HELP!!!!!

texegghead

I am having a hard time regulating the heat in my egg. To begin with, when I first light the charcoal, should I close the lide with the bottom and top vents fully open? Or should I light it and leave the lid open with the bottom vent open as well? The method I use is the first one, lighting it, closing the lid with both vents wide open. Now, let's say I want a cooking temp of 225 deg. Do I start closing both the top and bottom vents right before the target temp of 225 or do I wait the recommended 10 minutes for the charcoal to completely light and then try to bring down the temp from there? I find it very hard to bring the temp down after the coals have lit fully and am waiting about 30 to 40 minutes before I actually put my meat on. And on top of that my wood stops smoking. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Knauf

light it lid up. once your coals are started close the lid leave everything wide open. when you get near your desired temp ease into it by closing top and bottom vents. If you are going to use plate setter and raised grid you can go past your desired temp a little as the egg will cool down when you put them. once you get to desire temp let it stablize for about 15 minutes and you should be good to go.

dhuffjr

If you want 225 you should light the charcoal and open the bottom vent a 1/4 inch or less. The Daisy slider should be slide closed with daisy wheel holes wide open. That should get you really close. Do this from the get go. Getting temps down is a hard thing to do.

Gator Bait

 
Hi tex,

Welcome to the forum. One of our members, Grampas Grub, has compiled a great list of helpful resources, FAQ - Tips & Helpful Information. If you go to his post and go down to the fifth group of links you will start to find some of the information that might help you.

When I light my medium egg I leave the top off with the dome closed and the bottom vent wide open. How long I let it run like that depends on the temperature that I am aiming for. When my dome thermometer gets about half way to my target I will put the top on and start closing things up so I don't over shoot. With the help of GG's post and a little practice you will learn where your vents need to be set for what temperature. We all had to learn it. I remember lighting my egg in my free time with nothing to cook just to practice and get the hang of it. Now the only time I am off is if I am not paying attention.

Good luck and again Welcome to the forum,

Blair

 

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead

I light it and get a fire going "wide open".
However, I do regulate / watch my temp. during this process. This meaning that if I want a temp of 250 F I don't let it rage and then try to cool it down.
Alway get a good fire and regulate (bring it up to temp) to the the cook temp. you want.
Granted, adding a plate setter, stone, food....Will drop a temp and if you are hot to start, this is the time to shut down a bit...NOT OPEN UP.

2Fategghead

First off keep in mind I am using an egg that has a clean fire box. That is the ash was removed and fresh lump has been put in above the holes in the fire box. Or in this situation I am lighting an egg using lump that has been burned before and has been stirred so the ash falls off the partially burned lump and falls through the bottom lump grate. As well as making sure the holes in the fire box and lump grate are clear of ash and small pieces of lump or drippings and the ash in the bottom has been raked out so the air has a clear unobstructed path to the lump in the fire box.

For a high temperature cook light in 5 places and light about 1" deep into the lump surface (don't cover the lighting material). 3, 6, 9, 12 o'clock and center. Light about 60% to 70% out from the center on the egg.

On a lower temperature cook light about 1/2" deep in to the lump surface. light in 3 or 4 spots. 3, 6, 9 o'clock and maybe center.

Make sure you get a good lighting of the lump.

Light and if using cubes, oil & napkin close the dome once the starter material is well light and then close the dome (10 to 15 seconds). No DFMT bottom vent & screen wide open. DON'T LEAVE the egg.

You probably know this but these starting materials will give you a quick spike in temperature to about 700°. Do nothing yet. Then a drop in temperature to about 250° or so. Then a slower climb back up. On this slower climb you will adjust you bottom vent to not overshoot your cook temperature. If using a plate setter put it in. You shouldn't need any type of fan for assistance.

If you use MAPP to light make sure you get a deep light in each spot or those start points will go out.


How I stabilize my big green egg is merely a guide to help people get some sort of system in bringing their egg to cooking temp.

I may do things differently than others and I may change to a better way but this should help the new egghead get a system. Here is how I do it. I light my lump with the top and bottom vents wide open. After a short time I close the dome and spark screen and watch the dome thermometer rise after the starter cubes have burned down. If I want my egg to stabilize at 300° I will wait until the egg approaches 300° maybe 25° before your desired temp then close the bottom damper slider door to about half inch open and wait.

When the temp approaches 300° again place the daisy wheel on with the petals open and the slider half way. As the temp continues to rise continue to close the slider until your egg stabilizes at 300°.

You can refer to Grandpas Grub post as a guide to stabilizing your egg. Just review the settings he uses for a 300° dome cook as a guide.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=718915&catid=1


It may take 15 or 20 minutes maybe even longer. I often let my egg sit at my desired temp until I get blue smoke which is best and what I’m looking for. If you have smoke coming out of your egg and it smells like a camp fire wait for the bad smell to clear. Here is a discussion about that in a past post.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=697621&catid=1

Because the white smoke is bad and can give your food a bad taste. Blue smoke comes AFTER white smoke. Wait for the white smoke to die down. This way all the bad smoke that is the VOC's (volatile organic compounds - the source of the bad taste) clears out. In a past post the topic was discussed in great detail. Click here to review.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&Itemid=55&func=view&catid=1&id=881437

Also, in doing this the egg will recover fast after putting a big chunk of cold meat in there. This way you don't have to chase the temps around just leave the bottom damper and daisy wheel settings where they are set at and the egg will recover in time.

I also use a wiggle stick. http://thirdeyebbq.com/WiggleRods.aspx

Here is a very good post by Grandpas Grub.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=907427&catid=1

Here is another source to learn about controlling and stabilizing your egg.

Ceramic Charcoal Cooker
Temperature Control Hints and Tips
©2004 The Naked Whiz

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/tempcontrol.htm

[Deleted User]

What Knauf said is all you need to know except try to never go past your target temp. I would add that if using fire starters, wait until they are completely burned up before closing the dome.

If the coals are going but you still have starter remnants in there smoldering, remove them with pliers or tongs before it gets too hot. incomplete burns of starters adds a terrible smoke (flavor) to the cook.

you don't need the daisy to cook, I only use it for cooking below 350.

Also, for all my low-and-slows and overnight cooks, I don't try to cook below 250 dome. 250 works for everything and temps do fluctuate a bit over the course of the cook.

Grandpas Grub

 
As you can see from the above posts there are a lot of different ways to light the egg. All work just fine and it won't take long until you find what you like and what works for you.

Gator Bate and 2Fategghead have some great information.

I might add a couple of points of interest.

The 'spike' referred to above will come when using starters such as, starting cubes, alcohol, oil & paper towel. As stated let the spike run it's course and then fall. As the second climb occurs then adjust your vents.

You will probably not see a spike when using MAPP/Propane, Weed Burner, electric, or the club. With these adjust he vents before you reach target on the first climb.

I differ than most and BGE when to close the dome. With the starters that will flare up then cool and again climb due to the lump actually taking hold I close the dome as soon as the starter is fully light.

If your lump bed stabilizes with the dome open there is a chance the fire will go out or temperature drop when the dome opens.

The lump bed has to develop a good draft through the lower vent, fire grate and up into the lump itself.

Oxygen feeding the lump bed from the open dome or even oxygen flowing into the lower vent, then outside the firebox opening and up between the fire box & fire ring over the top and back down into the fire bed is not the most desirable oxygen flow, nor the safest for a long or steady overnight cook.

None of this is hard to deal with one just needs to be aware.

I mostly control the temperature via the lower vent. I will fine tune the temperature with the DFMT (slider and petals) as I approach target temperature.

Welcome to the forum.

GG