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Just got my new large BGE. Temp. help needed.

AuburnTiger
AuburnTiger Posts: 38
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I have been cooking ribs for about 10 years now and am going into my first competition finally here in Huntsville, AL at the Whistlestop Festival.

I normally use a carcoal type grill but am wanting to take the BGE out now. I have the v-rack and the plate setter. I havent tried doing them yet on there so I have a question as I have been only been cooking at higher heat. Can someone break it down on how to get to that 225-250 area for slow cooking for ribs and/or butts/briskets? I have tried and dont know how much to open both the top and bottom slits.

Any help of how to get to this level right off please let me know. Thanks!

Comments

  • BigChar
    BigChar Posts: 113
    There are a couple of great resources for this - go to The Naked Whiz's website www.nakedwhiz.com also a great blog called playing with smoke and fire - www.playingwithsmokeandfire.blogspot.com they have excellent egg-centice tutorials. I can tell you from personal experience to get your egg lit, get it up to temp with all of your cookig aparatus in and let it sit for 30 minutes. Likely you will have the bottom vent open abouot 1/2 to 1 inch and the top daisy wheel half open. Good Luck!
  • Just open both the top and bottom all the way.... :laugh: :whistle:

    Roll Tide

    Just kidding foll the links above and you will do fine.

    Lazydog B)
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Congratulations and welcome.

    Make sure you visit the sites detailed above.

    When you first light the lump, leave the top off and open the bottom all the way. DO NOT leave the egg and watch the dome temp. As you see the temp climbing when you start to approach your target temp, put the metal dome vent on, full open at this time, and begin to close the bottom vent down.

    On my large for a 250° to 275° dome I close the bottom vent until it is open 1/8" and my top vent, slider closed pettles open about 1/3 to 1/2.

    Wait until the white smoke clears to a clear or blue/clear and the temp is stable for about 15 to 20 minutes.

    I then put in my smoking wood if desired, the plate setter, I use a make shift drip pan out of HDAF, then the grid & V-rack if I am using it. Then the food. If you are going to put liquid under the meat I would use some type of drip pan rather then AF. I use the HDAF to keep the plate setter somewhat clean and to block direct heat from getting to the food. This type setup is refered to as "indirect" cooking.

    You should expect a drop in dome temp when you add the fixtures and again when you add the meat. DON'T play with the vents your egg will come back up to the prior temp before adding things.

    My settings for temps about 350° are bottom vent 1/8" to 1/4" top vent slider open 1/4 to 1/3 pettles open all the way.

    Make small temp adjustments using the top vent.

    I usually light my large in two or three spots; 3 & 9 o'clock or 3, 6 & 9 o'clock close to the outside edge of the egg.

    I strongly suggest you do lower temp cooks (under 400° for the first few cooks and only when you have read the articles on The Naked Whiz's sites about flashback's do you go to the higher temps.

    Good cooking,

    GG
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    If you are in Huntsville, call me. 858-5511. We live near Maysville, I will try to help you out.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    I am getting ready to do a long cook tonight, so I can walk you through it if you like.
  • Bob-O
    Bob-O Posts: 211
    Enjoyed reading your discussion on controlling temp. on your large. I have had a Medium for a while and have done several low and slow cooks on it. I recently acquired a Large and performed my first low and slow on it Sunday. I noticed a big difference in vent openings for a 250 degree cook on the Large vs the Medium, is that true with your Large and Medium . Thanks
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    So far, I think the medium is harder to get up to temp than the large, seems like I am always having to fiddle around with the lump.

    At this time the lower vent is a little more open than the large and the top vent is about the same. Actually I really haven't paid that much attention to the settings on the medium or small.

    After a few cooks I now light the lump on the medium in 4 places all the time and I am always wanting to use a fan to get it going.

    Using a computer video card I am going to make a 12v 'starter fan'. Something that will let me use the DigiQ2 or Stoker power supply.

    Let me know the setting you use for your medium for say... 250° and 350°- 400°

    GG
  • Bob-O
    Bob-O Posts: 211
    I would say the bottom vent is open a good 3/4 on the medium for a 250 degree cook. On the large Sunday I would say for the 250 cook the bottom went was open the thickness of a quarter, I know because I tried a quarter and it fit perfect. I thought at the time how in the world is this thing going to keep going, but it did.
    For a 400 degree cook on the Medium the bottom vent is open about an 1 and half. Have not done a 400 on the large. Does this match up with your settings.
  • Bob-O
    Bob-O Posts: 211
    I forgot to say that I have no problem getting my Med. up in temp. I can get to 550 to 600 in a fairly short period of time. I use a Mapp torch and I light the coal at the 3, 6, 9, 12 and center positions.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Odd for the medium, seems 3/4 on the bottom would take me above 500°, of course that would depend on the top vent.

    Your large settings seem to be the same as mine. Top vent slider closed pettles 1/4 to 1/3 open.

    I have had the large open the thickness of a dime and held 250° - if I was going for a long cook I would go the width of a quarter.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    I have everything set correctly with air holes clear on the medium. It seems to get up to about 300° and stalls. I need to get a wiggle stick and fiddle fart around through the bottom vent. After that it will get up to temp.

    I guess that is telling me it is the way the lump is put in - the same 'stall' happens 4 out of 5 starts.

    I also use mapp or sometimes the flame thrower (weed burner). In a week or two it will be getting warmer and I will spend some more time working and watching to see what's what.

    GG
  • Buckdodger
    Buckdodger Posts: 957
    Well LazyDog...you just proved that anything is possible. A Bama fan giving good advise to a AU Tiger. As a fairly new "Newbie' on this forum even good advise from those other Tigers is helpful...all kidding aside these folks are a great bunch. War Eagle.

    See you in Tuscaloosa.!! :evil:

    Bob

    Opelika, Alabama
  • Bob-O
    Bob-O Posts: 211
    On high temp. cooks I just take the bag of Royal Oak and fill the Med up to the top of the fire ring.