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Altitude and Egg Temperatures

Uncle Phil
Uncle Phil Posts: 669
edited January 2014 in EggHead Forum
I have been Egging for over five years now. I have encouraged many folks to invest in the Egg and all are most pleased. Recently, one of my friends here in Florida and my nephew who lives at 8000 ft in Colorado both presented the same problem. They can't seem to get their Eggs above 400 degrees. I asked the normal questions; is  your egg cleaned out? Is your gasket in good shape? All answers were, yes. If you live in Colorado and are reading this post, do you have a similar problem? It is beyond me why they can't get higher temps. All are using good and dry lump. Ok, Egg people, let's get these folks an answer.

Uncle Phil

Comments

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Airflow? Wiggle rod?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Is the firebox turned the right way with the hole at the bottom lining up with the vent door?
    Pentwater, MI
  • ibanda
    ibanda Posts: 553
    edited January 2014
    I normally grill at 1,500 feet. I also go to a fishing cabin in Colorado at 8,000 feet every summer. I have noticed it is a lot harder to get a fire started up there, and also to get the temperatures up. My recommendation would be to get a high-que grate off of amazon to increase the airflow thru the charcoal. I have never felt I needed one at home, but if I were regularly cooking at altitude, I would get one. 
    "Bacon tastes gooood, pork chops taste gooood." - Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
    Small and Large BGE in Oklahoma City.
  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
    I do not live at either of those elevation extremes but had a very similar problem.  It turned out that the back side of my lower door screen had accumulated  "crud" of some sort.  Possibly creosote from low and slows.  The screen is pretty fine and there was no indication of this on the outer surface of the screen.  I realized what the culprit was when I opened the screen a bit for a cook and the temperature rose dramatically.  I took a torch to the backside from a distance so as to not cause damage and then brushed the burnt residue off with a small wire brush.  That solved my problem.  This was after cooking with my Egg for three years. 
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited January 2014
    Assuming the lump is good, the only other issue is air flow. No question that the vents have to be open a bit more at high altitude then they are at sea level, the air is simply less dense. Like @bettysnephew I noticed when looking through the bottom vent during a late evening cook, the glowing embers in the bottom of the fire box did not seem to be as bright. The lower screen was full of crud. It was after a pork butt cook, but I have no idea why the screen would crud up so, and it was on the inside of the screen. 
    Good lump+air flow = good fire, it is that simple. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    No explanaition for the Florida one but it is quite common for high altitude folks to get a blazing egg going

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • boatbum
    boatbum Posts: 1,273

    Based on the news stories this week - a large portion of Colorado is high.

     

    Cookin in Texas
  • I am at about 6000 feet in Colorado. I pegged the dome thermometer (briefly) while cooking pizza last night. After that I was able to keep 7000 for 30 minutes.
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    edited January 2014
    boatbum said:

    Based on the news stories this week - a large portion of Colorado is high.

     

    Sales of Funyuns are up 458%. 



    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • Mkadilla said:
    I am at about 6000 feet in Colorado. I pegged the dome thermometer (briefly) while cooking pizza last night. After that I was able to keep 7000 for 30 minutes.
    Make that 700......