Big Green Egg & Other Ceramic Grills All Encompassing Thread

[Buzzrock 14785]

This post could go in many threads but I’m a BGE guy. I’m looking for new remote probes. All I have now is the BBQ Guru CyberQ which is sometimes a hassle to set up for short cooks. What do y’all like?

[Lazarus Bocanegra 303]

This post could go in many threads but I’m a BGE guy. I’m looking for new remote probes. All I have now is the BBQ Guru CyberQ which is sometimes a hassle to set up for short cooks. What do y’all like?

Thermoworks smoke but don’t use it for high temps


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[Sam Lin 3535]

I use Inkbird multiple places and have been really happy with them. Great value for the price, esp if you wait for Amazon sales, which seem to happen fairly frequently on their stuff.

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

On 3/8/2021 at 3:13 PM, Buzzrock said:

This post could go in many threads but I’m a BGE guy. I’m looking for new remote probes. All I have now is the BBQ Guru CyberQ which is sometimes a hassle to set up for short cooks. What do y’all like?

I switched from CyberQ to a Fireboard a few months ago and love it. Great product. 

I also have a couple of wireless Meaters for when I use the rotisserie and I am less enamored with those, but when they work they work really well.

[Jerry Callo 8630]

On 3/8/2021 at 3:13 PM, Buzzrock said:

This post could go in many threads but I’m a BGE guy. I’m looking for new remote probes. All I have now is the BBQ Guru CyberQ which is sometimes a hassle to set up for short cooks. What do y’all like?

I pair my Fireboard with the BBQ Guru Pit Viper Fan.  

[gyroprotagonist 2591]

2 hours ago, Jerry Callo said:

I pair my Fireboard with the BBQ Guru Pit Viper Fan.  

interesting.  i have a stoker, but it seems they are out of biz and you can't get any more probes.  It still works pretty well, but i was looking at possible replacements.

[VolenteHawk 495]

On 3/9/2021 at 3:33 PM, Jerry Callo said:

I pair my Fireboard with the BBQ Guru Pit Viper Fan.  

Fireboard has their own fan now that comes with a BGE attachment, so you can one stop shop.

But yeah, to answer the question...Fireboard and there isn't a close 2nd, IMO.

 

[Sam Lin 3535]

If we're talking temp controllers, I really like the Smobot, passive damper control instead of a fan. Less power consumption due to being a static servo instead of always driving a fan, allows you to do long cooks off a powerbank, no need to plug in power. Repeated testing shows the coal burns longer (more efficiently) using natural convection instead of fan forced air. No disagreement that the Fireboard (and Flameboss) are the more "refined" looking product though.

[Spankytoes 1787]

 

[DDD Dad 14062]

Fireboard has their own fan now that comes with a BGE attachment, so you can one stop shop.
But yeah, to answer the question...Fireboard and there isn't a close 2nd, IMO.
 

I might have to retire my CyberQ and get one of these.

[Etexhorn13 3015]

I bought the DigiQ and the spitfire or whatever fan - I love it for doing long brisket cooks but I am really missing the WiFi connection so I can monitor from my phone. Would that solve the problem?

Also, posted in the beef rib thread but damn, I really do love my vision Kamado... beef ribs and turkey breast 

[Buzzrock 14785]

Fuck. That looks perfect.

[Etexhorn13 3015]

2 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

Fuck. That looks perfect.

That was a first time effort for the beef ribs (turkey is easy as fuck and delicious btw). I kept seeing recipes calling them to cook for 6-8 hours+... I’m not sure if it’s the Kamado or what but this ~4 lb set of ribs took about 5 hours at 285. A buddy of mine did some a few weeks ago at 225 and took them off at 4 hours. I was kinda surprised by how quickly they cooked, especially being beef, but damn it was easy and the results were fuckin delicious. Wrapped after 3.5 hours and they were probing like butter at 4.5-5 hours. 

[TankedBevo 2480]

I must say, the probes for my BBQ guru lasted only about 6 cooks before shitting out. My grill temp probe was telling the app the temp was around what it should be (~250) but when id go check it myself the dome lid was at like 380, which it's never been that far off. With my other temp probes the lid has been consistently about 40 degrees hotter than what it actually is. I pulled out my old thermometer and sure enough it was like 380 and essentially turned the bottom of my brisket into jerky. I say all that to ask if it's worth buying the "premium" probes from bbq guru that are supposed to be more durable or save myself the $50 and go another brand?  

[Jerry Callo 8630]

Damn, beef ribs are tasty.

[Jerry Callo 8630]

This is how they looked five hours before

[DDD Dad 14062]

On 3/27/2021 at 9:45 PM, Etexhorn13 said:

I bought the DigiQ and the spitfire or whatever fan - I love it for doing long brisket cooks but I am really missing the WiFi connection so I can monitor from my phone. Would that solve the problem?

Also, posted in the beef rib thread but damn, I really do love my vision Kamado... beef ribs and turkey breast 

I'm probably going to pull the trigger on the Fireboard soon.  My CyberQ has Wi-Fi but it's a bitch to set up.  I've never actually done it in the 5+ years since I had it (my old version does not plug and play like newer products do).

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

On 3/9/2021 at 3:33 PM, Jerry Callo said:

I pair my Fireboard with the BBQ Guru Pit Viper Fan.  

I originally paid extra for the fan that comes with the Fireboard but I didn't care for it and swapped it for the Pit Viper fan from the BBQG. Mashup works great. 

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

Doing an Easter prime rib on the Joetisserie this morning for lunch.

Starting it a little bit lower temp at 275 so it doesn't cook too fast while I'm at church. If things go right I'll pump up the temp when I get home to about 400 and it will sear the outside and finish cooking the inside to about 125-130. 

Fireboard don't fail me now. 

[crimsonlonghorn 2306]

Update: Turned out perfect. 

[Jerry Callo 8630]

Spares smoking.

[Etexhorn13 3015]

1 hour ago, Jerry Callo said:

Spares smoking.

Did your grill come with the wooden shelves or did you add those? I have that same vision Kamado. 

[Jerry Callo 8630]

17 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Did your grill come with the wooden shelves or did you add those? I have that same vision Kamado. 

Wooden shelves came with it.  I think I got it at Home Depot for $500 with the cradle, shelves, and cover.  Added some accessories from the Ceramic Grill Store, the Fireboard and a BBQGuru fan, and a Joetiessorie.  Couldn't be happier with it.

[Sam Lin 3535]

Did a full picanha "roast" yesterday that turned out incredibly well. Super tender, beefy beefy flavor.

Wagyu picanha mb3.

Rub the meat side with salt, pepper, garlic powder (roughly 1:0.7:0.5 by weight). Score the fat side deeply and rub liberally with coarse salt - this was sort of an attempt to dry and crisp the fat. Let it dry brine at least overnight in fridge, 2 days is fine as well.

Scrape the salt off the fat cap using a knife or spoon. Start a fire, don't need a huge one as you're going low temp. I buried a few chunks of hickory. Deflectors low, foil "drip pan" on second level. It actually dripped very little because cook temp stayed so low. Temps rode right under 190F the whole time, including through a torrential downpour. Fat towards the heat, which in a kamado means fat down. Smoke at low temp until internal temp hits 120F.

  

Then the fun part, sear. Pull the meat off and let it sit while the kamado heats up. Open the vents and go for broke. Stuck 2 giant skewers through the thing, pulled out the deflector and grate on one side, and put the meat down next to the coals. I'd started the fire with a divider in, planning to do this, so half the fire basket was empty to hold the meat. I really dislike the 'dirty' smoke taste when fat drips and burns, so this is how I get a good sear while keeping drippings out of the fire. You can see the lower half of the fat cap has turned yellowish, that's where it has crisped up and bubbled, just like a pork skin. Rotate and sear all sides.

  

Resulting fat cap:

Slice and serve. Super tender, great flavor.

 

Edit: Video showing the fat cap sizzling. Sorry for the AC unit droning on audio, otherwise the sizzle sounds great. Video link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6dApWq6fU5YoKooq7

Edited April 14, 2021 by Sam Lin
add video link

[Anastasis 23214]

Wagyu picanha is relevant to my interests.  

[Buzzrock 14785]

Working on some pork belly burnt ends. Made a spicy peach blackberry glaze to go on next. Using Malcolm Reed’s method and got the pork belly from Costco.

[Buzzrock 14785]

Misfire. Overcooked the pork belly.

[Etexhorn13 3015]

Question for y’all: when you do brisket, so you cook fat side up or down? I’ve always done fat side up, but did fat side down on my cook last night and between that difference and a few other things, it was easily the best brisket I’ve made yet. I had to flip it while cutting but the bark still stayed intact pretty well when I flipped it back. I couldn’t tell if there was any difference in the fat being rendered or anything though. 

[DDD Dad 14062]

Question for y’all: when you do brisket, so you cook fat side up or down? I’ve always done fat side up, but did fat side down on my cook last night and between that difference and a few other things, it was easily the best brisket I’ve made yet. I had to flip it while cutting but the bark still stayed intact pretty well when I flipped it back. I couldn’t tell if there was any difference in the fat being rendered or anything though. 

Fat down on the egg.

[Sam Lin 3535]

Fat face towards heat source, so UDS/WSM/Kamado/vertical it goes down. On a horizontal it goes up.

[Jerry Callo 8630]

11 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

Fat down on the egg.

I have to try that next time.  I cooked on this weekend and the bottom of the flat was way over cooked.

[Etexhorn13 3015]

10 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I have to try that next time.  I cooked on this weekend and the bottom of the flat was way over cooked.

This last one was the first I’d cooked fat down (also I’ve seen elsewhere to have point facing the back of grill?) It was by far the moistest brisket I’ve done yet with the other 2-3 all done fat side up. I’d recommend. 

[TxTower 648]

Fat face towards heat source, so UDS/WSM/Kamado/vertical it goes down. On a horizontal it goes up.

Listen to the man.


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[Sam Lin 3535]

49 minutes ago, Etexhorn13 said:

 (also I’ve seen elsewhere to have point facing the back of grill?) 

There is some truth to this, intake is at bottom front, so the air currents tend to suck in and run up the rear of the kamado. It's not truly even heat in there. That said, the difference is pretty minor. (That also means I light the front edge of the coals for a low and slow cook, the air current helps push the flame front through the full coal load.)

Kamado Joe's new gen has a lower air guide called the Slo Roller that is designed to circulate the air much more evenly inside the Kamado. I have no experience with it.

[Chewbacca 7620]

Anyone have recs on good BGE tables?  I've got a large and am tired of the nest.  I want a table to store my shit in/under.  I'm not making one.  Ain't nobody got time for that.  Would take away from my Surly time.

[Sam Lin 3535]

If you know any local woodworkers, that's really the way to go. Have them make you something custom, fit to your space and needs, save on shipping a big table. The purchased options are all incredibly expensive. You could try asking around a local Woodcraft store if you don't know some woodworkers already.

[Chewbacca 7620]

If you know any local woodworkers, that's really the way to go. Have them make you something custom, fit to your space and needs, save on shipping a big table. The purchased options are all incredibly expensive. You could try asking around a local Woodcraft store if you don't know some woodworkers already.

I actually might go with the BGE Acacia wood table. $500 is about as cheap as they come.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

I have the large BGE.  My aunt is giving me her XL.  My large has a really nice table a buddy of mine made for me.  I think I can just cut a larger hole and slide it in.

I guess I will just sell my large.  It is in good condition.

Edited April 27, 2021 by Johnny Sack

[Chewbacca 7620]

37 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

I have the large BGE.  My aunt is giving me her XL.  My large has a really nice table a buddy of mine made for me.  I think I can just cut a larger hole and slide it in.

I guess I will just sell my large.  It is in good condition.

Why not keep the large?  Would be better to have for smaller cooks.  Unless your large table is extra wide, the XL likely won't fit in it.  I just got the BGE wood table over the weekend and it's too narrow to fit the XL by a few inches.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

43 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Why not keep the large?  Would be better to have for smaller cooks.  Unless your large table is extra wide, the XL likely won't fit in it.  I just got the BGE wood table over the weekend and it's too narrow to fit the XL by a few inches.

Mainly because I have a gas grill, a griddle, and an egg.  And I would prefer my back yard not look like a Home Depot entrance with 4 different cooking devices.  I am giving away the gas grill.  Want to get down to one egg and the griddle. 

My family has two ranches. Each have two very good stick burning smokers.  Got nowhere for the egg to go.

[Chewbacca 7620]

22 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Mainly because I have a gas grill, a griddle, and an egg.  And I would prefer my back yard not look like a Home Depot entrance with 4 different cooking devices.  I am giving away the gas grill.  Want to get down to one egg and the griddle. 

My family has two ranches. Each have two very good stick burning smokers.  Got nowhere for the egg to go.

I wouldn't give up my large.  There are only a couple times a year where an XL's increased size would be a benefit.  The other times it would be annoying.

[Etexhorn13 3015]

Here’s another question for y’all... last time I did a brisket I cooked it fat down and it was far superior to any other brisket I’ve done. Do y’all then flip it to cut so the fats on top? It fucked up my presentation but cutting with fat down was damn near impossible. 

[DDD Dad 14062]

On 4/27/2021 at 4:45 PM, Johnny Sack said:

Mainly because I have a gas grill, a griddle, and an egg.  And I would prefer my back yard not look like a Home Depot entrance with 4 different cooking devices.  I am giving away the gas grill.  Want to get down to one egg and the griddle. 

My family has two ranches. Each have two very good stick burning smokers.  Got nowhere for the egg to go.

[DDD Dad 14062]

10 hours ago, Etexhorn13 said:

Here’s another question for y’all... last time I did a brisket I cooked it fat down and it was far superior to any other brisket I’ve done. Do y’all then flip it to cut so the fats on top? It fucked up my presentation but cutting with fat down was damn near impossible. 

Never had a problem cutting fat side down.  Are you trimming any of the fat cap before you cook?

[Etexhorn13 3015]

41 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

Never had a problem cutting fat side down.  Are you trimming any of the fat cap before you cook?

After a couple just ok attempts, I left a little bit more fat on than usual which probably contributed to this, but it wasn’t a crazy amount of fat. Mostly it just seemed more stable when I put the meat side down to cut and didn’t fall apart. Could’ve also been that I just needed to sharpen my knife a little more. 

[freyguy 4239]

I'm totally fat down on the kamado as well, and I don't even trim the cap anymore.  I only dig out as much of that ball of waxy fat near the point as I can.

[Mortimer 88]

Prime Picanha Roast

S&P and whatever rub you want

Indirect at 250 to 120 internal temp
Pull and rest while cranking up direct heat to 500
Seared direct 90 seconds/side

1.5 hour total cook time.

Holy hell this came out good. Such a kickass cut of meat. No chimichurri sauce, just some mashed potatoes on the side.

[Sam Lin 3535]

Dry aged wagyu porterhouse. Salted 1.5hr ahead and left out on counter. Also added garlic powder and pepper after this photo.

 

Reverse sear 275f for about 30min (would have gone lower but I needed some heat for the roasting items), I pulled it at 118 internal. Pouches on the right are Japanese beni haru sweet potatoes and roasted heads of garlic. Additional sweet potatoes were put down in the firebox, firebox divider was in so coals were in one side and potatoes the other side. Threw a half handful of apple chips down through the grates when I put the meat on. Smoke lasted only a few minutes as chips burn off so quickly. Not sure it did anything, but looked cool? Was too lazy to lift the grate to put a lump of wood in for longer smoke.

 

Rested 25min while Jr kamado warmed up. Seared for 2min per side, somewhere around 500F.

 

Everything done, time to eat:

     

 

This was one of the better steaks I've done.

[Tailgate 2974]

Fajitas…had the craving.

[Buzzrock 14785]

Mainly because I have a gas grill, a griddle, and an egg.  And I would prefer my back yard not look like a Home Depot entrance with 4 different cooking devices.  I am giving away the gas grill.  Want to get down to one egg and the griddle. 
My family has two ranches. Each have two very good stick burning smokers.  Got nowhere for the egg to go.

I would use that XL a few times before getting rid of the Large. I’ve had a Large for 15 years and I’ve cooked on my BIL’s XL a few times and it’s just different. The geometry isn’t the same (it’s not as vertical) and I had a hard time getting it really hot. Personally I’d look into selling the XL and getting a Traeger to go with the Large BGE if it was me.