Anybody Have a Big Green Egg?

[herbu]

I'm thinking about getting one. Have a big smoker I used to use for large crowds. Here it is with a single turkey in it...

The problem is that it takes the same amount of work and tending to do 1 turkey as 20, or 1 rack of ribs as 100. And these days I usually only cook for the 2 of us. So I'm thinking about a Big Green Egg.

Have read good stuff, and owners seem to really love them. Easy, low maintenance during a cook, versatile and sizes from mini to jumbo. They look like a good choice for slow cooking smaller portions like 1 pork butt, or 1 turkey, or 1 chicken or 1 rack of ribs.

Does anybody have one? What do you think about it? Thanks!

 

[Swerd]

I had a next door neighbor who owned two of them, not at the same time. Each developed large cracks in the bowl. Before the cracks, they worked well, but were essentially heavy & expensive versions of Weber charcoal grills. They seemed to work best at grilling temperatures, not smoking temperatures.

 

[panteragstk]

I've got a buddy that has one and loves it. I've toyed with the idea of a kamado type grill (which is what the egg is) but can't justify the price for what you actually get. Heck, there are people that make their own out of two large flower pots with success.

I also know someone with a pellet smoker and they love it. Very simple to use and you don't have to use large chunks of wood. Maybe that is more up your alley?

 

[j_garcia]

I have a buddy who has one too and he loves it, but there's an alternative that should be sufficient since you already have a large smoker:

http://deals.kinja.com/this-big-green-egg-grill-alternative-is-about-1-3-its-p-1773615094

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I have a buddy who has one too and he loves it, but there's an alternative that should be sufficient since you already have a large smoker:

http://deals.kinja.com/this-big-green-egg-grill-alternative-is-about-1-3-its-p-1773615094

amazon reviews are good:
http://fakespot.com/product/char-griller-06620-akorn-kamado-kooker-charcoal-barbecue-grill-and-smoker-red

 

[TLS Guy]

The local hardware/appliance store had them for sale for a while in Walker. They did not get much traction here, even though the pellets are cheap as chips, because of the Potlatch Mill at Bemidji.
I have no idea why they could not get a market here, unless it is because they are too small. In the summer lakes season we get visits from lots of family and fiends, and need large cooking surfaces.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Mark, your photos shows gas grill, not suitable for slow smocking meats which is herbu is asking about imho

 

[TLS Guy]

Mark, your photos shows gas grill, not suitable for slow smocking meats which is herbu is asking about imho

Yes, I understand that. Actually that grill will smoke. It can be turned very low, and it has a smoker draw with a burner underneath. I'm not into smoked foods except for a little bacon and ham at the holiday season. We have Craig the butcher at Laporte who has large smoker ovens and produces all the smoked goodies any one would want. He does produce the "English Banger" and they are fine, but British sausages are not smoked. That is a German and Eastern European habit!
I have worked with Craig to produce hams of the type prevalent in the British Isles and Normandy France. They are absolutely superb.

 

[Swerd]

As a follow up to herbu's original question,

Have read good stuff, and owners seem to really love them. Easy, low maintenance during a cook, versatile and sizes from mini to jumbo. They look like a good choice for slow cooking smaller portions like 1 pork butt, or 1 turkey, or 1 chicken or 1 rack of ribs.

That neighbor who owned the Eggs was the only neighbor I've had who was interested in smoking & grilling over charcoal or wood. My total experience cooking with it was once, I was the neighbor with a beer watching while he cooked, but we talked lots about grilling & smoking.

At the time I had only a Weber charcoal grill, and had used it once or twice to smoke ribs. It worked, but it was a chore to keep the temperature low, ~250° or lower, without the fire going out. That grill was happier at 300° or higher. I later got a Weber smoker, which as you know, is designed to work at those lower temperatures. It's sweet range is roughly 250 ± 25°. I have to work hard to get it above 300°, and it won't maintain that for long.

The Big Green Egg seemed to mimic the Weber grill's airflow and cooking temperatures. The main difference was the thick ceramic wall. The Egg retained heat better, and once heated up, it maintained grilling temperature very well, while using less charcoal. It's lid closed tighter than the Weber lid.

My neighbor did say, when he tried to smoke with his Egg at temps below ~275°, he couldn't keep the fire going. All these grills and smokers have a learning curve, so I guess it isn't impossible to use one as you propose. But my guess is that it will be at best a pain, and at worst, not possible.

I know a puny Weber smoker is large step down from what you now have, but it gets the job done. I have the 18" diameter smoker, and I have done 2 turkeys at one time.

 

[Swerd]

Yes, I understand that. Actually that grill will smoke. It can be turned very low, and it has a smoker draw with a burner underneath.

I tolerate your old-school views of what is and what isn't a transmission line speaker. Now it's your turn to tolerate my views of what is and isn't a smoker .

A gas grill, burning propane, cannot smoke, regardless of the temperature it can maintain. When propane burns, it produces a large amount of water vapor. The lids of all gas grills are designed to let that vapor escape, otherwise the food turns into a soggy mess. The food gets steamed more than it gets grilled. Any smoke produced will also escape.

Smoking meat requires smoke, and careful attention to air flow and combustion temperature. Smoking meat requires the partial combustion of wood or charcoal under controlled conditions. Neither fuel produces the high level of water vapor as with propane.

Propane works fine for cooking, as in grilling, but it's an abomination for true smoking, as in barbeque.

 

[TLS Guy]

I tolerate your old-school views of what is and what isn't a transmission line speaker. Now it's your turn to tolerate my views of what is and isn't a smoker .

A gas grill, burning propane, cannot smoke, regardless of the temperature it can maintain. When propane burns, it produces a large amount of water vapor. The lids of all gas grills are designed to let that vapor escape, otherwise the food turns into a soggy mess. The food gets steamed more than it gets grilled. Any smoke produced will also escape.

Smoking meat requires smoke, and careful attention to air flow and combustion temperature. Smoking meat requires the partial combustion of wood or charcoal under controlled conditions. Neither fuel produces the high level of water vapor as with propane.

Propane works fine for cooking, as in grilling, but it's an abomination for true smoking, as in barbeque.

I don't smoke anyway and do not use the smoker draw. As I say, I'm not a huge fan of smoked foods. I think there are a lot better ways to cook up tasty dishes.

One thing that grill does do is get very hot. And it does a pretty good job of Tandori chicken and baking Naan's quickly. They puff up and cook almost instantly.

The grill turns out really professional looking and tasting food. The Rotisserie does wonderful prime rib, turkey, lamb, chicken, duck and goose. The grill is gentle enough you can grill a whole large salmon. So I'm happy with the facility it offers.

 

[Hi Ho]

I seriously considered getting a Green Egg and also looked hard at wood pellet grills (Green Mountain and Trager) but I ended up with a Weber kettle for a fraction of the price. I just couldn't justify the extra cost of the other options and heard about longevity problems with pellet grills. I have used it to smoke meats and cook just about anything with excellent results. I'm not a master BBW pit master by any means but I have found it very easy to throw a chimney full of briquettes in and some wood chips on top and close the vents down to maintain 200 degrees for several hours without having to really do anything to maintain it other than periodically adding more wood chips.

A single kettle is perfect for relatively small amounts of food. I fit 3 racks of pork ribs on mine somehow and that was definitely pushing it.

 

[lovinthehd]

A friend of mine loves his green egg, don't think he's had any cracking issues in the two or so years he's had it but haven't been there for a while. If you have a standard Weber kettle this is a nice little kit altho not of the best construction for long term neglect https://www.smokenator.com/

 

[herbu]

Thanks to all for your responses. Smoking equipment is not unlike audio speakers. There are definite camps with fervent beliefs about what is "best".

I'm in the camp that says a wood fire is the "best" and only true method of smoking. But it takes a lot of tending and constant attention over a long time. I have the gear to do that, but am looking for the "next best thing" that doesn't require such constant attention.

My research says that is a komodo style grill/smoker. The thick ceramic mimics the heavy mass of a big 1/4" steel offset smoker. And the nearly airtight gasket/fit of the top allows precise air-flow control. People on the Big Green Egg forum say they have absolutely no problem maintaining temps as low as 175 deg.

It looks like the BGE is kind of like Denon/Marantz/Yamaha. Some people say other brands are cheaper and almost as good, but it's hard to find any group that thinks another is better. I'm pretty much sold on it. Cooking most of the time for 2 instead of 20, with lump coal and wood, almost "set-and-forget" for long 8-12 hour cooks, with a lifetime warranty and a large community for hints, tips and advice, all sounds good to me.

I'm close to pulling the trigger.

 

[Swerd]

I'm close to pulling the trigger.

Good luck. Considering your experience with various different smokers, you certainly are likely to make it work for you.

After those prolonged discussions we had off-line last spring about me buying a new smoker, I never did take that step. I decided to keep on smoking with my Weber smoker. The weight of the ¼" steel smoker and the requirement for a wood pile were the deal breakers for me.

I did run into an interesting book,
Franklin Barbeque: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto, by Aaron Franklin

He runs a bbq joint in Austin, TX and is the latest internet BBQ guru. He's very enthusiastic and is entirely self taught. Despite being self-taught, he takes a rather scientific approach towards his work. There were parts of the book with new info I didn't know, and parts I already knew. I enjoyed it, and you might too.

 

[GlocksRock]

My wife got me that Franklin BBQ book last Christmas, and I've yet to read it... I really need to pick it up, I just hate reading. I've got a MES 40 electric smoker, which I like quite a bit, but rarely use anymore since I've got a Lang 48 patio reverse flow horizontal offset smoker. I also have a gas grill and weber performer charcoal kettle grill I've smoked with a few times. I really want a BGE, or something similar like a Primo due to it being oval and made in the USA instead of Mexico like the BGE, I just have no room for one in the garage with all the other stuff I've got. My sister and brother in law have an egg and love it, although I've not been back down to visit them since they got it, so I've not gotten to see one in use in person. I think once I move and have more time/money to invest in a new grill/smoker a kamado style is definitely what I'll be getting, I want the wonderful charcoal/wood smoke flavor I get with my offset, but the set it and forget it convenience of my electric smoker.

 

[Swerd]

My wife got me that Franklin BBQ book last Christmas, and I've yet to read it...

I was thinking of getting a Lang 36" smoker but talked myself out of it.

You don't have to read that book cover to cover. Just pick a chapter and read. I thought the best one was about the various different kinds of "good" and "bad" smoke you can get.

 

[GlocksRock]

I've also watched all of Aaron's BBQ with Franklin youtube videos and done lots of reading online and watched numerous other videos on how to smoke, so it's not like I don't know all about it, I'm sure his book as some good recipes as well, I'll get around to reading it eventually. I do love smoking meats though, I enjoy the whole process except the cleanup.

 

[herbu]

I enjoyed it, and you might too.

Thanks, pal. Now I have something to tell my family when they ask what I want for Christmas! I'll let you know how I get along w/ the egg after a while. Since I'll be judging it against real, old fashioned wood smoked meat, the bar will be set pretty high.

 

[Swerd]

… I'm sure his book as some good recipes as well …

If I remember there were only very simple recipes in that book and he only uses salt & pepper for a dry rub. He preached lots about cuts of meat (he uses only Prime brisket – try and find that in your local grocery store), type of wood (he avoids kiln dried wood), and numerous other methods. Unfortunately for the home smoker, his methods are all adapted to very large off-set smokers that he built himself. It's difficult to guess how to scale things down to a size that most backyard smokers use.

Despite all that, I did like the book.