Big Green Egg & Other Ceramic Grills All Encompassing Thread

[Chewbacca 7,767]

I have a large BGE. Can someone please link or tell me the product that makes getting the ash out of the bottom easier than using the small too that came with it? Thanks! \m/

Shop vac

[Surly Bevo 24,908]

1 hour ago, Chewbacca said:

13 hours ago, Tailgate said:

I have a large BGE. Can someone please link or tell me the product that makes getting the ash out of the bottom easier than using the small too that came with it? Thanks! \m/

Shop vac

This...

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

16 hours ago, Tailgate said:

I have a large BGE. Can someone please link or tell me the product that makes getting the ash out of the bottom easier than using the small too that came with it? Thanks! \m/

I use a shop vac

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

Question.  My digi q thermometer i clipped to the grill.  I have heat shield.  It was reading about 75 degrees hotter than my egg’s thermometer.  I know there are fluctuations inside ceramic.  But that seems like a lot.  

Used digi q for first time this weekend. 

[Lurch 5,922]

Are eggs thermometers adjustable like primos are? That may be some of it. There’s quite a few posts and vids of calibration of ceramic grill thermometers

 

[Surly Bevo 24,908]

10 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Question.  My digi q thermometer i clipped to the grill.  I have heat shield.  It was reading about 75 degrees hotter than my egg’s thermometer.  I know there are fluctuations inside ceramic.  But that seems like a lot.  

Used digi q for first time this weekend. 

Did you make sure it was relatively close to where the food would be (ie over the shield and not over the spaces on the side where the heat is still somewhat direct).  Mine is usually always within 0-20 degrees so that is a pretty big spread.

[Dontshootrude 374]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

Question.  My digi q thermometer i clipped to the grill.  I have heat shield.  It was reading about 75 degrees hotter than my egg’s thermometer.  I know there are fluctuations inside ceramic.  But that seems like a lot.  

Used digi q for first time this weekend. 

I'd trust the Digi q thermometer. You can calibrate the egg thermometer and it wouldn't be surprising if it is way off.

[DDD Dad 14,326]

I'd trust the Digi q thermometer. You can calibrate the egg thermometer and it wouldn't be surprising if it is way off.

Este

[Jerry Callo 8,699]

Costco in Cedar Park has 30# Kamado Joe Big Block lump charcoal for $21.99.

[Buzzrock 14,903]

I have a large BGE. Can someone please link or tell me the product that makes getting the ash out of the bottom easier than using the small too that came with it? Thanks! \m/

I used a shop vac for awhile but the fine ash overwhelms the filter and eventually ruins it, not to mention blows ash everywhere. Now I use a small ash vac that works great, is metal lined for the occasional hot ash, and doesn’t blow ash everywhere. Amazon has a couple.

[TankedBevo 2,482]

Pork belly burnt ends from yesterday off the vision grill:

imgur

Used Aaron Fanklin's pork rub recipe and Jess Pryles' how-to found here. Super easy, delicious and will be a regular fixture as soon as my arteries unclog.

Side note, I think the burnt ends weren't as "sticky" as I'd imagined because I used a vinegar based bbq sauce instead of molasses based. I'll switch it next time I make them for sure. 

 

 

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

Made some bacon wrapped venison tenderloin stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeño.  ‘Twas good

[Victorious1 140]

On ‎1‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 3:12 PM, Dontshootrude said:

I'd trust the Digi q thermometer. You can calibrate the egg thermometer and it wouldn't be surprising if it is way off.

I replaced my BGE thermometer years ago with a Smokeware thermometer.  I'll use my probes for long cooks but for hamburgers, steaks & such the Smokeware is much better guage.  Has anyone used their Chimney Caps?

[Baboontyme 2,809]

It is thawing out here and I have some pizzas and cheesebread on tap for the menu tonight. I am thinking about firing up the Primo. 

How do you guys set up your grills when you do pizza? The deflector plate is basically a pizza stone but I'm thinking it gets too hot to put the pizza right on there. So is it deflector plate, then grill grate and pizza goes on the grill grates? Deflector plate, then pizza stone on top of the grill grate? 

Do you run it wide open and as hot as you can get it to make sure it cooks from the top?

[Lurch 5,922]

Wide open, deflector plate, grill grates topped by pizza stone. Careful because it cooks SUPER fast

 

[Chewbacca 7,767]

Wide open, deflector plate, grill grates topped by pizza stone. Careful because it cooks SUPER fast
 

This

[Chewbacca 7,767]

And I'll add that i like to keep my temps around 500-550. Any hotter and you can burn it unless your pizza is super thin.

[Baboontyme 2,809]

Thanks. Do you guys use the dome thermometer or an infared surface zapper to measure your desired temps?

[Lurch 5,922]

I use a probe when smoking, but otherwise just the (upgraded) dome thermometer

[Chewbacca 7,767]

Thanks. Do you guys use the dome thermometer or an infared surface zapper to measure your desired temps?

I just use the dome, but ir would be better.

[Dbeasy 15,042]

Consumer Reports just proclaimed Kamado Joe better then BGE. Let the argument begin.

[DDD Dad 14,326]

Meh, it could be. It’s less expensive right? That would be one reason to choose it over BGE.

[VolenteHawk 495]

45 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

Meh, it could be. It’s less expensive right? That would be one reason to choose it over BGE.

I think slightly, because it comes with accessories you want, but it’s a premium grill...it’s not a lot cheaper. I have an egg (the Joe didn’t exist when I bought it), but I can’t imagine there is a nickel’s worth of difference between them from a cooking perspective. The Joe does seem to fix a couple annoyances of the egg.

[Buzzrock 14,903]

Egg was only game in town when I got mine too. I’d shop around if I was looking today. The oval shape of the Primo is appealing for briskets.

[solamente73 1,132]

Cooked lunch for my office staff.  Had to get an early start.

 

 

[CooterBrown 18,004]

The Looftlighter is amazing. Maybe 1 minute from cold lump to a raging inferno.

[BigDHornfan 6,545]

The Looftlighter is amazing. Maybe 1 minute from cold lump to a raging inferno.

I concur. Love it.

[Lurch 5,922]

For $80 it better season and flip my steaks too. Holy crap

[Baboontyme 2,809]

 

Doesn't a weed burner essentially accomplish the same thing without the cord?

Also cheaper and a lot more fun.

[Buzzrock 14,903]

[TK421 29]

I use a Harbor Freight heat gun to light my grill.   $15 on sale and lasts a few years before it dies.   Starts the egg quickly and doesn’t impart any taste to the charcoal.  

[Landomatic 3,813]

Didn't know where to put this and didn't see it discussed anywhere else.  Anyone tried one of these yet?  Looks like Weber's answer to ceramic eggs.

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/charcoal-grills/summit-charcoal-grill-series/

Doesn't look like it's been around all that long.  Gets pretty great reviews (other than the wheels being a little cheap) even from some pretty die hard ceramic guys.

Here's the stand-alone version...

And the one with the side table and a couple other added features...

[CooterBrown 18,004]

On 1/13/2019 at 2:45 PM, Johnny Sack said:

I use a shop vac

Make sure you've really choked that fire to death well beforehand.  Once, I let it burn down naturally with the daisy wheel open to get rid of the rest of the lump that hadn't burned.  Almost 48 hours later, I shop vac'd the ashes and about 30 minutes later, there was a hole burned through the canister.  

 

[Jerry Callo 8,699]

I'm a big fan of Weber, but they are awful proud of that new grill.

[Nueces River Rat 5,537]

I'm kind of educating myself via this thread on Big Egg (or similar type) grill.   Right now I have two grills which include a Pit Barrel smoker and a traditional pit, but I use the Pit Barrel more because I slow cook most of my stuff now.    If it's for a quick batch of fajitas or burgers, I'll use the traditional.   The Big Egg or similar  would allow the connivence of having both types of cookers in one and I could get rid of the pit barrel and traditional and save some space on my patio.   

Question.   Is using a drip pan a requirement with the ceramic grill?

[Jerry Callo 8,699]

I use a drip pan for most of my cooks to keep things clean.  You'll cook with indirect heat for slow cooks which requires the use of a heat shield.  I place drip pan on top of my ceramic heat shield.

[Landomatic 3,813]

36 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I'm a big fan of Weber, but they are awful proud of that new grill.

Are they really though?  Exact same size at the XL Big Green Egg which retails around $1,200 plus stand and the Weber is around $1,700 with stand.  Comparable stand is probably around $150 so the difference is really only about $350.  Plus I think Weber has a couple other accessories that come with it the BGE doesn't have.  Also, if you have accessories for the Weber Gourmet BBQ System for your other Weber gas grill (pizza stone, etc) they will work for both.  And supposedly you won't have to replace parts nearly as often as the BGE since it's steal instead of porcelain.  Plus...Weber, which is worth something.  I'd say the difference is fairly negligible once you take everything into account.

Jeez I sound like a Weber salesman.

Full disclosure, I'm a huge Weber fanboi and probably more brand-loyal to it than any other brand of anything I ever buy.

[Jerry Callo 8,699]

6 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Are they really though?  Exact same size at the XL Big Green Egg which retails around $1,200 plus stand and the Weber is around $1,700 with stand.  Comparable stand is probably around $150 so the difference is really only about $350.  Plus I think Weber has a couple other accessories that come with it the BGE doesn't have.  Also, if you have accessories for the Weber Gourmet BBQ System for your other Weber gas grill (pizza stone, etc) they will work for both.  And supposedly you won't have to replace parts nearly as often as the BGE since it's steal instead of porcelain.  Plus...Weber, which is worth something.  I'd say the difference is fairly negligible once you take everything into account.

Jeez I sound like a Weber salesman.

Full disclosure, I'm a huge Weber fanboi and probably more brand-loyal to it than any other brand of anything I ever buy.

I get where you're coming from, but I also think BGEs are overpriced.  

[Landomatic 3,813]

19 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I get where you're coming from, but I also think BGEs are overpriced.  

I know.  I was just trying to compare apples to apples.  Treating BGE as the “premium” brand of ceramic.  It’s not like this is a Charbroil coming out with their answer to the ceramic.

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

I was at Texas Star Grill Shop recently buying lump charcoal.  And I am not sure if it was the Primo or Komado (sp?) brand ceramic, but they had a hydraulic system for opening/closing lid that is freaking awesome in their new models.

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

On ‎3‎/‎31‎/‎2019 at 6:21 PM, TK421 said:

I use a Harbor Freight heat gun to light my grill.   $15 on sale and lasts a few years before it dies.   Starts the egg quickly and doesn’t impart any taste to the charcoal.  

This is what I use.  I had a BGE looflighter knockoff that worked okay, but the heat gun is better.  I traded it in for a cast iron implement.  The heat gun outperforms the looflighter:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lighting+lump+charcoal+with+heat+gun&&view=detail&mid=D0392F77550F862C7B34D0392F77550F862C7B34&&FORM=VRDGAR

[VolenteHawk 495]

1 hour ago, Nueces River Rat said:

I'm kind of educating myself via this thread on Big Egg (or similar type) grill.   Right now I have two grills which include a Pit Barrel smoker and a traditional pit, but I use the Pit Barrel more because I slow cook most of my stuff now.    If it's for a quick batch of fajitas or burgers, I'll use the traditional.   The Big Egg or similar  would allow the connivence of having both types of cookers in one and I could get rid of the pit barrel and traditional and save some space on my patio.   

 Question.   Is using a drip pan a requirement with the ceramic grill?

I use one for slow/indirect cooks, but it's not a requirement.

 

[luke duke 6,412]

I get where you're coming from, but I also think BGEs are overpriced.  

You sound poor. Get a couple of these.
https://komodokamado.com

[Skipper 6,128]

10 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

I was at Texas Star Grill Shop recently buying lump charcoal.  And I am not sure if it was the Primo or Komado (sp?) brand ceramic, but they had a hydraulic system for opening/closing lid that is freaking awesome in their new models.

Think you are talking about the Komado Joe.  I actually just ordered a new one.  Should be here in a couple of weeks.

[Johnny Sack 8,397]

11 minutes ago, Skipper said:

Think you are talking about the Komado Joe.  I actually just ordered a new one.  Should be here in a couple of weeks.

The new hydraulic opening/closing hinge is really slick.

[Chewbacca 7,767]

2 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Are they really though?  Exact same size at the XL Big Green Egg which retails around $1,200 plus stand and the Weber is around $1,700 with stand.  Comparable stand is probably around $150 so the difference is really only about $350.  Plus I think Weber has a couple other accessories that come with it the BGE doesn't have.  Also, if you have accessories for the Weber Gourmet BBQ System for your other Weber gas grill (pizza stone, etc) they will work for both.  And supposedly you won't have to replace parts nearly as often as the BGE since it's steal instead of porcelain.  Plus...Weber, which is worth something.  I'd say the difference is fairly negligible once you take everything into account.

Jeez I sound like a Weber salesman.

Full disclosure, I'm a huge Weber fanboi and probably more brand-loyal to it than any other brand of anything I ever buy.

What kind of parts do you supposedly need to replace on a BGE?  Other than the gasket, I can't think of any.  And I've been running without a gasket for 5+ years now.  

[Nueces River Rat 5,537]

I use one for slow/indirect cooks, but it's not a requirement.
 

That’s what I kind of thought.

[Landomatic 3,813]

2 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

What kind of parts do you supposedly need to replace on a BGE?  Other than the gasket, I can't think of any.  And I've been running without a gasket for 5+ years now.  

I don’t know...I don’t have one.  Just heard parts need replacing.  Seems like I saw the lids can fall off or insides crack sometimes or some shit.

[Baboontyme 2,809]

No cord lighter. https://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-19425-JT850-Self-Igniting-Outdoor/dp/B00008ZA0F

How does one put a drip pan on top of the heat deflector? I am guessing on the egg the deflector must sit lower than on the Primo? I have maybe a half inch of clearance between the deflector and the grill grate. I bought an elevated cooking grate but a brisket won't fit on that thing. I tried this past weekend, not even close. A butt maybe. 

 

[Chewbacca 7,767]

1 hour ago, Landomatic said:

I don’t know...I don’t have one.  Just heard parts need replacing.  Seems like I saw the lids can fall off or insides crack sometimes or some shit.

BGE ceramic has a lifetime warranty (as long as you don't drop it).  10 years into ownership of 2 BGEs, I've replaced exactly zero items.