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A newbie breaking in a new BGE!

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slovan
slovan Posts: 8
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Not only am I new to smoking, I am also new to BGEs! I would like to thank all of those that contribute to the forum. I have been lurking for awhile and I have learned a lot.

My wife bought me a large egg for a Father's Day gift because I have been looking at them for some time. Prior to finding out about BGEs, I was looking at a Weber Smokey Mountain smoker. In the end, I got something better than what I had originally wanted! B)

Anyway I decided to try my hand at smoking today. I wasn't ambitious enough to do a brisket yet but I did a pork shoulder and a whole chicken.

Here are pics from today's cookout.

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Comments

  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
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    slovan...First, welcome! Second, how did you like the results?
    Don't be afraid of using your lump. You can fill to the top of the fire box, and still have room to spare. Just shut the egg down when your cook is done, and relight the lump for the next cook. Just shake the ash out, and you are good to go.
    Also, being it is on a wooden deck, I would SERIOUSLY consider buying a grill mat from one of your Home Improvement stores. And be sure to keep the screen on the bottom vent closed at all times to avoid an errant hot coal!!
    Enjoy the heck out of that new Egg!! You obviously have a great wife!! :)
    Again, welcome!
    (ps...take your time before attempting a brisket!! It is probably the most difficult cook you can attempt. Master a bunch of other cooks first....JMO!)
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  • Jai-Bo
    Jai-Bo Posts: 584
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    Ahhhhhh the look of a new Egg!!!! That won't last long.....The plate setter won't stay clean long either....Mine is seasoned and BLACK as the oil washing up on my shores!!! :sick:

    Looks good and welcome....It'll take a week or 2 of good cooking to figure out the adjustments fer temp. control!!! ;)
    Hunting-Fishing-Cookin' on my EGG! Nothing else compares!
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  • slovan
    slovan Posts: 8
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    LC, thanks for the tips. I will definitely get a grill mat for it.

    I was only kidding about the brisket because I've read it is very hard to cook. I don't think I would attempt one unless I felt comfortable; maybe next year! :)
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
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    slovan...Verrry funny... :laugh: . It did cross my mind..."What? A brisket as a first cook?? He's going to hate the Egg!" :laugh: You still haven't said how you liked the food. Was it perhaps a bit oversmoked? IMO, three chunks of wood is a lot, especially on a bird, but everyone is different. Just wondering your opinion on flavor.
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  • slovan
    slovan Posts: 8
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    The chicken was good but not great. I would've liked to cook it at a lower temp than the pork shoulder but I couldn't. The chicken was a little on the dry side because I left it in there longer than what I should have because I had to run to the store. But overall, I can't really complain for the 1st cookout.

    The pork shoulder wasn't as tender as I thought it would be but I will try working on it next time. I will try to keep the temp closer to 250 and cook it longer. No one complained about the pulled pork sandwiches so all is well.
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  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,194
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    Hey Slovan, congrats on your new cooker, and your first cook! Weird question for you, that neighborhood looks like my sisters in O'Fallon, MO, you aren't near there, are you?
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  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
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    Great job! It's only going to get more and more fun!! Ambitious first cook. :)
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  • Lei'd-n-Egg
    Lei'd-n-Egg Posts: 289
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    Hi Slovan, looks great, really can't believe its your first cook.

    As for cooking time and temps, be sure to read several posts on each type of meat before settling on the best "recommendation". For example, I like to cook pork shoulder at 250 indirect for 2 hrs per pound, and for a whole chicken I like to spatchcock the chicken and cook it at 375 raised grid direct for a "short" hour.

    Half the fun is eggsperimenting.

    Happy Egging,
    Bryan
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  • Brokersmoker
    Brokersmoker Posts: 646
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    As been previously stated the eggsperimenting is half the fun, and eating is the other half. Welcome and great fathers day gift! You'll start gooking things you never would've dreamed of! Tonight is Maine Eggs Rueben!
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  • Pilcher Man
    Pilcher Man Posts: 87
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    Looks like you're getting the hang of it pretty quick. The more you use the egg the better you will cook and the more you will enjoy it. I've had my XL a year now and at first I was a little intimidated. I've used the forum and still do when I run into a problem or have any question concerning the egg from repairs, accessories, technique and recipes. It's a wealth of information. Good luck with your BGE.
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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
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    slovan, Nice job breaking in your egg. Keep on perfecting your chicken cook it will get better and better. Everything will. Try a simple hamburger they are out of this world. You will learn so much from this forum. I know I did. I'm still learning. Don't forget to up date your profile now that you have an egg.

    Keep posting pic's of your cooks it's what everyone loves here. Most of all enjoy yourself and your family it's all part of the fun. Tim
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  • slovan
    slovan Posts: 8
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    cookingdude555 wrote:
    Hey Slovan, congrats on your new cooker, and your first cook! Weird question for you, that neighborhood looks like my sisters in O'Fallon, MO, you aren't near there, are you?

    Lol! No, I am not from O'Fallon, MO. I have friends who lives down there but I am from Des Moines, IA.
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  • slovan
    slovan Posts: 8
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    Thanks for all the tips, encouragement and well wishes! That is what makes this forum great! I will definitely keep posting pictures of my eggsperiences! :laugh:
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  • thechief96
    thechief96 Posts: 1,908
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    Congratulation on your new egg. The longer you have it the more you will be glad you got it. As a matter of fact you can probaly figure on another one showing up at a later time. ;) Oh yeah...nice drip pan. :laugh:
    Dave San Jose, CA The Duke of Loney
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  • h20egg
    h20egg Posts: 168
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    My immediate thought was that a chicken/shoulder combo is an awkward combo. The shoulder wants a long time at low temp, and the chicken more to the opposite. In the end, it sounds like the chicken got overdone and the pork under. Regardless, for a first cook and a hard combo, sounds like you got more than enough success to continue on! And as for the brisket, having done only one after about three months of egging, I'd not be afraid to try it. Just don't expect perfection.
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  • civil eggineer
    civil eggineer Posts: 1,547
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    Congratulations on becoming a fellow egghead. I would stringly suggest you get a remote grill thermometer like the Maverick ET-73 and a hand held thermometer like a thermopen to perfect your cooking skills. Always cook to temperature and not time if you want to get the wow factor.
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  • jball
    jball Posts: 63
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    Congrats and welcome to the forum. Be sure to alert your neighbors not to panic if they see an occasional smoke plume near your house. Who am I kidding, they'll probably come a runnin' with their tongues hanging out :)
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  • slovan
    slovan Posts: 8
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    civil eggineer wrote:
    Congratulations on becoming a fellow egghead. I would stringly suggest you get a remote grill thermometer like the Maverick ET-73 and a hand held thermometer like a thermopen to perfect your cooking skills. Always cook to temperature and not time if you want to get the wow factor.

    I will look into it for sure. It would have came in handy yesterday!
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  • slovan
    slovan Posts: 8
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    jball wrote:
    Congrats and welcome to the forum. Be sure to alert your neighbors not to panic if they see an occasional smoke plume near your house. Who am I kidding, they'll probably come a runnin' with their tongues hanging out :)

    I have 4 people interested in it already! Hopefully I can convert them into eggheads as well! :laugh:
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  • Serial Griller
    Serial Griller Posts: 1,186
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    Welcome to the land of eggdome!
    Like mentioned abpove a remote thermometer will help with your cooks.Practice makes perfect and makes you happy too!You'll love the food coming off the egg.
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