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Hearing up egg

tmas
tmas Posts: 35
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum
I've read everything but I still can't figure out why my egg is taking so long to heat up. I'm at 45 mins and 175 degrees right now.

Procedure:
Clean out grates, fill with lump
Use BGE fire starter in center of lump
Light and leave top open for 5 mins, until lump is lit
Close top with no daisy wheel, bottom screen fully open
Wait impatiently!!!
XL BGE Katy, TX (otherwise known as Far West Houston)

Comments

  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    Try more than one fire starter, and make sure they are down in the charcoal after being lit and not just sitting on top.  Before switching to an electric starter, for a direct cook I would use at least 3 on my large, only one or 2 if doing low and slow.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • ChokeOnSmoke
    ChokeOnSmoke Posts: 1,942
    I'm betting the holes are clogged on the charcoal grate.  That's almost always the issue when you can't get it up to temp.  Look up through the the bottom vent, are the holes mostly red or black?
    Packerland, Wisconsin

  • twlangan
    twlangan Posts: 307
    Been there, done that.

    Leave the lid open longer. The fire will get more air and get going faster. Once your lump is going good, THEN close it.
  • DMurf
    DMurf Posts: 481
    Give your lump a real good stir, I have had the charcoal dust block up the path through the lump. I make a valley in the top of the lump place the starter in the well and then lay some larger pieces across the starter. With this setup I am typically up to 400 and beyond within 20 minutes.

    Keep at it, my first low-n-slows flamed out in wee hours of the morning, but now I can go 20+ hours and not have to worry.
    David
    BBQ since 2010 - Oh my, what I was missing.
  • Been there, done that.

    Leave the lid open longer. The fire will get more air and get going faster. Once your lump is going good, THEN close it.
    Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

    Leave the lid open longer (15-20 minutes) until You have it all dialed in. Then you can back it off a little sooner if you want to.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • I have had the exact opposite problem with an xl letting the temp get too high too quick...

    Try cleaning all the vents around the base of the fire ring and when you start the fire open the boottom vent all the way.  I use two starters in the center with lots of lump...light it and leave it alone for about 15 minutes...when you put the plate setter and then the butts on your temp should be up to cooking temperature..good luck

    If you doing steaks or something where you need a hot fire open the lid and leave it open after the fire is going good in the center for a while until the fire is raging then close tit down and choke the air back to set the temp...

    My dad lived in Katy for years north of down town about a mile, just past the golf course nice city!!! just too close to Houston :) still have family there just hate the traffic and i dirive all over Dallas all the time...

    Rockwall Texas, just east of Dallas where the humidity and heat meet! Life is too short to get caught in the fast lane behind somebody slow!

    XL, LG, Sm, Mini and Weber for drink holder

  • GK59
    GK59 Posts: 501

    Make sure to fill up to fire ring.

    I also find when relighting the used lump the marble size pieces don't produce as much heat.The smaller pieces compact and reduce air flow .A few larger pieces will help. My take.

    I use a chimney starter and mix in so to get even heat all around.

    You know though, the slow heat up just makes more time to drink.But I don't really need a reason.

    God Bless America !

    Smitty's Kid's BBQ

    Bay City,MI

  • Bjorg
    Bjorg Posts: 241
    He did mention he cleaned out his grate. 45 min is not normal though. Do you have a proper seal (dollar bill test)? Maybe break the firestarter to light multiple spots? 

    The Looftlighter helps me get my XL egg heated up in no time. I spend around 2-3 min blowing in the middle, then close dome with fully opened air intake and I am ready to cook in 10-15 min (make sure to let the bad smoke odor go away before putting food in though). If I am in no hurry, I just blow air 1 min to light it then let it slowly heat up.




    Quebec - Canada