Cold weather egging? Newbie

greenmachine

Hey-

I just got my egg Saturday (large) and did a turkey. I'm trying to do a pizza right now and it doesn't seem to want to get over 350. It's 14 degrees outside. Is this normal for using the egg in cold weather?

greenmachine

I have the bottom draft door and daisy wheel wide open.

Hugethorn

I notice that sometimes, especially when it's been wet outside (even if your BGE has been covered) and you're using partially burned lump with some more added to it. I think the ash absorbs water in the air -just a guess. Allow about an hour+ to get up to pizza temp in those conditions. Also, just thinking - a turkey is a long cook....maybe some of the vent holes are plugged too...
How was the Turkey!?

PhilsGrill

Hopefully before you started you fully cleaned out the egg of all ash, cleaned all air holes and put new lump in and filled it to the top of the firebox. Open both vents fully and let her rip.

Otherwise your holes are clogged with no air flow.

stike

daisy off. maybe not enough enough fuel, or ash from the previous cook too

greenmachine

Ok- that makes sense. I checked the bottom and there wasn't much ash down there at all, so I'm guessing the ash is probably in the firebox clogging the holes. Live and learn.

The turkey was awesome- thanks for asking. I iced the breasts and brought the rest of the bird up to room temp prior to smoking. It worked great- the white meat was perfect. Not just moist- actually juicy.

2Fategghead

I have made a wiggle stick to stir the used lump in the fire box before cooking again. I also use it to poke up from the bottom after lit to clear ash that may be be blocking the air path. At times I have been known to put a small fan in front of the bottom vent to add more air to the fire. I always use caution and never walk away because in time your egg could suddenly come to life and the dome thermometer could soar to high temps fast. All this is assuming you have plenty of lump to burn in the fire box. I usually have the fire box full at least past the holes and sometimes up to and past the fire ring. It wouldn't hurt to check the calibration of your dome thermometer because even new I have heard of them being off by 100 degrees. Simply hold them in boiling water keeping the tip off the bottom it should read approximately 210 degrees if not turn with a 7/16 wrench and check again. You can make a wiggle rod out of a cloths hanger simply bend it so it can go into the bottom draft hole and carefully poke up through the holes in the lump grate. Make the handle long enough to stir around form the top as well. First the top then the bottom than you can rake out the ash. Tim

Frobozz

Cold weather (even windy cold weather, short of some really extreme stuff) has little effect on an Egg. If you're not getting high temps, it's almost certainly because you have a clog in a firebox vent, or the firebox is not aligned properly, or you're not using enough fuel, or perhaps the charcoal's just wet.

Last February I made ribs with two feet of snow caked around the Egg and temps in the teens. Not much stops the Egg.

Cpt'n Cook

Cold weather will slow it down a bit, you are sucking in a lot of cold air. You should be able to get to 700, might just take a little longer.