I didn't. I thought about that. I scraped the egg-vector off and flipped it over for the pizza. I wondered if I should have cleaned that thing all the way off.
    Irmo, SC
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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,231
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    BGE Lump?

    It's a smokier lump - hickory - than some others out there

    Rockwood seems to be the most popular. 

    P.S. Butts didn't happen  B)
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
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    I'm guessing that you added wood for the butts? I bet there was still some wood mixed in with your charcoal that had not burned off during the butt cook and it started smoking with your pizza. Pizza dough (and bread) easily absorb smoke.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • toogoodootgr
    toogoodootgr Posts: 27
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    I did use the Rockwood, but there could have been a few pieces of Hickory left in there. There was definitely some smoke. I guess what I am hearing is that I should have this issue if I make sure my charcoal is good to go? That makes me feel better. I didn't want to have to go through a deep clean every time i tried something different. Thanks
    Irmo, SC
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  • theyolksonyou
    theyolksonyou Posts: 18,459
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    If you had wood and pork drippings in the lump, that's probably the issue.  For baking, like pizza or bread, I'd start with fresh lump. 
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  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
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    Just to add that when I do pizza, I preheat closer to an hour.  I also will use my infrared thermo to make sure the pizza stone is at the temp I want.  This tends to give the lump and platesetter time to burn off the previous cook..Did you have spacers between your pizza stone and the platesetter.  I try to get as high in the dome as possible with a raised grid above the patesetter and then pizza stone.
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
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  • Jupiter Jim
    Jupiter Jim Posts: 3,351
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    RRP has the answer keep the grease off the platesetter........

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

    Okeechobee FL. Winter

    West Jefferson NC Summer

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  • Meeeshigan22
    Meeeshigan22 Posts: 306
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    If there was smoke, there's your problem. It should be burning clear.


    Highland, MI

    L BGE, Primo, and a KJ Jr
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  • toogoodootgr
    toogoodootgr Posts: 27
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    thanks for all the help. I did it again yesterday with new lump, and everything was great. Now I just have to figure out what I am cooking this weekend
    Irmo, SC
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  • Ladeback69
    Ladeback69 Posts: 4,482
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    toogoodootgr said:
    thanks for all the help. I did it again yesterday with new lump, and everything was great. Now I just have to figure out what I am cooking this weekend.

    First of all, Welcome aboard.  Sounds like your second attempt was better.  If you do forget to cover the PS or use a drip pan, you can open the vents all the way tell the egg gets to about 700 and let it burn for about 30 minutes may burn off some of that grease and unused wood for flavor.  I too also let the pizza stone run at cooking temp for at least 45 minutes to an hour before putting anything on and make sure you have an air gap between the pizza stone and PS.

    As for this weekend cook, the sky is the limit on the egg.
    XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas Grill

    Kansas City, Mo.
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  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
    edited September 2015
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    toogoodootgr said:
     Now I just have to figure out what I am cooking this weekend
    Best of luck on your cooks.....your football team....well never mind. Just bustin on ya...welcome to the forum.
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,231
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    toogoodootgr said:
    thanks for all the help. I did it again yesterday with new lump, and everything was great. Now I just have to figure out what I am cooking this weekend
    The bane of our eggisitance.....
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • toogoodootgr
    toogoodootgr Posts: 27
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    northGAcock said:
    toogoodootgr said:
     Now I just have to figure out what I am cooking this weekend
    Best of luck on your cooks.....your football team....well never mind. Just bustin on ya...welcome to the forum.
    Ha... I'm in Columbia so it has been a rough few years. I married a gamecock too.....This week it has been mighty quiet. I am just enjoying it while it lasts.
    Irmo, SC
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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971
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    When I started egging I added LOTS of wood chunks.  The egg definitely picked up some smoky smell, but a few burns with only fresh lump cleaned up that smell.  Now I try to add just a few chunks, and remove them when I'm done.  Good luck with the weekend cooks!
    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • A31unit
    A31unit Posts: 199
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    Gonna do pizza for the first time tomorrow night. Gonna go plate setter legs up, grid, firebricks, and LBGE stone!  Can't wait
    LBGE. Plate setter, PS Woo2, Flame Boss 200.  Moorestown, South Jersey (about 15 min outside of Philly, Don't hold it against me.  I would most likely rather live where you are)
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  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
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    Search the forum on "clean burn"s. The second day turned out better because the first day's high temp cook burned off the pork residue.  Welcome!  The other way to avoid this is do what @rrp  did. Buy an egg just for baking.  
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
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  • toogoodootgr
    toogoodootgr Posts: 27
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    Did a few cooks this weekend. I forgot to take a picture of the ribs. The wife said they were the best she has ever eaten. I think they still need a little work. I also took a few pics of the table i built, the apps I made, and the view I have while my cook is happening. All in all a good weekend, just a little bit of rain.

    Irmo, SC
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  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
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    I'll be expecting an invite for some grub and a ride on Murray (under better weather conditions of course)....looks like you are well on the way.
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
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  • erblove
    erblove Posts: 97
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    Nice post...good to have a fellow Columbia Tiger on the forum
    Columbia, SC ~ LBGE, ThermaPen
    I love to eat...sue me!
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  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,164
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    erblove said:
    Nice post...good to have a fellow Columbia Tiger on the forum
    Ha.....let's not get too carried away. 
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
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