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New BGW-L Owner-First Cook

tikigriller
tikigriller Posts: 1,389
in EggHead Forum

Just picked up my Egg on Saturday...did a play cook Saturday Night with  no food to work on temperature setting, then Sunday, did some side by side Ribs.  Here is my story......

Bought a Green Mountain Grill (pellet) about 3 weeks ago.  Had a couple issues here and there, but overall, was not very happy with it.  Found a store that sells BGE's and gives you 30 days to use them. If you don't like them, you can return it.  I don't have that option with the GMG, so I talked the wife into letting me do some side  by side cooks to decide which one we like better.

Did the Ribs identical.....Pre-Rubbed from Costco, put them both on at 275 for 3 hours, spraying with Apple Juice.   Drip tray on the BGE with Apple Juice in it as well with some Apple Chips.  Pellet grill on a mixed bag of fruit pellets.   After 3 hours, removed from grills, heavy spray of Apple Juice, wrapped in foil, back on the grill for an hour.  Removed from foil, back on the grill for about 30 minutes, brushing with a sweet  BBQ sauce, 15 minutes on each side.

Pellet Grill----fall off the bone...darker look.

Egg--Very tender and juicy, great smoke ring, left a bite mark.  More red in color.

Both extremely good, but surprisingly, very different.  Will post pics......they are on my phone.

Question.......the Egg actually spiked to about 290-295 and I could never get it to cool back down.  Not a big deal, but it concerned me that if it had spiked more, it would have been tough to fix.   I had the dial on top as close to closed as possible as well as the bottom vent, and could not get it to move a degree.  Did not want to close all the way in fear of losing the fire.  Any tricks to prevent this from happening or getting it to cool down when it does?  Plus...any and all recommendations and ideas would be greatly appreciated.    I am finding, that when I set the temp, and then op[en the grill to put the food on, the extra air seems to be causing the temp to go up about 10 degrees, and then I can't  get it back down.

 I am just now getting into this hobby and really do not know what I am doing...this is what I have done thus far though with the Egg.

Knew to put foil pieces under drip tray to prevent burning.

Have purchased a ps400(or whatever it's called) so I can raise the grill for direct cooks.

Any other recommendations?  I LOVE the Egg so far.  Playing with the temp control is actually pretty darn fun, and plan to try my hand at a Brisket soon, but tomorrow will do two chickens, again one on the Pellet and one on the Egg..spatchcocked.  I did this before, but the Brine made it WAY too salty, so is there a Brine Trick to have it not be so salty besides using less salt?  And then, how many cooks do I need to do before I can finally do some high temp stuff?  If I just play with the temp each night and let it run, will that break it in the same way without there being food?

Thanks for reading, and look forward to learning a ton from Egg users like yourselves.  My ultimate goal is going to be keeping both grills, but wife says right now I can only have one, so after one cook, I have a feeling I will have a GMG for sale soon!  LOL

Just bought an Egg?  Here is what you get to look forward to now:

Plate Setter, FlameBoss 200, Spider, PSWOO-CI, Additional Rig Shelf for dome cooking, Thermapen, iGrill2, Cast Iron, Blackstone, Cooking Accessories for the Blackstone, Cover for the Egg and the Blackstone, shopping for Rub like a fine wine or IPA, and a new fascination with lump and what brand is the best-all to be debated every Friday Night.  Next desires-Joetisceriie, Adjustable Rig, Grillmates, table and more eggs

Livermore, California
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Comments

  • tikigriller
    tikigriller Posts: 1,389
    The one on the right is from the pellet grill. Left is from the egg. 


    Here is the ribs from the Egg cut up


    Here red are the ribs from the pellet grill cut up. 


    And some Honey Corn going in the charcoal grill in the tusk still after soaking in water for about an hour. 


    My my outdoor kitchen....wife says I have a problem, she is probably right!!!!


    One more question.....I feel like wrapping the eggsetter in foil takes away from the ceramic idea. Is that just me being silly, or do you think there may be some truth to it. I look at all this ceramic stuff and feel like it creates the flavor as well, so I don't want to ruin it for the sake of being clean. 

    Oh....and what accessories are a MUST HAVE?

    thanks again for looking. 
    Just bought an Egg?  Here is what you get to look forward to now:

    Plate Setter, FlameBoss 200, Spider, PSWOO-CI, Additional Rig Shelf for dome cooking, Thermapen, iGrill2, Cast Iron, Blackstone, Cooking Accessories for the Blackstone, Cover for the Egg and the Blackstone, shopping for Rub like a fine wine or IPA, and a new fascination with lump and what brand is the best-all to be debated every Friday Night.  Next desires-Joetisceriie, Adjustable Rig, Grillmates, table and more eggs

    Livermore, California
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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232
    edited September 2016
    By the looks of your arsenal, all of them  =)
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • rmr62
    rmr62 Posts: 233
    I would suggest cooking a lot on the BGE because practice makes perfect.  I'm much better with mine today than I was several years ago when new.  Every egg seems to be a different animal, although obviously similar.  My large for example won't hold a 225 very well, but it will do a 270 range with no trouble at all.  Thus, my L&Slows are usually 250-270 range, and they do very well.  You will get a million different opinions on things here, but the board is a wealth of info.  I just wish I had gotten my BGE 20 years sooner!!
    Lagrange, GA   LBGE
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,876
    Welcome abord (duration TBD) and enjoy the journey.
    As above, cook on the BGE , compare and determine if the process is something you like/enjoy or prefer a fire and forget like a pellet.  At the end of the day-the cook has the greatest influence on the out-come, largely by understanding the process and the impact of changing the controllable factors.  You are lucky to have been able to acquire such an arsenal.  
    Just have fun with wherever you land.  FWIW-
    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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  • GregW
    GregW Posts: 2,678
    In my experience, If the egg ever gets too hot it's almost impossible to get the temp back down (in a reasonable amount of time)
    I always start low and gradually raise the temp up.

    Welcome aboard.
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  • tikigriller
    tikigriller Posts: 1,389
    I plan to hang around...no doubt about it!  This is way too much fun.  One other question that has been driving me absolutely nuts.....lousucap-----what does FWIW mean?
    Just bought an Egg?  Here is what you get to look forward to now:

    Plate Setter, FlameBoss 200, Spider, PSWOO-CI, Additional Rig Shelf for dome cooking, Thermapen, iGrill2, Cast Iron, Blackstone, Cooking Accessories for the Blackstone, Cover for the Egg and the Blackstone, shopping for Rub like a fine wine or IPA, and a new fascination with lump and what brand is the best-all to be debated every Friday Night.  Next desires-Joetisceriie, Adjustable Rig, Grillmates, table and more eggs

    Livermore, California
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  • JMCXL
    JMCXL Posts: 1,524
    For What It's Worth

    I found this when I first started on the Forum... (many more )

    Common short cuts used on the forum

    AR = Adjustable Rack

    FTC = Foil, Towel, Cooler - A method to maintain heat and allow internal fats etc to continue to break down after the meat is removed from the smoker. A good way to ensure your food is ready at appointed meal time and still fresh for guests. Once your meat is at or near desired internal temperture, remove it from the smoker wrap in FOIL and TOWEL. Place the package in a prewarmed COOLER (or warmed oven that has been turned off but that would be FTO)

    IMO = In My Opinion

    IMHO = In My Humble Opinion

    EVOO = Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    BS = Bradley Smoker

    OBS = Origional Bradley Smoker (non digital)

    DBS = Digital Bradley Smoker

    D4R = Digital 4 Rack unit (O4R would be Origional 4 Rack, D6R would be Digital 6 rack, etc)

    OSS = Origional Stainless Steel

    BTW = By The Way

     IT = Internal Temperature (internal to meat not the tower)

    OT = Oven Temperature (temperature of the oven / tower, not meat)

     PID = Proportional, Integral, Derivative, - a control scheme for the application of power - a popular add-on to OBS and what DBS wish for

    PRIB = Prime Rib also PR

    Butt = Desirable piece of pig created specifically for smoking

     BBQ = smoked foods, not to be confused with grilling

    Northern New Jersey
     XL - Woo2, AR      L (2) - Woo, PS Woo     MM (2) - Woo       MINI

    Check out https://www.grillingwithpapaj.com for some fun and more Grilling with Papa (incase you haven't gotten enough of me)

    Also, check out my YouTube Page
    https://www.youtube.com/c/grillingwithpapaj

    Follow me on Facebook 
    https://www.facebook.com/GrillingPapaJ/

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  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Welcome.
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
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  • SoCalWJS
    SoCalWJS Posts: 407
    I didn't see anything in your post about the BGE setup as far as direct/indirect, which may be responsible for some of the differences in the results. A plate setter or pizza stone (wrap either in foil to ease cleanup) is pretty essential in low and slow cooks. I also usually cut my rib racks in half with a BGE to minimize any exposure to direct heat.

    Practice, practice, read, ask questions, practice some more, buy accessories, practice.......
    South SLO County
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  • bigalsworth
    bigalsworth Posts: 686
    Foil, you aren't losing anything by doing it your ceramic still heats up and radiates heat

    Large BGE
    BBQ Guru DigiQ II

    Martensville, Saskatchewan Canada
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 36,876
    And the primo, SWMBO -She Who Must Be Obeyed.  FWIW  ;) 
    BTW- it's not worth much!
    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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  • tikigriller
    tikigriller Posts: 1,389
    Indirect is what I did with legs up.
    Just bought an Egg?  Here is what you get to look forward to now:

    Plate Setter, FlameBoss 200, Spider, PSWOO-CI, Additional Rig Shelf for dome cooking, Thermapen, iGrill2, Cast Iron, Blackstone, Cooking Accessories for the Blackstone, Cover for the Egg and the Blackstone, shopping for Rub like a fine wine or IPA, and a new fascination with lump and what brand is the best-all to be debated every Friday Night.  Next desires-Joetisceriie, Adjustable Rig, Grillmates, table and more eggs

    Livermore, California
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
    edited September 2016
    I'm fairly new Tiki but what I have found is it helps to start your egg plenty early and get your temp set for 30 mins or so. If your temp hits your target in 15 mins don't think it's going to stay there if you walk away. If 250 is your target shoot for 235-240 and go from there. As many have said it's tough to back it down quickly. 
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  • tikigriller
    tikigriller Posts: 1,389
     From reading what everybody has said, I just had the vents open way too much. By the time it was all said and done, I had everything close down to where it should've been at in the very beginning to maintain my temperature at 275 so I have definitely already learned a ton just from being on here for the day 
    Just bought an Egg?  Here is what you get to look forward to now:

    Plate Setter, FlameBoss 200, Spider, PSWOO-CI, Additional Rig Shelf for dome cooking, Thermapen, iGrill2, Cast Iron, Blackstone, Cooking Accessories for the Blackstone, Cover for the Egg and the Blackstone, shopping for Rub like a fine wine or IPA, and a new fascination with lump and what brand is the best-all to be debated every Friday Night.  Next desires-Joetisceriie, Adjustable Rig, Grillmates, table and more eggs

    Livermore, California
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  • rmr62
    rmr62 Posts: 233
    hey, tiki, go back into your signature line and add your location---that's kind of a common theme on here as well
    Lagrange, GA   LBGE
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  • tikigriller
    tikigriller Posts: 1,389
    I'll do that. Can't figure out how to do it on the phone, but will add it as soon as I get back to a computer.
    Livermore, California by the way!
    Just bought an Egg?  Here is what you get to look forward to now:

    Plate Setter, FlameBoss 200, Spider, PSWOO-CI, Additional Rig Shelf for dome cooking, Thermapen, iGrill2, Cast Iron, Blackstone, Cooking Accessories for the Blackstone, Cover for the Egg and the Blackstone, shopping for Rub like a fine wine or IPA, and a new fascination with lump and what brand is the best-all to be debated every Friday Night.  Next desires-Joetisceriie, Adjustable Rig, Grillmates, table and more eggs

    Livermore, California
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  • RedSkip
    RedSkip Posts: 1,400
    Soon your pellet grill will hold accessori s for the egg, easy storage...
    Large BGE - McDonald, PA
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  • tikigriller
    tikigriller Posts: 1,389
    RedSkip said:
    Soon your pellet grill will hold accessori s for the egg, easy storage...
    Yes.....I see that happening. My old gas grill is already holding the rib racks and additional grids 
    Just bought an Egg?  Here is what you get to look forward to now:

    Plate Setter, FlameBoss 200, Spider, PSWOO-CI, Additional Rig Shelf for dome cooking, Thermapen, iGrill2, Cast Iron, Blackstone, Cooking Accessories for the Blackstone, Cover for the Egg and the Blackstone, shopping for Rub like a fine wine or IPA, and a new fascination with lump and what brand is the best-all to be debated every Friday Night.  Next desires-Joetisceriie, Adjustable Rig, Grillmates, table and more eggs

    Livermore, California
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