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My first BGE basically put my smoker (0 uses) and my Gas Grille (2 usages) out of business since August, I replaced my smoker to make way for BGE number 2.
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I went in a slightly different direction with the second Egg. Instead of a rolling stand (nest), I got a base cabinet unit to mount this one. In this picture the Egg and the base cabinets have just arrived and will be set up the following day.
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This item is called a Table Nest & serves to hold an Egg mounted to a table top. It raises the bottom of the Egg up off the tabletop.
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Here the base cabinet for the Egg has been positioned & leveled. The Table Nest has been placed on the table top ready to receive the Egg.
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The lower half of the Egg has been placed on the Table Nest.
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About a month after I got my first Large BGE in August, the company released revised models. The ceramic firebox has a wider mouth behind the lower draft door.
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I ordered a 3rd party fire grate called the High Que which is more open than the stock grate and helps the Egg breath better & not have the fire grate get clogged.
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The High Que fire grate is in place & you can see another change to the new Eggs: the ceramic fire ring now has notches top and bottom. The 3 notches at the top are now square and wider to fit the legs of the plate setter.
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A cast iron grill grate is available as an Eggcessory. It is quite heavy and gives great grill marks.
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The grey gasket is the new high heat gaskets that the new Eggs are being shipped with. The grill comes with a stainless steel grill grate. I will be using this for indirect cooking where I am not looking to for any kind of sear from the grill grate.
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This is the dual function metal top which is used when you are cooking, The larger main section is hinged and swings out of the way to make coarse adjustments to raise or lower the cooking temperature.
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The main section can be closed off once you are in the ballpark of your cooking temperature. Their is a second hinged vent called the daisy wheel which is used for finer temperature adjustments.
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The inner screen on the sliding lower draft door helps keep the hot ash inside the Egg while you are cooking.
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The sliding lower draft door is found on the outside of the egg just below the Firebox level. There is a sliding fine metal screen in the rear and a solid sliding door in front. Closing the outer door completely snuffs out the fire.
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The thick ceramic walls of the Egg coupled with the high 600 or 700 degree temperatures you can reach, make the BGE like an outdoor brick oven.
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The BGE uses lump charcoal which burns hot, steady & long. Here the first batch of lump has been added to the firebox top. 4 paraffin firestarters have been distributed in the lump.
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The "opening flame" for BGE number 2. The amazing thing is this cook on a cold January day was the same as similar cooks done on hot summer days in August when I bought my first Egg.
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When you are through you close the lower stainless steel draft door. Then you remove the dual function metal top and replace it with this ceramic top cap. This extinguishes the fire and allows you to reuse the unused charcoal.
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This Eggcessory is called a Plate Setter. It is used for indirect grilling. The three legs can be oriented up or down and control the distance the horizontal top is above the firebox. Here it is in legs up for an indirect low and slow cook.
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Here the Plate Setter is legs down, with the legs set into the new notches in top of the ceramic fire ring. The T's are 1/2" copper plumbing shims to lift the dish off the Plate Setter. This cushion of air seems to help keep items from burning.
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My casserole dish is up on the T's and the bottom of the chicken cooked identically to the top
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My new setup: The smoker has been removed and replaced by the new Large BGE on it's base cabinet. The full height base cabinet has been moved between the two Eggs for a shared work surface. On the right is my original BGE.
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Another picture of the new Large BGE on the new base cabinet.
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The new base cabinet for the BGE is the perfect size to hold my 2 plate setters.
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Things are shaping up nicely under my Grill Gazebo.