Hot Spot in the EGG

Unknown

HI great site
Been lurking for awhile but got a question/problem:
when I try cooking using "direct method" I get a hot spot in the coals toward the left rear of my egg.
I have noticed this when I use by BBQ Guru but thought it was from the air flow of the blower and mostly use it for "indirect cooking"
But I have noticed it is still there when I do stright vent cooking.
I figure its due to the air circulation but not sure about how to address it....
Its really a problem when I do ABT's as those over the hot spot want to burn on the bottom and cook faster[p]Any ideas[p]Thanks

Frank the Tank

Stumpy,
My first idea would be to just spin the grill grate 180 degrees with your ash tool or something else during the cook, but I've never noticed a hot spot. Then again, I've only been cooking on it for a month![p]On a side note, MY GURU IS IN TODAY (per the UPS website)! YEE HAAAAA!!!!!

Borders

Stumpy, I've never had a hot spot or at least noticed one. I can say that the quality of my abt's doubled when I started using a grid extender. Don't know if you're doing that already or not,
Scott

Pakak

You may want to try cooking your ABTs indirect. That's how I do mine just because I like to prepare them "snocone" style and the tips tend to burn.

tn slagamater

Stumpy, the Egg tends to have a hot spot in the rear due to a concentration of air flow in that area. Rotate the food or use a plate setter to block the excess heat.

Mark Backer

tn slagamater,[p]I have a warm spot in the back left of mine too. I think that might be semi-normal.

Unknown

Stumpy,
I'm not trying to jump off the fire ring into the firebox with a discussion of how to start a fire, but Stumpy I have also noticed the same thing. I usually push back some coals in the middle and start my fire there and then backfill the depressed area with coals that I removed as the fire starts. I haven't tried this idea yet but I'm thinking about making my depression off center nearer the front and start my fire there thinking the fire will get hot near the back of the depression first which by default would be the middle of the pit. Haven't tried this yet but I'm toying with it. I've even wondered why the BGE doesn't have three vents around the base so the airflow would be central.[p]Marty

fishlessman

Stumpy, when cooking turkeys place the leg section toward the hot spot in the egg, the legs need to get up to a higher temp than the breasts and this helps. also the hot spot is less noticable when you let the egg stabalize for longer periods of time.

FlatEric

Stumpy,
Here is an idea... rotate your firebox clockwise about 15 degrees. that may create a vortex action of the airflow in the firebox, thus eliminating the air slamming into the back corner causing a hot spot.[p]I am not a scientist, but I play one at work.

Sigmore

FlatEric, I think these forums are getting too deep into the Quantum Theories of burnin meat over a fire. I am really scared I'm going to fall off and have to sell my Big Green Baby.

QBabe

FlatEric,[p]If you roatate the firebox, then the airflow becomes more restricted due to the opening in the firebox no longer being aligned with the lower draft door opening.[p]Tonia
:~)

Fairalbion

Stumpy,
I get the same thing - interesting, the tendency is definitely for the fire to be drawn to the left rear of the egg. Coolest part of the fire is usually front left.[p]If automobile manufacturers can exactly model the combustion process in an engine's cylinders - surely we can do something similar in the Egg? All we need is a multimillion dollar budget. I like the idea of experimenting with slightly offsetting the firebox opening from the lower vent.

eggor

sigmore,
if you want to sell me your bgb I'll take you up. by the way, in case you didn't notice the number of engineers that own eggs and some of the neat ideas and products that are available is just our contribution to the forum and fellow eggers. you don't hear us complaining about all those dang recipes that people keep on posting or people waisting our time using up web space trying to to post a picture just to make everyone hungry while their at work and can't do nothin about it.lol[p]Scott

Sigmore

eggor, Like I said, I was skeered I mite get skeered and fall off. But I've been involved in combustion configurations before, and I think I have a bulb in my punkin head askin me why we haven't thought of this before. I have an idee for the BBQ-Guru that is skeerin me and I'm afraid to tell it.

Sigmore

eggor, I actually Love this place, and actually know how many times I have cooked on my baby by keeping up with the starters I use. About 162 right now; gotter last October.

eggor

sigmore,[p]see now that you got ta thinkin now you wanna go and reinvent that dang wheel

Sigmore

eggor, like you said, this is what it's all about, Perfection. It don't get no better'n that.

Chef Arnoldi

Stumpy, here is my solution: since you know where the hotspot is, start your fire at the opposite end only & the fire should slowly move towards the hotspot