High Temps

hizzoner

I've cooked a few steaks now on the egg. The highest temperature I seem to can get is 650. at the dome. This is enough, but I seem to have read that others are getting hotter?


Tips/Tricks?

I used a hair dryer on the bottom vent last night to get some extra heat

skihorn

LIke you, both of my Eggs (Large and Med) seem to cap at 650. I am perfectly okay with that and really wouldn't want it any hotter. However, I am interested to see responses as to how get it hotter if I ever did want it. Is it just a patience thing? Since I really don't want it hotter, I have never given it much time to get hotter.

Freddie
League City, TX

FearlessGrill

I don't have any problem getting hotter than that on my Large- I used to peg my BGE thermometer, and my TelTru, which reads higher, shows 800+ when doing a sear. My Small doesn't get as hot.

A couple of things to try:

1) Use fresh, dry charcoal.
2) Clean out your Egg, including removing ash from the bottom, and making sure the vent holes are clear. You need max airflow to get the hottest temperatures.
3) Make sure the hole in the firebox is lined up with your lower vent door.

Also, depending on what you're doing, you can get more heat by moving your food closer to the fire. While the dome temp might only be 650, the fire is burning much hotter than that. If you're just looking to do a quick sear, either fill your Egg almost up to the fire ring with lump, or take out the fire ring and put a grid lower.

-John

Misippi Egger

Fearless has the idea. Also use fresh lump to keep the small pieces of used lump from plugging the holes.

Also, since I think you have a large, you should seriously consider getting a spider and adjustable rig from tjv:

www.theceramicgrillstore.com

The spider lets you put you steaks within inches of the lump for the sear. The adjustable rig is so versatile, I used it on most cooks.

civil eggineer

I can easily peg my thermometer on my medium but there really isn't any need to. Once you have a bed of red hot lump below, they are at 1200 degrees regardless of what your dome temp is and the radiant heat will put some serious hurt to your T-bone. I generally try to stay around 600 tops when cooking to avoid any unintended consequences to gaskets, etc. Also check your thermometer in boiling water. You may be way hotter then you thought.

hizzoner

I've heard mention of the spider. Where can I see one?

Your link doesn't work

hizzoner

I've also heard mention of gasket damage. What do I need to avoid doing to prevent that?

FearlessGrill

The correct link is www.ceramicgrillstore.com

-John

FearlessGrill

Honestly, don't worry about it. After a while, your gasket will look like a blackened mess. It will still work. I'm still on the remains of my original gasket after 3+ years of heavy use, and while it looks awful, my Egg still works just fine. There are old timers here who have just let the gaskets burn off and haven't replaced them. As long as the fit between the base and dome is decent, you shouldn't have an issue.

-John

civil eggineer

Actually it is the adhesive that generally fails although gaskets can, and do, burn up. Keep temps below 600 after you have seasoned the gasket by doing 8+ cooks below 400 dome temp. Even if you do all this there is no gaurantee your gasket is immune from failure but they are a generally accepted egg standard.

Grandpas Grub

 
Heat = Fuel and Oxygen.

You probably don't have a good enough air flow.

Make sure your the air holes in the fire great are clear and use a wiggle rod if you need to - check out thirdeye's web site for a wiggle rod.

GG

Grandpas Grub

 
A few more comments...

All this depends on where you want the heat. If you are cooking the thermometer (to get the high temperature) then build your fire higher up in the egg, top of the fire ring. The more lump you have in the egg the harder it is going to get a good steady air flow.

Light the lump in five places and light down into the lump about 1 to 2 inches - you want a wide bed of lava looking lump.

I need to go check this again but as I recall on my IR thermometer the orange lava looking lump is at 1,900° (easily at 1100 - 1200°).

It really doesn't matter a lot if you are using old lump from a previous burn or new lump, nor does it matter if the fire box hole is ligned up exactly with the lower vent.

Air flow into the bottom of the fire box the up through the lump what matters.

Folks like to say this doesn't work for high temperatures. However, here is a burn which is using all previously burned lump, all small pieces of lump. The lump level is only up to just at or above the air holes in the fire box.









Have that same burn & air flow with the lump level higher and you will be pegging the thermometer - if that is what you want.
GG