Just had my first

Sundown

flame out!!

Got a couple of pork shoulders on the Egg that went on last night at about 11PM

Dead on 250º until about half an hour ago. Went out and the dome temp was dropping as I watched to 190º.

Thought to myself, "This ain't good."

Pulled the shoulders off and got down into the fire pit and stirred that sucker up a bit. Lots of lump left because I'm using Wicked Good some pretty big pieces left and I'm thinking dump the lump isn't the best way for me to cook shoulders.

This is only the third of fourth time I've dumped the lump out of literally 100's of cooks. After a word or two from TLW I think, from now on, I'll build my fires for long cooks.

Internal temperature of the meat was 168º when the problem started and now, after a few minutes fixing things, all is well and I'm back to 260º dome and 170º.

GO PATS!!

cookn biker

I've only dumped the lump twice and both times had issues. I am a builder.
Glad you caught it and solved it!

2Fategghead

I'm glade you caught it!

What has worked for me in the past is taking my wiggle stick and reaching down from the top through the food grate and past my plate-setter and stirring and kinda raking around the edges. I try not to stir up a lot of ash. Then I use the wiggle stick up from the bottom draft. I will then remove the daisy wheel and leave the bottom wide open to see if the draft forces the heat to rise. Then I stabilize and go on with it. I made my own long wiggle stick. Tim

Grandpas Grub

 
Sounds like you had a vertical burn, did you light in multiple places off of center?

I used to be a sorter and builder of lump. I kept reading posts by folks who were just dumpers so I converted. For while I still worried about the 'dust' in the bag.

Now I dump and somewhat, sometimes, try to keep some of the 'dust' out of the egg but am not too concerned if it does get in there.

One thing I do religiously though is make sure the air holes in the grate and fire box are not blocked nor have small pieces of lump lodged in the holes. If I have any larger pieces, I do try to put some larger pieces over the grate.

For the last year or two I am a full fledged dumper. I do have a wiggle rod at the ready if there is any sort of stall or fall in the heat and there still is lump in the egg.

GG

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker

big pieces aren't so great for long cooks. not up top anyway. smaller pieces give you better chances for the fire to bridge gaps

big chunks for airflow down low are good of course.