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Help!

I was trying to follow directions for stabilizing the temp. The temp was 250 for a while. I put 4-10 lb butts in my large BGE and didn't adjust the temp because I thought it would return to 250. It has been an hour and the temp is slowly dropping and is now 151. I will have to open it back up to get to temp but this is how I end up chasing the temp. What is the problem?

Comments

  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254

    How long was "a while" and have you opened the vents to raise the temp back up?

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    What size egg? 4 10#ers could have impacted airflow. Also, how long was the egg stable at 250*? You'll be fine, just make small adjustments and then wait at least 30 minutes before adjusting again.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • It was 250 for 45 min. I opened it up a little and am up to 162. It is a large.
  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    You'll be fine. Like @DMW said, just check the temps every 30 minutes until it finally locks in.

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    Also, don't be too concerned with locking on 250*. If it settles at 235*-275*, leave it there.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
    You opened the dome and let the heat bubble out, and introduced pounds of moist, cool meat.  It is not going to come back by leaving it at the same setting.  You needed to open it up to let the temp come back to the target, then set it back for stability.

    At 150 you are quite likely to have put the fire out.  That is no big deal for pork, just pull it out, get the fire started again, and start over.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

  • I opened it up and the temp went up fine. The problem is it won't stabilize. The temp starts going up so I close it down a little. Then the temp starts going down until I have to open it up a little again. Now I will try just adjusting the bottom vent instead of both top and bottom. Maybe both vents is too much.
  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
    There are different opinions.  When I do low and slow I have the bottom vent just cracked, and set from the DW.  This is after a good heat up time.  You will get it, with time, small adjustments are called for.

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

  • Thanks for all of the help. I appreciate all the advice I can get.
  • AD18
    AD18 Posts: 209
    That's a pretty big load of meat to put in and I too vote for opening things up a bit.  I usually leave daisy wheel open and adjust temps with bottom vent.  If I want 250 stabilized I would open up the bottom vent about 1 inch and let the temps start to slowly rise and when I hit 220-225 I start to close the bottom vent bit by bit to stabilize.  Agree with other posts that I would not try to flat line on 250, would aim for 230-270.  Start creeping out either side of that range start opening/closing lower vent accordingly.  Best of luck, you'll get 'er:)
    Large BGE, Weber 22.5 kettle, Weber Genesis
    Cobourg, Ontario
  • The temp is hanging at 199. Is that too low? I opened the top and bottom but it is staying at 199.
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    The temp is hanging at 199. Is that too low? I opened the top and bottom but it is staying at 199.
    That's a bit low, how far open are your vents? Any chance you can take pictures of your vents and post? When you post post temp as well as how long since you last touched the vents.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    OK, need to ask, have you checked the calibration of your thermometer?

    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
    The temp is hanging at 199. Is that too low? I opened the top and bottom but it is staying at 199.
    That's too low.  That will take forever.  You can go to at least 300 dome.
    NOLA
  • I have the Maverick 732. So the temp finally started going up and went to 252 so I just closed the bottom vent a little and it seems to have stabilized. I'm afraid it is going to be a long night, though.
  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    OK, turn the Maverick receiver off for 45 minutes and/or don't look at it. You are chasing something that will drift. Don't watch anything, go have a beverage, read a book, watch TV. Now go look at the dome therm. Where is it? Make a small adjustment if needed, then go back to what you were doing for another 45 minutes or so. 45 minutes is not exact, just like everything else here. Check again. As long as the dome therm is somewhere between 240* and 290* go ahead and look at your Mav receiver. I'm assuming you have it clipped to do the cooking grid somewhere and you have checked that it is accurate in boiling water recently. Set the low alarm to 200* and high alarm to 295*. Go to bed, relax, rest. Check in tomorrow morning when you wake up, we'll be here to get you to your finish line.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • Wonderful advice. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. We will see what tomorrow brings.
  • If you need to sleep, err on the side of more closed (the vents) than more open. That way it won't run away.

    Better yet, at 11pm, go to bed. Set the alarm for 3 or 4. However wrong something may go, it won't go that badly in four hours. Check the egg.

    Then set the alarm for 7 or 8 a.m.

    And you will be fine

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    Copia ciborum subtilitas impeditur

    Seneca Falls, NY

  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
    While you are at it, please post a picture of 4-10lb buts in a large. I had a hard time getting 3 which were 8 lbs in mine, and am intersted in how you packed that thing.
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
  • I have an AR. I put two on each rack. They were touching but I figure not for long when they shrink. I will take a pic before I take them off.
  • Touching is not an issue. Will not affect cook time
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    Copia ciborum subtilitas impeditur

    Seneca Falls, NY

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    Now this is a great "teaching moment or hours" for those who just think it's " set and forget" or those who choose to micro manage the journey.  I'm convinced that most cooks generally follow the script but  there are those that go south and need more attention.  "Fire and forget" works once you have the BGE dialed in.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • I agree. I bought a BGE so I could go to bed.

    And so I do.

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    Copia ciborum subtilitas impeditur

    Seneca Falls, NY

  • The rest of the story.... Set the Maverick and went to bed. Thermo woke me at 5 when temp went below 200. The temp kept dropping so I knew the coal was gone. Put the butts in foil pans and covered with foil and baked at 300 for 3 more hours until they reached 205. When I pulled them there was still quite a bit of fat so I had to "hand render" it out. Do you think if I had left the foil off and kept the oven temp at 250 they would have rendered better? Now into Foodsaver bags for my daughter's wedding in May. I will do 4 more butts in a few weeks. I was very careful about cleaning out the grill, putting big lumps on the grid, and filling as high as possible. Do the folks that get 20 hours out of one load use the AR or platesetter? Can you load more lump with the platesetter? Thanks for all your help. Like I tell my husband about fishing: if it was too easy it wouldn't be so fun.
  • AD18
    AD18 Posts: 209
    Maybe if you are going to be doing a lot of long, low, and slow cooks for an obvious big occasion maybe something like a DigiQ system would be a wise investment.  Other issue may be your charcoal.  I have been fighting a bad bag of what I suspect is sour charcoal.  I get stable low temps, but can't get higher temps at all.  Newest bag of different brand seems better, although I have not headed for 500-600 yet. 
    Large BGE, Weber 22.5 kettle, Weber Genesis
    Cobourg, Ontario