Big green egg users

[Salty Gator]

My wife got me one for our anniversary yesterday. Are there any accessories that I can't live without? Anything I need to know other than no lighter fluid and hardwood charcoal? Thanks

[neckmoe]

Learn how to burp it as they say. Essentially when you have it going at high temps it can be dangerous to open the lid too fast. Open it slowly or it can flash back on you... check out this video for an example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JBHxmezsAQ
I would also immediately build or buy a table for it so that it's protected from falling over. I also like the daisy style vent lid as well as the springed hinge. Other than that have fun....it'll make the average cook look like one hell of a cook. oh one more thing....digital thermometers are a huge plus

[OneTripletail]

Welcome to the club. You will want to get a plate setter for those long slow cooks. I also have a pizza stone for the pizzas. If you can find peach wood, I would get some. I get mine from a guy up in Atlanta.

[mrbigglesworth]

Once you figure it out you will be addicted! Check out the ceramic grill store (Google it... I don't have the exact address) they have an adjustable rig that allows you to have multiple grids set up at different levels and you can get the ceramic plate for indirect cooking. It's more versatile than the place setter IMO. Also look into a weed torch burner from lowes or Home Depot for starting it. I have tried all sorts of ways to fire it up and that has been far better than any other way. Egghead forum has about any info you need to get started. If you have a question or want to cook something specific Google whatever it is and then type egghead forum behind it any you will find an answer 95% of the time. Have fun with it! Let me know if you have any more specific questions.


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[Ctb924]

X2 on the pizza stone. I also have the rib rack which is nice when cooking for a lot of people. You can make a place setter out of an old pizza stone. Just put one of the wife's cake pans under it to raise the stone a bit, or bricks etc... I still use the fire starter blocks that BGE sells but people swear by the electric starter. Check out eggheadforum.com lots of great info there.

[Ebryant]

I use a BernzOmatic torch with the Colman campers bottle gas. Hold it on one spot for about 20-30 seconds. One bottle gas will last me 1.5 years with about 3 lights a week.

[Steve Stinson]

You will not want to cook any other way once you get used to it.

Make sure you break it in as described in the instructions. The easiest way I have found to light it is a charcoal chimney. I put some newspaper in the bottom and fill the top partially with new charcoal and also with whatever is left over from the previous use. Open the vent and top, light the paper and place the entire chimney inside the egg on the bottom (set the grill aside). In a few minutes, you will see flames begin to emerge from the top of the chimney. Just dump the coals, close the top and adjust the vents to get the desired temp.

I have had mine for several years and initially thought it was too expensive. Now, I would buy another one tomorrow if this one got damaged.

[slayer]

enjoy...

lots of good info to be found here--------------->>>>http://www.kamadoguru.com/

[Salty Gator]

Thanks for all the replies folks. I read the break in stuff on the website. I got the convEGGtor yesterday and tried it out. I was hoping to keep the temp at 225 ( like I was smoking) and see how long it would go. I started it at 9 pm ( lit w a chimney) and was hoping to wake up this am and still have it going. When I woke the temp was 0 and the fire was out. I did have the bottom vent about 1/2"- 1" open and the top half open. There was still some coal left. I was a little surprised there wasn't more on the website about how much coal to use and how to cook for 12+ hours, or how to adjust the top and bottom vents. All of the other smokers I've used say to fully open top vents and adjust temp w bottom vents, but it seems w the egg folks use both. How do yall adjust the temp? Do yall use a lot of charcoal for long smokes, do you add coal? Do you have to keep opening the bottom vent as the coal burns? It seems that it would be easier to bring the temp up than down so what temp do you put your meat on when going for 225? I registered on the egg forum, but didn't see a way to post new topics. I could only read old threads and couldn't search for what I was looking for. Thanks again everyone.

[Steve Stinson]

When I smoke on mine, I use the conveggtor, then a water/drip pan, then the grill with the meat over the pan. If you try to put a lot of charcoal in to make it burn all night, the temp tends to get too high for smoking. I put about a chimney full in, then check it every 3 or 4 hours, adding as necessary. I reduce my top and bottom vent openings to about 1/2 inch after the grill gets going.
The other thing I have found when using indirect heat (conveggtor), is that the temp at the grill level seems to be less than the temp at the top of the egg. If you try to adjust your vents to get that top thermometer to read 225, you end up putting your fire out. Shoot for about 250.

[Salty Gator]

Thank you, Steve, when you add coals , are they unlit? In the webber bullet I used to fill the firebox w unlit charcoal and dump a lit chimney on top. Then I could smoke for up to 16 hours without adding coal and never got over 275. Do folks do this with the egg? Thanks again

[slayer]

its trial and error...the more you use it.....the more /better your gonna get at using your cooker for different uses.....for me...when I do low and slow, I pack mine slap full, fire it off, bring it up to temp...once done just choke it down

I have actually cooked 3 to 4 times without ever adding new charcoal

[Steve Stinson]

My added charcoal is unlit. I have never tried dumping lit charcoal on top of unlit to make it last longer.

[RedMann]

I continue to have a problem when I load the egg full of charcoal. The first time I use it after loading, it seems to do fine but after that it doesn't seem draw in air very well and I have a hard time getting a decent cooking temperature. I think the bottom portion that holds the charcoal gets clogged with ash and small bits of charcoal and I end up having to empty all of the charcoal and ash and start again with a refill. Any thoughts about what I am doing wrong? I was thinking maybe I was overloading with charcoal but others here are saying that they loads theirs up. (Apologies if this is a derail.)

[Salty Gator]

Good question not a derail. One thing webber guys do is to put a large coffee with the bottom cut out in the center of the firebox, then add unlit coals around it. Then you put a chimney full of lit coals in the can then pull the can out w pliers. I may give that a try.