Temp problems once again

BeerBQ

I'm stuck at 390 and it won't budge...I threw some new charcoal on and let it smoke out...vents wide open...I need to hit 450 for pies...any suggestions on how to get this thing flaming?

jonboy

I would use a wiggle stick to clean out vents and stir the lump. I stick mine down thru the grate and stir the lump. This will get a nice fire going.
jon

Egglicious

How long has it been since you cleaned out the Egg? If your vent holes are plugged you may need to clean them out. The best way is to take all the lump out and clean them. But you could try to use a stiff piece of wire and go up from the bottom vent and clean them. I have done this before.

Jeffersonian

It's hard to say. Things to look for:

* Clear airflow - is the space below your firebox reasonably clean? Do you have lump with a lot of small pieces that could clog your grate? Maybe leftover lump from a previous cook?

* Fuel - Maybe you have a bad bag of lump. It happens, and it's frustrating.

Try using a forced-air solution (like a hair dryer or shop-vac with the airflow reversed) to get more oxygen into the Egg.

Grandpas Grub

Putting lump on top of lit lump is putting an insulation blanket on top of the heat.

Light the new lump and take your ash tool so some air can come up through the already burning lump, and up through the new lump.

If you have pushed down the burning lump, you probably have collapsed the existing air flow.

The air is going to clow in the path of least resistance. The lump is going to try and burn downward to the source of air.

When this happens to me, I take a 1 qt steel cooking pot and dig bown into the curning lump. I take that pan and place it on something that WON'T burn or won't get hurt form the intense heat. (move quick as safely possilbe).

I then add new lump without compressing/collapsing the burning lump. I then lightly mix the two up and then scatter the lump in the pan over the surface of the lump. Sometimes I will take the MAPP torch and light sever additional spots.

It ususally takes 10 or so minutes to get the temp to increase.

GG