Having a Hard time with keeping 230-250 Degrees on XL EGG

Unknown

Would someone please direct me toas much information as possible on temperature control of 230-250???[p]I especially have this problem when putting the platesetter on. Last night I tried my first Boston Butt. It seemed the temperature was level around 230 degrees when I went to bed after 1:00 AM. [p]My butt had been cooking for over 2 hours at that time. [p]When I got up to check on my butt at 7:00 AM, the grill temp had gone cold. Needless to say, I won't be eating that piece of meat.[p]Can someone please tell me on an XL Egg how wide an opening at top on the daisy wheel and how closed down the draft at bottom needs to be?? Does it matter if screen mesh is used?[p]I started my fire using techniques on video and in book, plus some ideas that I saw here.[p]I ha draft at bottom wide open and lid up until teh coals got started. Then I closed down the daisy wheel about halfway and the draft to about an inch. It will keep this temp for awhile, ut just as soon as I leave it a while, the fire starts going out.[p]Should the bottom draft be left close to wide open and try to adjust the daisy wheel to get it down??[p]
Help me please!!!!!![p]
Eggs Ackley (what I need to know)

Mike in Abita

Eggs Ackley ,
Where is your setter? Between firebox and ring or on top of ring?

mb168

Eggs Ackley ,[p]Try here

Unknown

Mike in Abita,[p]
On the XL EGG, the platesetter does not have as pronounced legs azs on other sizes. I am placing it on top of the ring with the short feet up.

Unknown

Mike in Abita,[p]
On the XL EGG, the platesetter does not have as pronounced legs azs on other sizes. I am placing it on top of the ring with the short feet up.

Mike in Abita

Eggs Ackley,
That is exactly the way I set up mine. [p]What type of lump do you use? I haven't had any problems using Royal Oak, Cowboy or Ozark Oak. When is the last time you cleaned it? Maybe you have small pieces of lump clogging the holes? I would remove the firebox and check for ash if you haven't. I can maintain 250 no problem with a vent setting of approx 1/4" to 1/2", Daisy wheel closed with 1/2 to 3/4 petal opening. I try to light at least three places and close lid with vent open and daisy off, until 200 F. Put on daisy and close vent 1/2 way. Once temp gets to 225 close vent to 1/2" and daisy to 3/4 petal open. Adjust from there. At this point temp should stabilize somewhere. At this point I start my mental clock. I check temps approx every ten minutes for at least 1/2hour. If they vary much I make more adjustments and start my mental clock over again. Now the most important part once I get a stable temp be it 240 to 260 deg f don't make any more adjustments. Put you food on and go inside. Twiddle your thumbs, knit a pot holder, wax the car, What ever you do don't change the settings you spent the last hour or so making. I know the temp will go down, you just put a cold piece of meat into a warm not hot egg. [p]Sorry this was so long but you asked.[p]Mike

Unknown

Mike in Abita,[p]
Thank you SOO MUCH!!! Not verbose at all. I need all the help I can get!![p]It appeared that my holes are not clogged. I have not removed the firebox to check further. Since I have had my XL EGG only two weeks, I would not think it was clogged up. I do regularly put the tool in the bottom and keep my ash raked out.[p]Using BIG GREEN EGG lump.[p]SO please tell me all you can!![p]Thanks,[p]
Eggs

Mike in Abita

Eggs Ackley,[p]I'm thinking your eggs not clogged. Why not load it up with lump now? Fill it up to top of fire ring and just do a test burn. No food to worry about. Just temps. It might cost you a couple bucks worth of charcoal but confidence in equipment is priceless. [p]One other thing is the slot in the fire box aligned with the vent opening?[p]HTH Mike

JeffHughes

Eggs Ackley ,[p]Before any low and slow cook, it is a good idea to clean out all excess ash. It's not absolutely necessary, but it is a good idea.[p]Do a search for the Elder Ward Method. This is an old timer's description of his pulled pork cook, and it includes a great method of BGE fire building. The XL did not exist at the time, but the concept is the same.[p]Congratulations on learning fire control before depending on an electronic crutch.[p]
Good Luck--Jeff

tach18k

Eggs Ackley ,
the Egg likes to be stable at 250, not 230, not 240, 250, lock in at 250 and your should be fine. You also need to start with a full load of lump and not a few handfulls. Everything must be in the Egg except the food when setting the temp.

Unknown

Mike in Abita,[p]Shortly after I got my Egg, I had the same problem...[p]It seems that --
[1] I didn't let the temp stabilize before I added food
[2] I didn't use enough lump [Now I fill it to the top of the firebox, no matter when I'm cooking.]
[3] I didn't have the slot in the firebox aligned with the draft door.[p]Good luck![p]~ Broc[p]

Unknown

Broc, just across the Muddy Mo from Omaha,[p]Question: On your third point, "I didn't have the slot in the firebox aligned with the draft door." If the draft door has the space open for your ash extraction tool to be able to go in, isn't the firebox correctly aligned ... or is there a more detailed process involved?[p]Eggs

mr.b

Eggs Ackley, mike gave you great tips for the xl. the longest cook i have done on an xl is about 5 hours for ribs and i had no problem holding temps. i use royal oak for lump and love it. as far as ash i have had my xl for about 6 months now and cook regularly on it 2-3 times a week and seriously have only cleaned out ash twice. the xl has a whole lot of room in there for ash so it really isn`t necessary to clean out that often. the small on the other hand has little room and would need to be cleaned out regularly to keep good airflow as i have recently found out.