Why is it?

Grillmama

It seems that when people describe what their target temp looks like as far as the top and bottom drafts are concerned..everybodies look totally different.

For example: my egg is steady right now at 250 degrees my 250 is bottom vent 3/4 way open and daisy wheel holes are half closed (the small holes)

Somebodies elses 250 looks like bottom vent open a 1/4" and top nearly closed?

Just curious if I was doing something wrong?

stike

in your case it sounds like the daisy holes are controlling it, frankly.

think of it this way... the ONLY thing that controls temp is draft. air in=exhaust out.

if you choke the daisy down, the fire will choke down. opening the bottom all the way has little or no effect. it can't suck in more, because it can't gt out as quickly. daisy is running the show.

or.... close the bottom way down til almost shut. you can take the daisy all the way out, and the temp shouldn't change. the air is restricted by the bottom.

and so, any combination of the two will do it. i think it's just easier for everyone to try to get the two equal, or at least to adjust one and then the other. but if they aren't both perfectly equal in area, it's likely one is actually more open than another, and the more closed one is in control.

you can control the fire using the bottom vent, or the daisy, or both.

i use the bottom for gross adjustments, and the top as a more precisely visual fine-tuner.

(this is a simplification. there are other things at work, but basically it's all about air in equalling air out. in a fireplace, you can actually sometimes IMPROVE (speed up) draft by making the chimney top narrower (smaller). but i don't think in our case we have the same dynamic. a tall masonry chimney will heat up, and by itself will contribute to the draft

Grandpas Grub

My large settings at 250°are bottom vent 1/8" open (thickness of a quarter). Top vent slider closed and petles 1/3 open.

The danger with opening the bottom vent wide is if your daisy moves the egg temp can skyrocket.

Major temp control using the lowervent finer temp changes with top vent. Then if something happens to the top vent you won't loose your cook and the egg will not end being in the 700° or higher range.

GG

Grillmama

Thanks, I will print these and try it on the next cook. I don't want to mess anything up now... :laugh:

stike

heck, if you just want that.

for 250, my bottom vent is a 1/4" maybe, the petals 1/16"

...i guess i thought it best to explain the concept, rather than spoon feed. sorry for wasting your time making you read my earlier post.

everyone's settings are a little different.... was trying to explain WHY

Grillmama

No the concept was wonderful! Now I have a better picture of the "why"

I just don't want, at this point, to mess anything up in the rib cooking process. I may never get the egg back to 250.

I wondered why my bottom vent was more open than everybody elses.

You did not waste my time, nor did I even think that. What did I say wrong?

I am trying to print these posts now. Thank you very much. :cheer:

Slotmercenary

there are a lot of factors that go into the adjustments,
type of lump, moisture of lump,size of fire, moisture content of enviornment, elevation, breeze, size of egg, temp of beverages being consumed, contents of what is being cooked, and list goes on and on. whatever works for you and your situation is what is "right"

Grillmama

The beverages will be quite cold at about 5 p.m. It's always five o'clock somewhere.

Stike: If you wouldn't have told me all that I would have been chugging along thinking all was well. Feeling good enough that if I wanted to walk away from the egg for a few hours I would be all right. Come to find out when I get home my temp has gone balistic.

I am a teacher, I need to know the "why"

Thanks to all.

Semolina Pilchard

250 for my large usually is bottom vent open the width of a credit card, and the daisy holes open about 1/3. The general settings for my egg for 350 is bottom vent anywhere from 1/2 inch to 2 inches and for a 500 degree 1 hour chicken or a cleaning burn, I take the daisy off and set the bottom vent about 1/2 way open. Did that raised grill work like you wanted.

Grillmama

The BGE raised grid is o.k. I used it last night for hamburgers. It is a little shakey (sp?)

Yours is nice, but we are not very handy in my household for us to attempt to make.

I am looking at the woo2 is it? (Don't tell the husband)

By they way guys I readjusted the egg to what you said and it worked! I didn't mess anything up! Yeah!

Semolina Pilchard

I never used one, but I believe there is a trick to getting the BGE raised grate to be sturdy. Maybe those in the know will chime in. I left out for 350 how I set my daisy, the holes are usually 100% open. As for the Woo2, I don't think you could go wrong with anything from eggaccesories.com.

Grillmama

I'm just so eggcited that I readjusted the egg like you all told me too and I didn't mess it up!