The Big Green Egg is one of my newest smokers slash cookers slash grills and while I am not hung up on the brand name like some folks, it does exactly what it was designed to do and it does it well. I have a feeling that all of the ceramic cookers do a pretty good job regardless of the brand name.
The folks at the store tried hard but were not able to talk me into the absolutely necessary stand or cart since I knew that it would sit just perfectly on some blocks until I had time to build a table for it and I have to tell you that it is very solid and has no chance of falling over or being blown away by the Oklahoma winds. The fact that it's an XL or extra large makes it even more solid.
I unloaded this off of a flatbed truck and moved it about 100 feet to where it is now with absolutely no help and if you are wondering why that's such a big deal then you probably do not realize that it's huge and weighs in at over 250 lbs.
Fortunately, I have a background in engineering and that along with my intense creative abilities helped to get that thing unloaded and set up without mishap.
Once the Big Green Egg (BGE) is in place, fill with lump charcoal to just above the bottom air holes.
Here's a couple of different brands of lump charcoal. I have used everything from BGE brand to the offbrands and in my opinion, the Royal Oak works best.
So why lump charcoal instead of briquettes? I thought you'd never ask!
Lump charcoal is real hardwood that has been burned or charred in a low oxygen environment. The product that results burns cleaner that charcoal briquettes, is all natural and does not contain any additives. It also tends to burn hotter than briquettes.
The BGE uses very little charcoal and you will find that once you fill it up, you'll be able to use that same charcoal multiple times before having to add more especially if you keep it at normal smoking temperatures.
It is very fuel efficient and the amount you save in charcoal, will offset the high cost of these units. They are not cheap but they are lifetime purchases. If you take care of it, it should last you a very long time.
To start the charcoal, I simply place a piece of firestarter down in the center of the coals and light it.
Place a little charcoal over the top of the flames and let it burn for about 7 minutes.
This is me experimenting with creating the right amount of smoke. I sprinkled wood chips around the charcoal like the instructions said but that was just not enough for me. I purchased a stainless steel woodchip box, filled it with wood chips and set it just off center to hopefully create the extra smoke that I wanted.
Put the plate setter in place to create the indirect cooking environment required for smoking. I do recommend purchasing one of these. They are not cheap but they are worth it. I tried it without it and it was just not right.
The plate setter is the ceramic piece that goes into the egg over the charcoal and forces the heat from the coals to be directed to the sides of the smoker. The heat then travels up to the dome and down creating this perfectly even cooking situation.
The grate fits over the plate setter as shown in the picture
While the egg is still coming up to temperature leave the top vent open all the way.
Bottom sliding vent is also all the way open until it comes up to temperature
Once the thermometer gets within about 10-15 degrees of your target temperature, I recommend closing the top and bottom vents to a "just barely open" configuration. You will have to practice to find out what works for you but this is the setting that works for me.
I placed the probe from my Maverick ET-732 dual probe meat thermometer at grate level and it seemed to be very close to what the dome guage is measuring.
I have been using this cooker for a while now and I really like it. It is fun to use, allows me to walk away from it for several hours knowing that it will maintain the temperature and cook the food without much adieu.
These are a little on the pricey side but I do believe that they are a lifetime purchase. Perhaps something that will get passed down to the kids one day. In my opinion, they are worth the money.
I have seen several of these on craigslist and in the local classifieds so if you are in the market to buy but don't mind buying something already broke in, then you should be able to find something a lot less expensive.
I will continue to add to this page as I learn more about the Big Green Egg ceramic cooker. Right now the testing is in progress, I have a lot to learn and I promise to share my findings.
About Jeff Phillips
Why no water pan with this vs Weber barell smoker. Years ago I had a cheap Brinkman that used a water pan.I now have a Chargriller w/ side box and use a water pan but I think the old Brinkman did a better job but was difficult to add more fuel. I am going to junk the chargriller an get either the Weber or the egg. Your thoughts?
I agree that the water pan is a great thing in smokers but when you use a ceramic cooker, you will notice that there are quite a number of things about this smoker that make a water pan not so important. There is very little radiant heat coming from the coals due to the small number of lit coals required to maintain smoking temperatures. The walls of the smoker are very thick and hold heat really well and this is what actually radiates heat to cook the food. It is a tight unit and while there is plenty of airflow for the smoke, it seems to do a great job of naturally reducing the drying effect of the heat.
As far as the weber vs. the egg, I love both of them and the biggest difference between the two is $$$. The Egg is what I call a lifetime purchase and if you take care of it, you will pass it on to your children one day.
The Weber is a lot less money and while it probably won’t outlast a normal person, it is a blast to use, easy to maintain heat and can produce some of the best smoked food you ever tasted.
Final thoughts: If you can afford it, go with the egg and you will love using it. Otherwise, go with the Weber WSM 22.5 and it will serve you very well.
I recently bought a Kamado Joe.. Love it and it is a little less expensive than the BGE.
Jeff is absolutely right. The BGE keeps meat quite moist while smoking. I occasionally flip the plate setter over and put a pie pan with water and wood chips directly under the meat I am smoking, but its really not necessary. Glad to see Jeff in the Egg world. I am pretty crazy about mine. My only regret is not buying the XL Egg.
I had that regret as well Tim. I bought the large model about 5 years ago, it has had a fire in it every weekend. 2 months ago I purchased the XL. I can cook a whole weeks worth of food on Sunday. Keep looking at the XL and talking about it. Eventually your wife will say "Just go get it so you will shut up about it"…. That's how I ended up with it anyway.
I bought a Chargriller Kamado Kooker last June and I love it. Will do everything the BGE will do for $299 plus $39 for the smokin stone (plate setter on BGE). I made a few modifications to make it more airtight for smoking in windy conditions that cost me less than $20. One tube of hi-temp RTV sealant and one roll of nomex high heat gasket did the trick. If you are wanting to get into the world of Kamado cooking without breaking the bank it is a great option.
I have a medium BGE that I've owned for close to 20 years. While I've had to replace the seals and the grate, the rest of the cooker is very durable. I've cooked hundreds of meals in it.
My "words of wisdom" would be that if you're doing a long cook, say brisket or a Boston butt, don't use leftover coals. Clean out the entire firebox and start with 100% new coals. The only problems I've encountered with my BGE have come from long cooks when I added new coals on top of old, and the fire started to go out, or couldn't be controlled.
Secondly, I'm not a fan of using a metal box to hold the wood, at least in the medium size BGE. It plays havoc with the temperature and doesn't give out enough smoke for my tastes. Instead, after the fire is started, sprinkle the wood directly on top of the coals in a pile, with additional wood as needed outside of the center. It should resemble the same pattern as if you took a salt shaker and emptied it on a table: a pile in the middle and lighter as you move out towards the edge. I use chuncks on a long cook for Boston butt, brisket or ribs and chips for a short cook, with fish or chicken wings.
Once you get the hang of controlling temperature, the BGE is easy to use. Just remember that for a lo-o-ng cook, use all new charcoal. And as Jeff says, use hardwood lump charcoal for the BGE.
Great tips.. thank you!!
Hi. I just bought a BGE. I have not used it yet. I also bought the book "Smoking Meat" by Jeff Phillips. I will do my homework first and then try it. I have bbq' ed for years but this is very new to me. I am a home chef and would like to try some new "hogies and wraps Asian style. Thankyou for writting the book it is very informative. I have the whole summer to experience this smokin thing before I go back down to Mexico for a winter of serching and trying mexican flavors with a chef friend of mine. I think I would still like to use a water bath in with the meat as i am not experienced at this and i don't want the meat to be dry due to my inexperience. Do I set it to the side for indirect moisture or on the place setter inside the egg? Can I use beer or juice in this water pan? Happy smokin everyone!
Brenda,
Congrats on your purchase. I've owned a BGE for 20 years and still use it at least twice a week. You're in for a real treat if you like smoked food.
I know your question was to Jeff, but I'm going to throw in my 2¢ here regarding moisture.
Use the plate setter for everything you cook, unless you're grilling something like a steak or hamburger. The plate setter allows the heat to radiate up rather than the protein being exposed directly to the fire, where it's much harder to control, especially over a long cook. There is no need to add a water pan for moisture if you control the temperature.
Here are couple of hints I'd offer for your cooking success.
First and foremost, use a good brand of charcoal. Natural lump charcoal is by far the best. BGE makes their own brand or you can use other brands like Royal Oak and Cowboy Charcoal. BGE makes a Fire Starter to light their charcoal which works like a charm, or use an electric starter. Just don't use any liquid starters that are oil based. They leave a terrible taste in the coals.
Leave the top and the damper wide open to let the fire start. You'll have a basic fire in about 10 minutes. Put the place setter on top of the firebox (with the feet up if you're using the grill grate), close the top and let the BGE get to temperature.
Here's the only tricky part. I don't add the wood for smoking until I've got my BGE up to temperature as I don't want to waste the wood generating smoke until I add the meat, chicken or fish. Using a BBQ mitt or an old rag, move the plate setter out of the way by tilting it, or just removing it for a minute. It'll be hot, but if you're heating your BGE to, say, 250˚, the plate setter is still very easy to handle and won't be difficult to handle. Add your wood for smoking in a pile in the middle of the coals, put the plate setter back in place, put the grill in place, add the meat you're cooking, close the top and let the temperature come back up. Close the adjustable flue on top from being wide open to just having the holes wide open.
Once the BGE is up to temperature, adjust the lower dampler and upper draft to keep it steady. The lower damper really only has to be open a half inch or less. The top flue should also only be about a quarter open. That'll keep the temp stable. With some practice you'll get the hang of it!
Some other quick hints.
Do NOT soak your wood in water. It's an old wives tale and all you do is keep the wood from releasing smoke.
Use a thermometer like a Maverick 732, available on Amazon. It monitors both the temperature at the grill level as well as the interior temp of the protein you're cooking. It makes the BGE much easier to monitor.
If you really like cooking on your BGE, make an investment in an electronic thermostat like the DigiQ DX2 from BBQ Guru. I bought one a year ago and it's a life changer! It will maintain the termperature in your BGE without any fuss, as well as monitor the protein temperature. Whether you're smoking fish at 170˚ for two hours or pork at 250˚ for ten or more hours, the thing is magic!
Good luck with your BGE! Welcome to those of us who use it to make some of the most delicious smoked food you can eat! If you need some advice or hints on usage, this forum is a good place to come! You should also check out amazingribs.com, a cornocopia of grilling and smoking information!
BTW, enjoy your trip to Mexico!