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Egg only one year old and can only get it to 650 deg maybe every other time

Kellwoods
Kellwoods Posts: 0
edited January 2012 in EggHead Forum
What the heck am I doing wrong. Two nights ago got it to 650 deg. Tonight it will not crest 400 even after an hour of burning and adding extra BGE brand charcoal.

Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Nothing changes with age

    If you don't use them often enough, they can get damp and take a while to drive off excess moisture

    If you use it alot, it could be ash. I often piss and moan about the egg being slow to temp, then see a lot of ash below the fire grate restricting airflow. My fault
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Be sure to check the air holes in the fire box i find that is often my problem.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    Your ash holes are clogged....Ash, I said Ash
  • FxLynch
    FxLynch Posts: 433
    I'd say, just for piece of mind, you should just take all the parts out and do a thorough cleaning.  I don't think you'd have to, but sometimes piece of mind is comforting.

    Take all the lump coal you can out by hand (if it's a lot of unused large pieces, put them in a bucket or even a cooking sheet to reuse.  Make sure you have enough free space around to sit all the parts. Take the fire grate out, and then remove ring and fire box (careful with the firebox when sitting it down)  Make sure the side holes (I think there are 5 or 6) aren't clogged in the actual fire box.

    Remove all ashes and chips from the inside of your egg.  Put all the parts back in the grill making sure to line up the lower vent with firebox opening, and reload with charcoal.  This way you know it isn't your grill.

    I had one bad night of cooking beer can chicken where my fire temp dropped no matter what I did and it felt like I couldn't trust the Egg.  Then common sense told me that there had to be a variable (fuel or air flow) that was the problem.  In my case it was fuel...I simple didn't have enough lump for my cook.  

    It is always either airflow or fuel.  Those are the only two variables in the Egg that affect ultimate temp.  

    Good luck, and many more high temp cooks to ya

    Frank
  • psalzer
    psalzer Posts: 108
    About every 3rd cook I take my shop vac and clean out the ash....take the used lump out and clean the firebox. I put fresh lump,in, then replace the used.....I've never had a problem lighting or reaching temps of 750+ .
  • I am curious, what do you cook at 650? that often?

     

    XL   Walled Lake, MI

  • I use my Ash Tool prior to every cook.  That way i know the bottom is completely empty.  I've never had a problem with getting the temp to 700+.  My max has been 940.  Make for a good quick sear on steaks.
    Large & MiniMax in Lexington, KY
  • About every 3rd cook I take my shop vac and clean out the ash....take the used lump out and clean the firebox. I put fresh lump,in, then replace the used.....I've never had a problem lighting or reaching temps of 750+ .
     I do as psalzer,minus the shop vac cleaning.Air flow will be maximum,temps will rise quick, even heat distribution and better fuel economy. 
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    If you just use at the ash tool, you probably have small bits of lump getting in the holes and that is your problem. It isn't always ash in the holes.
  • BakerMan
    BakerMan Posts: 159

    I cook pizza @ 650 all the time (like a commercial pizza oven) with mine.  Mine won't hit 650 with daisy wheel on even if opened all the way.  I take the wheel completely off and the grill will go to 1000 (ask my first gasket).

    BakerMan - Purcellville, VA "When its smokin' its cookin', when its black its done"
  • Shiff
    Shiff Posts: 1,835
    To be sure the fire grate holes are clean, buy or make a wiggle rod and use it to clean the holes if your fire won't come up to temp quickly.

    A  good one to buy is:

    http://thirdeyebbq.com/WiggleRods.aspx
    Large BGE
    Barry, Lancaster, PA