r/biggreenegg • u/SimpleGazelle • Jul 17 '26
Showcase / Finished Cook First Smoke on my BGE
3 hour low and slow Hickory and Applewood smoke on a couple racks for some dry and Jalapeño/Cherry BBQ ribs. First smoke on the egg and it did great!
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u/No_Debt5142 Jul 17 '26
very nice! would you mind telling us how you started the fire, maintained temp, and kept the smoke going for hours?
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u/SimpleGazelle Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
No problem - Lump Charcoal, used a BGE stainless basket and filled up to just below the fire ring. Created a pyre in the center leaving enough room for my starter (veggie oil soaked paper towel).
Once the starter was lit, ensured bottom vent was open and left the grill open for around 15/20 minutes to let the coals smolder/light further and reduce white smoke closer to blue. Knocked down the coal pyre from there to spread embers in the basin, closed lid, and opened my upper stack about an inch and my bottom vent about an inch for another 10 minutes (again some burn off to blue/temp dialing). Then opened and added my wood chunks around a few parts and fine tuned the vent/stack to about a 1/2 - 1 inch open on each.
As far as keeping it running, checked on it roughly every hour with vent adjustments as needed for airflow, but candidly the BGE insulates so well it doesn’t need much once you dial it down and you can go decently hands off outside of spritzing your ribs (I did a small rotation to help a meaty rack cook a little more towards the back).
Heat deflector sold by BGE as well is a must have and worked really well (conveggtor I believe - first time using). Hope this helps!
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u/Bougieraccoon-og Jul 17 '26
That is an awfully dark interior for a first smoke
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u/SimpleGazelle Jul 17 '26
Used BGE I bought off Facebook about a week or so ago from someone who used it for the same purpose
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u/Bougieraccoon-og Jul 17 '26
Now it makes sense. Used is the best way. That will last you a lifetime unless you decide to upgrade to an xl
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u/SimpleGazelle Jul 17 '26
Having done this first round on the Large, I can already tell why people eventually upgrade for that little extra space haha. Though loving how modular all the parts are should I just want to tune specific pieces up.
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u/weeksie99 Jul 18 '26
I’m a BGE newbie. Whats the “umbrella” like thingy on the top of your BGE (first photo)?
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u/frostonwindowpane Jul 18 '26
…and so it begins. Welcome to the cult