My new big green family member
Two weeks after DizzyFest I was able to pick up my XL BGE yesterday. After enlisting several neighbors to get it down a hill to my backyard, I got the accessories installed and everything up and running.
It was late in the day and raining off and on so I did a quick spatchcock chicken (with Dizzy Pig Peruvian-ish rub) direct at 375. For my first cook, I was able to get the temps dead-on and held them steady for an hour.
Turned out really well. My main cooker the last few years has been a PBC. I definitely got a better skin with the higher temp on the BGE.
Today I decided to try a low and slow, so I did pork shoulder. Smallest I could find nearby was 9lbs. Threw on some Dizzy Dust (I got rubs with my purchase) and put it on for about 6.5 hrs before the stall. Wrapped with cider vinegar for another 2.5 hrs.
Comparing again to the PBC, I got a better bark on the BGE but less smoke flavor. Part of that could be I was using a different wood (I threw on some apple moonshine barrel chunks I bought but haven't used, instead of the usual wood chunks I use).
Cook-wise, I was very nervous about getting it too hot to start, and so took a lot longer than I should have to bring it up to temp. Still learning the vent and damper, so I was not as steady as I would have liked, but I kept it 225-280 for the entire cook (target temp was 250). I'm still getting the feel for how much an adjustment will change temps.
Overall, super happy with my purchase. Now I just need to be in town to use it!
It was late in the day and raining off and on so I did a quick spatchcock chicken (with Dizzy Pig Peruvian-ish rub) direct at 375. For my first cook, I was able to get the temps dead-on and held them steady for an hour.
Turned out really well. My main cooker the last few years has been a PBC. I definitely got a better skin with the higher temp on the BGE.
Today I decided to try a low and slow, so I did pork shoulder. Smallest I could find nearby was 9lbs. Threw on some Dizzy Dust (I got rubs with my purchase) and put it on for about 6.5 hrs before the stall. Wrapped with cider vinegar for another 2.5 hrs.
Comparing again to the PBC, I got a better bark on the BGE but less smoke flavor. Part of that could be I was using a different wood (I threw on some apple moonshine barrel chunks I bought but haven't used, instead of the usual wood chunks I use).
Cook-wise, I was very nervous about getting it too hot to start, and so took a lot longer than I should have to bring it up to temp. Still learning the vent and damper, so I was not as steady as I would have liked, but I kept it 225-280 for the entire cook (target temp was 250). I'm still getting the feel for how much an adjustment will change temps.
Overall, super happy with my purchase. Now I just need to be in town to use it!
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