Big Green Egg & Other Ceramic Grills All Encompassing Thread

[dcbc 14,511]

14 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

Isn’t a ham already smoked?

If it's a smoked ham, yes.

You can get them cured though.  From there, put it on the smoke, take it up to 140 F, and enjoy. 

[Caddox 952]

The egg is superior to the others bc of the aftermarket options built for it. 

[TankedBevo 2,485]

I am now the proud owner of my very first kamado grille, a vision grille I picked up via Craigslist with an electric starter, extra bag and hard container for lump charcoal, cover and stand for $400. I believe I need the heat deflector to actually smoke on it, but need to look more into it since I'm new to this. I plan on just grilling up some steaks tonight. 

 

Side note: I can't get any links to pics from imgur to actually work on this newfangled website 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2018 by TankedBevo

[Buzzrock 14,944]

On 4/13/2018 at 6:29 PM, troph said:

 

I fell in love with my now girlfriend at a house party one night when she made pizzas for 20 under string lights and a big ass cottonwood on her BGE. Sigh.

 

Dammit we have rules

[troph 24,911]

Dammit we have rules

 

Did that once and got raked across the coals. She’s cuteAF and loves to grill. that’s all I’ll say.

[Chewbacca 7,787]

On 4/14/2018 at 5:24 PM, TankedBevo said:

I am now the proud owner of my very first kamado grille, a vision grille I picked up via Craigslist with an electric starter, extra bag and hard container for lump charcoal, cover and stand for $400. I believe I need the heat deflector to actually smoke on it, but need to look more into it since I'm new to this. I plan on just grilling up some steaks tonight. 

 

Side note: I can't get any links to pics from imgur to actually work on this newfangled website 

 

 

Hopefully you have better luck than I did with that brand.  Bought one from Costco and had it a month before the firebox cracked.  Took it back and bought a BGE and haven't looked back.

[immortal13 4,059]

On 4/14/2018 at 9:10 PM, troph said:

 

Did that once and got raked across the coals. She’s cuteAF and loves to grill. that’s all I’ll say.

That's not enough,bro. Not even close

[TankedBevo 2,485]

17 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Hopefully you have better luck than I did with that brand.  Bought one from Costco and had it a month before the firebox cracked.  Took it back and bought a BGE and haven't looked back.

Me too, I would think if anything like that was going to happen it would have since I'm the second owner. 

Anyway, my first smoke was a whole chicken that turned out pretty damn good. Used a rub recipe I found from the Neely's and smoke it with applewood at 250-260 for 2 hours. 

[PencilPusher 454]

On 4/13/2018 at 7:27 AM, Quagmire said:

That does sound good, what are the directions for smoking it like that?

Think someone already mentioned it, but I buy a non-smoked spiral sliced ham (don't buy the hickory ones). Slather the ham in mustard and put your favorite rub on it (for hams, anything that works well with pork shoulders work well here) and smoke it at around 225 until the internal temperature gets to 140 (as was mentioned above). Since it is pre-cooked, you are just trying to get the flavor of the smoke and some nice crusting with the rub. Wood choice is personal preference. The Easter ham was smoked with pecan wood chips. 

[Dontshootrude 374]

I have had a primo oval XL for 9 years now and I still love it. I recently got a cast iron griddle so I could do smash burgers on it. 

[SMUlawUTgrad 81]

Thoughts?

[Chewbacca 7,787]

Wow, that is a steal for someone looking for a BGE.  Probably $1,500-2k worth of stuff there.

[SMUlawUTgrad 81]

I am someone, anything i should look for or ask?

[CO Horn 167]

45 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Wow, that is a steal for someone looking for a BGE.  Probably $1,500-2k worth of stuff there.

Yep. I would jump on that.

[Chewbacca 7,787]

I am someone, anything i should look for or ask?

Just make sure there are no cracks in the ceramic anywhere, including the firebox. Otherwise, you're good.

[Chewbacca 7,787]

Gaskets can easily be replaced if they are bad.

[Mac8111 2,117]

Great deal. How the hell are you going to get the damn thing out of the table in order to move it?

[LW Goatman 1,125]

23 minutes ago, Mac8111 said:

Great deal. How the hell are you going to get the damn thing out of the table in order to move it?

Just take it apart first. 

[solamente73 1,132]

Maybe it’s the pics, but proportions look a little off from my large BGE and it’s components?  Is that really a medium?  Still a good deal.  Fire grate is cracked but that’s no big deal - I’ve gone through 3 now and they are cheap.

Edited May 7, 2018 by solamente73
I have a large BGE...

[Buzzrock 14,944]

Screaming deal. Do it.

Ribs from this weekend.

[solamente73 1,132]

24 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

Ribs from this weekend.

Buzz, you cooking indirectly using the platesetter?  Those burnt ends can be prevented with a little tinfoil covering the space between platesetter and fire ring without negatively impacting the smoke/cook.  But I assume you know that?

[Buzzrock 14,944]

I have heard that but not actually tried it. I was in a little bit of a hurry and the wife likes her meat burnt to a crisp so she usually eats the crispy ones. She’s a well-done burger type.

It pains me.

[Sam Lin 3,561]

9 hours ago, SMUlawUTgrad said:

I am someone, anything i should look for or ask?

Yeah, ask for the soonest time you can come pick it up, and look for $850 in cash.

[Pig Bellmont 8,739]

I’m getting a Kamado for the birthday, so I’m joining this club. Looking forward to not fucking with the heat every 15 minutes like I did with my cheap offset smoker. 

Here’s a n00b question: Does this thing need to be seasoned after I set it up?

[solamente73 1,132]

2 hours ago, Pig Bellmont said:

Here’s a n00b question: Does this thing need to be seasoned after I set it up?

Yeah, but it’s not hard.  I use chicken thighs because they’re cheap.  Just buy a 20lb bag of Kingsford and dump the hole thing in (assuming it’s ~large BGE).  Douse with a bottle of lighter fluid and light it.  It will get hot fast, like a chimney starter, so close the lid and take it to max temp around 750*.   While you’re waiting, prep your chicken.  I use butterfingers as the rub on the thighs.  Really brings out a rich flavor.  Anyway, right before putting on the thighs, close all vents to calm the fire.  After 60 seconds, lean in and open the dome.  Put in the thighs, open vents, close dome, and cook for 60 minutes at 550*.  That should be all it needs.  Enjoy!

Edited May 8, 2018 by solamente73
Literally never do any of these things. Ever.

[HouTex 1,894]

Pig B, I hope you know he's joking.

[Pig Bellmont 8,739]

I mean - I’ve had ~10 years of bbq’ing as a hobby, so I’m not going to put liquid smoke on a brisket after roasting it in a turkey pan or anything. Just new to the ceramic grill/smoker game 

[VolenteHawk 495]

7 hours ago, Pig Bellmont said:

I mean - I’ve had ~10 years of bbq’ing as a hobby, so I’m not going to put liquid smoke on a brisket after roasting it in a turkey pan or anything. Just new to the ceramic grill/smoker game 

On ceramic, no lighter fluid, no briquettes, don't get it super hot for the first couple of cooks, and don't have your face nearby when you open the dome.

You'll get used to it very fast.

 

[VolenteHawk 495]

I've been lazy and cooking on gas lately, I think tonight's a good night to fire up the BGE.

 

[Napoleon 8,700]

10 hours ago, VolenteHawk said:

On ceramic, no lighter fluid, no briquettes, don't get it super hot for the first couple of cooks, and don't have your face nearby when you open the dome.

You'll get used to it very fast.

 

HONEST QUESTION:

-Wood only?  
-Lump Charcoal? 
-Either?

I'm still eyeing that $600 monster "Pit Boss" kamado at my local Costco. ($750 w/ Shipping & Handling online)

https://www.costco.com/Pit-Boss-Ceramic-BBQ-Grill.product.100378747.html

Features:

• Heavy Duty Ceramic
• 662 sq. in. Total Cooking Area
• Cover Included
• Glossy blue finish
• Heavy-duty ceramic
• Two-tier stainless steel cooking grids
• Shock-absorbing lid for added protection against slamming
• Four heavy-duty swivel casters (two locking)
• Heavy-duty hinge
• Easy-to-read thermometer
• Adjustable top and bottom dampers
• Two fold-down plastic side shelves
• Includes ash removal tool, ceramic heat deflector and cover

It probably will be about $650 including tax. Don't know if it is going to happen, but I want the damned thing.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Napoleon

[Chewbacca 7,787]

Lump charcoal only. Never, ever use lighter fluid.

[HouTex 1,894]

Lump charcoal only. Never, ever use lighter fluid.

This. It is said that you'll never get the lighter fluid smell/taste out of the smoker.

[SMUlawUTgrad 81]

Well that egg I posted earlier is now sitting in my garage. I was able to get him to come down on price some too which was nice also.

The table was made by an authorized dealer and weighs a ton.

Time to burn a bunch of food.

[VolenteHawk 495]

Excellent.  Good buy and congrats.

 

[strangulation! 1,716]

i read that in UTEX's voice

[LonghornJones 837]

Yes. Great purchase/deal that you won't regret.

[BabaYaga 15,326]

On 4/14/2018 at 6:24 PM, TankedBevo said:

I am now the proud owner of my very first kamado grille, a vision grille I picked up via Craigslist with an electric starter, extra bag and hard container for lump charcoal, cover and stand for $400. I believe I need the heat deflector to actually smoke on it, but need to look more into it since I'm new to this. I plan on just grilling up some steaks tonight. 

 

Side note: I can't get any links to pics from imgur to actually work on this newfangled website 

 

 

Vision grills are great.  My first egg was a Vision, purchased upon recommendation from friends that also used the brand.  Only reason I changed was size (went with XL)

Good a great deal on a Kamodo.  In hindsight I wished I'd kept the Vision to have the option for larger cooks.  There may be some that argue the green egg/Primo ceramic if higher quality to handle extreme temps better - which may be true, but since I switched to reverse sear/cast iron steak cooking, it doesn't really matter. 

[BabaYaga 15,326]

8 hours ago, Napoleon said:

HONEST QUESTION:

-Wood only?  
-Lump Charcoal? 
-Either?

I'm still eyeing that $600 monster "Pit Boss" kamado at my local Costco. ($750 w/ Shipping & Handling online)

https://www.costco.com/Pit-Boss-Ceramic-BBQ-Grill.product.100378747.html

Features:

• Heavy Duty Ceramic
• 662 sq. in. Total Cooking Area
• Cover Included
• Glossy blue finish
• Heavy-duty ceramic
• Two-tier stainless steel cooking grids
• Shock-absorbing lid for added protection against slamming
• Four heavy-duty swivel casters (two locking)
• Heavy-duty hinge
• Easy-to-read thermometer
• Adjustable top and bottom dampers
• Two fold-down plastic side shelves
• Includes ash removal tool, ceramic heat deflector and cover

It probably will be about $650 including tax. Don't know if it is going to happen, but I want the damned thing.

That's a good deal.  As stated.  Never used any petroleum products in the egg.  You'll never get the smell out.  Use lump only.  There are various types using different wood types (oak, hickory, etc.).  Try various combinations and keep a journal to track times, temp, and various wood types.  If you do add chunks of wood.  Don't soak them before.  They'll just create steam inside the dome.  Not a good thing (your gaskets).

FYI - they take a little longer to get it up to temp, so factor that in.  Biggest advice is they MUCH easier to bring up to temp than down.  So be careful opening everything up.  They can go from 225 to 500 in the blink of any eye.  Get a dual-probe thermometer.  This is the more important piece of gear you can get early on.  Early on, pork is easiest - specifically pork butts.  They taste great and are VERY forgiving.  Just make sure your internal temp is > 195 before you pull.  I always wrap and place in an old cooler with a bunch of old towels on top.  I leave for at least an hour.  2-3 is ideal.

The Aaron Franklin videos are great - but so are thousands of other YouTube instructional videos and online forums. 

[TankedBevo 2,485]

10 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Vision grills are great.  My first egg was a Vision, purchased upon recommendation from friends that also used the brand.  Only reason I changed was size (went with XL)

Good a great deal on a Kamodo.  In hindsight I wished I'd kept the Vision to have the option for larger cooks.  There may be some that argue the green egg/Primo ceramic if higher quality to handle extreme temps better - which may be true, but since I switched to reverse sear/cast iron steak cooking, it doesn't really matter. 

It's been great so far, I got it up to 700° to sear some thick porkchops without issue and they turned out awesome. I'll be doing a pork butt this weekend (hopefully), and will update with pics unless it sucks. 

[BabaYaga 15,326]

5 minutes ago, TankedBevo said:

It's been great so far, I got it up to 700° to sear some thick porkchops without issue and they turned out awesome. I'll be doing a pork butt this weekend (hopefully), and will update with pics unless it sucks. 

When you hit the stall - and you will, just ride it out and keep watching your temps.  Don't paint yourself into a corner when you NEED to be ready early.  Better to wrap and stick in a cooler for hours than rush things.  Fluctuations are your enemy.  And every time you open the lid, air rushes in to feed those coals.  This is why the probes are so important.  Better to ride a hot cook @ 300 straight through than vacillating between 225 and 275, etc.  

[TankedBevo 2,485]

5 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

When you hit the stall - and you will, just ride it out and keep watching your temps.  Don't paint yourself into a corner when you NEED to be ready early.  Better to wrap and stick in a cooler for hours than rush things.  Fluctuations are your enemy.  And every time you open the lid, air rushes in to feed those coals.  This is why the probes are so important.  Better to ride a hot cook @ 300 straight through than vacillating between 225 and 275, etc.  

Actually just bought a bluetooth dual probe wireless thermometer so I'll get to try that bad boy out. Repped for the advice

[BabaYaga 15,326]

1 minute ago, TankedBevo said:

Actually just bought a bluetooth dual probe wireless thermometer so I'll get to try that bad boy out. Repped for the advice

SHO NUFF!

[Macanudo 13,014]

3 hours ago, VolenteHawk said:

Excellent.  Good buy and congrats.

 

I read that in Dr. Livingston's voice.   Damn, I feel old.

[strangulation! 1,716]

50 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

I read that in Dr. Livingston's voice.   Damn, I feel old.

post 85^^^^

[dcbc 14,511]

8 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

When you hit the stall - and you will, just ride it out and keep watching your temps.  Don't paint yourself into a corner when you NEED to be ready early.  Better to wrap and stick in a cooler for hours than rush things.  Fluctuations are your enemy.  And every time you open the lid, air rushes in to feed those coals.  This is why the probes are so important.  Better to ride a hot cook @ 300 straight through than vacillating between 225 and 275, etc.  

Not a BGE owner.  So curious.  Do the temperatures fluctuate on these things that much?  I've got a WSM and it's pretty easy to lock in on temp.  I figured with all the ceramic on the BGE type grills, there would be less fluctuation.

[CO Horn 167]

10 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Not a BGE owner.  So curious.  Do the temperatures fluctuate on these things that much?  I've got a WSM and it's pretty easy to lock in on temp.  I figured with all the ceramic on the BGE type grills, there would be less fluctuation.

I smoked two pork shoulders last weekend. Temp held at 250 for 20 hours, with only one adjustment in the morning when it dropped to 200. 

[dcbc 14,511]

6 minutes ago, CO Horn said:

I smoked two pork shoulders last weekend. Temp held at 250 for 20 hours, with only one adjustment in the morning when it dropped to 200. 

That's impressive.  I only got about 12 hours out of my WSM last weekend at 225.

Edited May 11, 2018 by dcbc

[BabaYaga 15,326]

12 hours ago, dcbc said:

Not a BGE owner.  So curious.  Do the temperatures fluctuate on these things that much?  I've got a WSM and it's pretty easy to lock in on temp.  I figured with all the ceramic on the BGE type grills, there would be less fluctuation.

Not at all.  Same basic principles as the WSM (which I'm a big fan of BTW - especially how portable they are).  It's a human error issue.  The eggs do take a little while to get up to temp. so many smokers (guilty) start peeking and playing with the vents.  What you also see is once temp is reached (say you are dialing in 250), then you add your meat and water/sand pan, which act as a 'thermal or heat sink', so your temp then immediately drops.  Then you open it up, and shortly you are @ 300+.  Then you close it back up, but the temps won't drop, and you start panicking, burping off heat, etc with the lid. 

*magnified is you are on a timeline and HAVE to be ready by a certain time.

Pretty common occurrence until you get familiar with the process.  Keeping a journal is a good idea to track these things (assuming your thermometer doesn't keep a digital record of each smoke)

You also see it with lumps of wood or large pieces of lump charcoal.  You get flare ups and the temp spikes.  But most of the time it's just a byproduct of peeking.  You open the lid, air rushes in and feeds the fire. 

[VolenteHawk 495]

13 hours ago, dcbc said:

Not a BGE owner.  So curious.  Do the temperatures fluctuate on these things that much?  I've got a WSM and it's pretty easy to lock in on temp.  I figured with all the ceramic on the BGE type grills, there would be less fluctuation.

It takes a little while to get a feel for when/how much to close the vents, but once you've got the hang of it...they're incredibly stable.

 

[Buzzrock 14,944]

Chimney effect can be useful for lighting it fast: