Getting Egg Up To Temp For Indirect

Hilton

How do you usually set up for an indirect cook as far as getting up to tempature. if i'm doing a cook at 400 do i light the egg let it get to 400 then put the plate setter in or should i light it, put the plate setter in and let it come up to 400. does it really matter? just curious!

Unknown

It doesn't really matter. I usually add my grill after things are running well and stabilized somewhat in case I have to move the lump around - or I get some crazy idea.

Capt Frank

Let your fire get started, by that I mean let your cubes burn away and the lump start to take hold, then put in your platesetter. Most will tell you not to put a platesetter or pizza stone in an already hot egg. Giving the lump just a little head start will speed up the process.

Capt Frank
Homosassa, FL

WessB

Put everthing in as soon as you have it lit, and expect it to take longer than usual to get up to temp, that's a lot of ceramic mass you're heating up...

Fidel

"Most will tell you not to put a platesetter or pizza stone in an already hot egg."

Anyone that tells you that is just being overly cautious. I've done it many times with no adverse problems.

Doing a front sear prime rib, for example, I have taken a cold, wet platesetter and dropped it directly into an egg that was cranking at 650+. Similar actions numerous times. I've never heard of anyone claiming that heat shock has damaged their BGE platesetter or pizza stone. Other materials certainly have problems, but not the BGE formula ceramics.

That said, Wess has the correct answer, get the fire started and add everything but the meat. If you don't then your once stable fire and temp will no longer be stable. You will have to adjust vents and get it stable again at your target temp.

KMagnus

Between raising the dome, which allows heat to escape, and adding meat and anything else like plate setter, which will absorb heat, there will be a temperature drop off either way.

Personally, I add everything I possibly can and let it get up to temp then add the meat. It may take longer to get up to temp because you're heating additional mass, but it reduces the time I have the dome up - getting me back to the temp I'm wanting quicker.

Practically, you can learn your egg well enough to know the range your temp will drop and get it that much hotter before adding the plate setting and meat.