MCS: Big Green Egg XL?

[SmokeyGator]

You are going to love the egg. Get a thermostat controller for it (optional, not necessary but very nice to have) and you will be amazed at how easy long cooks are. A full firebox of lump will easily last 20 hours, at low and slow temp. I love my ceramic cooker for overnight cooks. Doesn’t matter if it rains, doesn’t matter if the wind picks up, doesn’t matter if ambient air temp drops. The cooker temperature is amazingly stable.

Bonus points for the XL! You don’t have to use all the space, but you can’t rrally add more. I use my Primo XL all the time at less than full capacity. But when I want that capacity, it’s there.

Happy cooking! Enjoy that XL egg. You are going to wonder how you got by without it for so long.

[Beefchop]

Thank you! This makes me feel better. I was a little apprehensive this morning as I realized that the XL is over 200 lbs. : ) Can't wait to test it out, esp. those overnight cooks

[SmokeyGator]

Heavy is good. Once it is in place. That weight means thermal mass. The ceramic holds heat better than anything. 400 degrees inside means 150 outside. Hot but not enough to start a fire. Try that with metal. And if it rains? Who cares. It rains. Temperature barely dips. Really like my kamado. Maybe not "the best", but PLENTY good for me.

[Beefchop]

Follow up: I picked it up at the end of the Eggfest in Lake Charles on 10/27 and drove it home, saying a prayer every time I hit a pot hole or gravel patch on I-10 (needless to say I prayed a lot on that drive home). The unit with the nest, bag of lump and diffuser plate barely fit in my CRV, but I somehow got it home and into the backyard with the help of my wife. No injuries or threats of divorce. Dadgummit, this thing is a beast. Over 200 lbs. And fragile. (Cookers resemble their owners?). I burned through my first load of charcoal just cooking a chicken, and while I didn't overshoot my target temp. I noticed that the temp kept dropping throughout my cook. I picked up a brisket point on sale and my second venture was much more successful. I let my starter fire go for a good 15 minutes before I closed up the egg, and this time I let the vents stay open until it got to my target temp before I closed them down as recommended on several videos (tiny slits at the top with about an inch at the bottom vent). I got it to 250 deg. F. (dome temp, which means the grate was probably closer to 225) and it sat there like a champ for four hours without hardly any adjustments. I foiled the meat at 160 deg. F. like Dr. BBQ recommends and let it cook to temp. for another 2 hours. Turned out really well, even though the foil and humid interior didn't really give the meat a crusty bark. No complaints, though. I ordered an Auber and the Thermoworks Smoke 2 to go with it (thanks SmokeyGator for the tip). Super happy with my Egg!


​

[Beefchop]

JGo37 I guess it is! LOL. Given the weight (read: shipping costs) I was just thinking of selling it locally here in South Louisiana.

[JGo37]

You've gotta be having a great time watching Drew this year. Who Dat! I hope he breaks the last big record, wins out, and maybe retires on top. I'd hate to see him peter out... Lived in San Diego when he started.

Great looking cook!

[BGWolf]

Congratulations on the XL, you're going to love it!

[FireMan]

Great lookin cook, great write up. It would have been really neat to see it stuffed into your CRV. You are one happy fellow. Smoke on dude!

[Beefchop]

Thanks! I dub this smoker, The Money Pit. lol.

[SmokeyGator]

There is a learning curve. And I don’t think kamados are "the best", I just think they are great for some things. I really like their low and slow abilities and fuel efficiency. Hey are also able to hit fast and hot. What they can’t do very well is cool down.

Anyhow have fun learning. Each time will get better. Hope you like it, I’m extremely happy with my decision. In fact, my cooker is slowly cooling off right now

[Beefchop]

I'm surprised at how fast mine has cooled off during my first two cooks. Once I shut the vents down the temps plummet! Jury is still out if this is the "one cooker to rule them all" but I like what I see so far!

[SmokeyGator]

It takes longer than other cookers. But that translates into an advantage - stable temperatures. Even if the external temperature drops or it rains. I will take the advantage over having to wait a long time before putting the cooker/table cover back on

[EdF]

If you don't mind buying a book and reading, I recommend https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Being new to a kamado, you'll be amazed at all things you can do with it. I even picked up some new stuff after 12 or so years owning one. Be aware that it's a bit short on recipes, but it's the techniques that matter.

You can ditch the foil in this thing!

[Beefchop]

Thanks EdF!

[Fire Art]

I bought the book 👍👍

[surfdog]

In my cart...just waiting to see what other goodies I "need."

[Mosca]

Enjoy!

I had my BGE as my first cooker, so I learned to do everything kamado-style. This past season I concentrated on using the Weber kettle, and after getting comfortable with it I understood why people think kamados are difficult. They aren’t difficult, they are just different, and because they have been rare (up until recently) their techniques have been their owners’ secrets. Even Meathead seems to look at them as a strange offshoot in the backyard barbecue world.

It’s all about the vents. I use a DigiQ, but only so I don’t wake up at night checking. But if you set the vents right, you don’t need anything else. The doggone things just work.

[EdF]

Fully seconded!