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Best way to cook an individual/small meal on the Egg without burning through a ton of lump?

Any good ideas on how to conserve your lump when you only want to cook a burger/brat or two on the egg (medium for me).  If I'm just cooking for one or two people, I feel guilty getting the whole firebox lit and roaring just to shut it down after 20 min.  I was thinking of putting a coffee can in the middle and filling that with lump?  I don't know how safe that would be at high temps, so any suggestions would be great.
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Comments

  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,041
    better just get a 2nd smaller egg  ;)
  • Try a lump reducing ring.
    XL owner in Wichita, KS
  • Why do you feel guilty about burning some lump?  Eggs are expensive.  If you have an egg, you prolly can afford a little lump.  Relax and enjoy.  That is what this lifestyle is all about.    
    Flint, Michigan
  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
    edited September 2014
    I struggled with this same predicament with a medium being my first kamado. So I added a $99 Visions KUB to solve that dilemma. Then I found out I occasionally need more real estate than the KUB, but less than the medium...so a Kamado Jr fit the bill. But then I realized I also wanted to live large from time to time....so a BIG JOE was "necessary". Now I cant afford lump, OR meat to cook on any of 'em..... Want to save money on a meal? The number 4 value meal at Mickey D's is probably the wisest move for that!
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
  • Cook a few extra for leftovers?  I cook for two all the time on a large and see the Egg full most times as we do the sides as well.  

    Not sure why you would get the whole firebox lit, I simply get a good grilling temp going around 350° and that is not that much lump IMO 

     

    -SMITTY     

    from SANTA CLARA, CA

  • PNWFoodie
    PNWFoodie Posts: 1,046
    Cheap bricks...form a triangle or sqare and fill as needed. I wrap my bricks in tinfoil to avoid the yuck factor.
    XL, JR, and more accessories than anyone would ever need near Olympia, WA
    Sandy
  • stemc33
    stemc33 Posts: 3,567
    Time to get a mini.
    Steven
    Mini Max with Woo stone combo, LBGE, iGrill 2, Plate Setter, 
    two cotton pot holders to handle PS
    Banner, Wyoming
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    edited September 2014
    @Lostboy‌
    The best thing that I ever done was to purchase a mini to compliment my large egg. It's my go to egg of choice for the majority of my cooks now for reasons that you described above. For small and quick meals the little mini reigns supreme and unchallenged in this arena. Buy one brother. You won't regret it, I assure you.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • GlennM
    GlennM Posts: 1,358
    If you had to choose between the mini and the joe jr? (Since there is no min/max)
    In the bush just East of Cambridge,Ontario 
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,661
    i bought the vision kup but used to put a weber grate under the ring and put lump on that, then put the cooking grate on the ring. i would even use briquettes for that setup
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • jlsm
    jlsm Posts: 1,011
    Maybe buy denser lump? I don't know how much lump you can consume in 20 minutes on a medium. I did a 2.5-hour cook on my large during the weekend at 350 dome and I still have at least two-thirds left. A one-hour cook on the mini at 350 does consume at least half but the mini doesn't hold much to start.
    *******
    Owner of a large and a beloved mini in Philadelphia
  • anton
    anton Posts: 1,813
    I fire my medium for small amounts all the time, snuff out when done and re-light the unburned lump next cook. Sometimes I will cook three times off one firebox full. Hope this helps you.
     Using a MBGE,woo/w stone,livin' in  Hayward California," The Heart Of The Bay "
  • yzzi
    yzzi Posts: 1,843
    edited September 2014
    I was just kidding about that ^^^ But I totally agree with a mini purchase. 
    Dunedin, FL
  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    If you have a good seal top, bottom, & middle when you shut down, you shouldn't be using up that much lump.
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    If it is a short cook, there is no need to get a full firebox going.  Use a smaller fill and shutdown as soon the cook ends.  

    Also for cooks like burgers, that are short, high heat direct I don't see any reason to preheat the egg to a specific temp.  I start cooking as soon the fire is going and no VOC odors are present.
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    GlennM said:
    If you had to choose between the mini and the joe jr? (Since there is no min/max)

    I'm not sure if this question was poised for me or not. I shall respond on the chance that it was. I have both a mini and a Joe Jr. If I had to pick one over the other for some reason, there would be no hesitation or question. I would chose the mini. Just love the little mini. Just my thoughts my friend.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • Cm23
    Cm23 Posts: 130
    +1 on the mini; use it 2-3 times during the week for the small meals and the larges on the weekends for leftovers and sharing with neighbors
    XL, 2 Large, Mini  -- Shenandoah, TX  Now BulletGrillHouse
  • GlennM
    GlennM Posts: 1,358
    edited October 2014
    Why the mini over the joe jr? Fwiw I have a large. The mini is likely more expensive in Canada then the Joe Jr
    In the bush just East of Cambridge,Ontario 
  • Even if you reduce the amount of lump you are putting in, you will still burn the same amount of lump during your cook. 

    The only thing I would say you could do to help preserve some lump is to make sure your bottom vent, gasket and ceramic cap are all sealing good. When you are done cooking you want to cut off the oxygen to make sure the fire doesn't continue to burn longer than it needs to. Having a good seal all around the Egg is the best way to do that.
  • bcsnave
    bcsnave Posts: 1,009
    SGH said:
    @Lostboy‌ The best thing that I ever done was to purchase a mini to compliment my large egg. It's my go to egg of choice for the majority of my cooks now for reasons that you described above. For small and quick meals the little mini reigns supreme and unchallenged in this arena. Buy one brother. You won't regret it, I assure you.2

    2 thumbs up with SGH....

    I have a large for brisket, ribs, pizza,etc.....and  bought the Mini for the majority of the quick cooks for just me and my wife..

     

    BUY the Mini..you won't regret it..

    The Dude..a Mini and a Large Egg..a DigiQ DX (BGE Green)..some Cast Iron...a Thermapen.............and an Ol' Fashion

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    Glenbeulah, WI

  • @Lostboy If i'm just doing a quick burger, I will put a 2-3 pieces of new lump on the old burned out lump from my previous cook, coat it liberally in some gel fire starter and I have more than enough fuel for my short cook. 
  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
    @
    GlennM said:
    Why the mini over the joe jr? Fwiw I have a large. The mini is likely more expensive in Canada then the Joe Jr

    Again I'm not sure if this question is poised to me or not. But I will offer my thoughts nonetheless. As a owner of both I can make a honest comparison of the two in question. First I would chose the mini because it comes up to temp much faster. This is absolute fact and no sentiment at all. Secondly, for its size, the width to height to diameter/slope is near perfect. Why does this matter? I find the little mini to be very, very even temp wise. This is huge when cooking shrimp, clams and oysters. Third, due to grid vs lump height the mini sears much better in my opinion. Both are excellent cookers however. You can't go wrong either way. I own and use both myself. But for the reasons stated above I prefer the mini by a wide margin if I could only keep one of them.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    image
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    Even if you reduce the amount of lump you are putting in, you will still burn the same amount of lump during your cook. 

    Depends upon how the pre-cook heating process is handled and what is being cooked.  If during preheat, a filled firebox is made so all the coals are glowing, it is going to burn through more coals then if a half filled box is made so all the coals are glowing.  For high heat cooks like burger there can be a difference, especially if the lid is open frequently for flipping, adding cheese, etc.  For a low and slow where the lid is down for the vast majority of the cook and temps are tightly controlled, I agree that the fill level is pretty irrelevant to the coals consumed.

    Experiment and see.  I've observed it for my cooking style.  
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
  • Ragtop99 said:
    Even if you reduce the amount of lump you are putting in, you will still burn the same amount of lump during your cook. 

    Depends upon how the pre-cook heating process is handled and what is being cooked.  If during preheat, a filled firebox is made so all the coals are glowing, it is going to burn through more coals then if a half filled box is made so all the coals are glowing.  For high heat cooks like burger there can be a difference, especially if the lid is open frequently for flipping, adding cheese, etc.  For a low and slow where the lid is down for the vast majority of the cook and temps are tightly controlled, I agree that the fill level is pretty irrelevant to the coals consumed.

    Experiment and see.  I've observed it for my cooking style.  
    That makes sense. The lump usage on a longer, lower temp cooks shouldn't be much different but when you have a large fire going (500+) that works its way down the stack of lump you can achieve the same temps while a smaller surface area is burning.

    Thinking about this more I wonder if an XL fitted with a CGS Lump Reduction Ring would burn a similar amount of fuel to a Medium Egg. The ring is about 14 inches (Medium Fire Ring Size), it would flow a bit more air but if you control the temperature that in itself should cause a huge difference. 

    One thing that OP could try and do in his Medium is take a piece of Expanded Metal make it into a circle (I'd go with the same diameter as the fire grate) bolt it together so it stays put and fill that. Similar to how folks build their UDS Fire Boxes but with out the lower grate and ash pan. A High-Que Grate might be a nice add on as well. Would help make sure the air flow stays clear and would get up to temperature quicker.

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    move the fire and the grate closer, which gives you more direct heat for the same size fire.  Only light the top of the lump, and only enough to cover the food you're cooking.  You don't need the whole firebox lit, and if you're cooking direct, the temperature gauge is meaningless.  Put your hand over the area you're cooking and feel the heat.  You'll know when it's hot enough.

    You can decrease the fire/grate distance by using a smaller grate that fits inside the fire ring (not on top of it) and you can add more lump so the pile is higher.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Also, let me add you can use a fan to get your fire going faster, then put it out immediately after using.  I've cooked steaks on a pound and a half of lump (consumption).
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Ragtop99
    Ragtop99 Posts: 1,570
    edited October 2014
    Thinking about this more I wonder if an XL fitted with a CGS Lump Reduction Ring would burn a similar amount of fuel to a Medium Egg. The ring is about 14 inches (Medium Fire Ring Size), it would flow a bit more air but if you control the temperature that in itself should cause a huge difference. 



    The XL uses more fuel.  My Medium uses noticeably less.  I was surprised how long a bag lasted when I started cooking mainly on the Medium.  

    On a low and slow with the XL, there is a lot more mass to heat up and more surface area to radiate heat to the outside world.  For direct cooks on my XL, I just pile up the coals in a circle in the center without the use of a ring.  Other times, I pile them up on the front half of the grill if I don't need a lot of surface area exposed to the direct heat.  It also creates an indirect heat zone in the back of the grill for items that cook indirect without needing to use a platesetter or a stone to diffuse the heat.  

    The lump ring can help by enforcing discipline in how much coal gets used, so it might help.  
    Cooking on an XL and Medium in Bethesda, MD.
  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
    If you are just talking a couple of burgers or small steak, Alton Brown used a charcoal chimney and a small grid atop to cook them. Seemed to work well, and I suppose you could snuff it by closing the Egg when done cooking.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa