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Big Green Egg & Other Ceramic Grills All Encompassing Thread


Mac8111

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On pizzas, my egg gets so hot that it starts to burn (way more than just a little char, which I like) the bottom of the crust before the top of the crust gets brown and bubbly.  Not sure how to fix it.
Thinner crust, or turn the heat down a bit. I like to do my pizzas at 500 or so.
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On pizzas, my egg gets so hot that it starts to burn (way more than just a little char, which I like) the bottom of the crust before the top of the crust gets brown and bubbly.  Not sure how to fix it.


Are you using a pizza stone or just throwing them on direct?

You can get an unglazed ceramic tile from the store for about a buck, makes a fine pizza stone.
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On pizzas, my egg gets so hot that it starts to burn (way more than just a little char, which I like) the bottom of the crust before the top of the crust gets brown and bubbly.  Not sure how to fix it.

Use the plate setter and a pizza stone on top. If it’s still too hot, put the stone on the grill above the plate setter with a gap in between.
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On pizzas, my egg gets so hot that it starts to burn (way more than just a little char, which I like) the bottom of the crust before the top of the crust gets brown and bubbly.  Not sure how to fix it.

Use the plate setter and a pizza stone on top. If it’s still too hot, put the stone on the grill above the plate setter with a gap in between.
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19 minutes ago, HouTex said:

I was only using the plate setter--which was advertised as a pizza stone as well.  I'll trying using a pizza stone on top of the plate setter.

Definitely.  I assumed you were doing this.  Grill grate between the two gives you a little buffer as well.

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2 minutes ago, Sam Lin said:

See my comments earlier in thread about using multiple layers of heat deflectors/pizza stones with spacers in between, as a way to buffer the heat from below. Balancing the heat from below and the heat from above is the key to pizza in a kamado.

Yep. I use a couple of bricks under the pizza stone on mine. Pizza stone right on the grate gets too hot. 

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When I was doing my Pizzas this last round (before I broke my lid), I started at 500-600 degrees and it was scorching the bottom way too quick. I hit my sweet spot around 400. That was with the pizza stone on the grate.


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Does anyone use their ceramic frequently for fast, hot cooks? I throw burgers on a propane grill next to my primo virtually every day. Problem with using the primo for that is lighting and heating up is a lot more time and effort, plus the expense of the fire starter. Is a propane torch the solution Im looking for, or is it still going to be too much effort for daily use? Do you think it would make the burgers notably better?

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"better"? I don't know man that's up to your tastes. 

I do think cooking on the ceramic is more fun and I do often fire it up for grilling. I use a weedburner that I bought for my offset. It treats me well. I can get it up to 500 degrees just as fast if not faster than my 6 burner propane grill with the lid shut. 

https://www.amazon.com/Bernzomatic-19425-JT850-Self-Igniting-Outdoor/dp/B00008ZA0F

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22 minutes ago, Lurch said:

Does anyone use their ceramic frequently for fast, hot cooks? I throw burgers on a propane grill next to my primo virtually every day. Problem with using the primo for that is lighting and heating up is a lot more time and effort, plus the expense of the fire starter. Is a propane torch the solution Im looking for, or is it still going to be too much effort for daily use? Do you think it would make the burgers notably better?

LooftLighter or heat gun FTW.
I use the egg all the time for fast cooks.  I can get mine up to temp in about 10 minutes.  

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21 hours ago, BigDHornfan said:

LooftLighter  

Yep. Got one for Christmas a few years back and it's been great. Lights charcoal in about 1 minute.  $80 on Amazon. There are knockoff brands for $50. They're so similar, I'm gonna guess it's the Chinese manufacturing plant selling the exact same thing under their own label.

https://www.amazon.com/Looftlighter-Original-Electric-Starter-Charcoal/dp/B000WYY65Y/

 

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21 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Yep. Got one for Christmas a few years back and it's been great. Lights charcoal in about 1 minute.  $80 on Amazon. There are knockoff brands for $50. They're so similar, I'm gonna guess it's the Chinese manufacturing plant selling the exact same thing under their own label.

https://www.amazon.com/Looftlighter-Original-Electric-Starter-Charcoal/dp/B000WYY65Y/

 

A heat gun from Harbor Freight for $18 is what I use.  Saw a video of a guy testing looflighter v heat gun.  And heat gun was better.  

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It may be coincidence, but I used to light the coals in my Vision Grill with the vents wide open as per the Youtube instructional videos commanded. The coals would then get so hot the temps would need to be brought way down which took forever and burned up a good portion of coals before I could even throw the meat on. 

I started lighting them with the vents set to the temp range I was planning on cooking at (I.E. top and bottom vents 1/8" open for low and slow 220-250 range) and have had a much easier time getting the temps where it should be right away. Again, I'm not sure if there is any correlation but it seems to work way better. 

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What’s your brisket probe-like-butter process? Mine is to keep probing different spots until I find a tough one, then leave the probe there for 20 mins and try again. I’m on my third spot and I’m a bit concerned about all of those good spots I hit the first time an hour ago. Am I risking overcooking one spot just to get the very last spot perfect?

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I used the cotton ball start this time and it was perfect. I stacked a few pieces of lump in the bottom left corner near vent and dropped two balls I had just briefly soaked w 70* rubbing alcohol between them. The lit immediately and put out a pure blue flame for at least ten minutes. Since I was going low and slow, I didn’t put any more lump around them and just let that come up to temp. I then placed some wood chunks around and on the fire then buried them all w more lump. Seemed to work quite well

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Big changes this time around we’re the quality post oak wood chunk placements and large water pan between shields and grates.

Wrapped in butcher paper around 5 hours in. Took another 9 to reach temp. Wrapped towel around same paper, placed on pan and set in oven for two hour rest.

All went well except for wife preheating oven for sides without checking inside first. Lost a towel but brisket survived unscathed.

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  • 1 month later...
On 1/30/2020 at 4:52 PM, Wasting Billables said:

Love this thread. Been monitoring it for a few months; finally pulled the trigger and bought myself a vision hd from home depot. I know next to nothing about grilling on charcoal so its been/going to be a learning experience. Got the kick ash basket after using the grill a couple of times without, and I think it makes a big difference. What is yalls go to lump charcoal? My first bag has been royal oak. Anything better out there or are they all about the same? 

B&B competition logs. You can find them at Academy.

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  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, Mac8111 said:

Update. The replacement BGE Large lid arrived. $220 plus I had to pay for shipping ($100) since the local outdoor place wasn’t placing an order anytime soon.


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Avatar checks out.

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