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Large bge getting hot?

I have been a med owner for about a year and got my dad a large for his bday a couple months back. He has been telling me that he has had trouble getting it hot. Until today I figured he was doing it wrong but we cooked on it together today and I had trouble getting it hot.

We. Used three starter cubes spread in a triangle pattern and let it burn for 45 min. My med would be lava hot by now and his was barely going...I wound up taking a blow dryer to it to get it going.

Is there a trick to the larges that is different from the med?

Comments

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    edited June 2013
    Can't comment directly as I have no MBGE experience-but calibrated dome thermo and a lump load (lit) and it's all about air-flow. Make sure the fire box draft opening is aligned with the screen and beyond that it becomes the physics of fire.  Wish I could offer more. (Never had an issue with LBGE).  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    No trick to mine, though I can't seem to get it much above 900°. :)

    Hole in the fire box aligned with the lower vent? Fire grate holes unclogged? Lump dry? Area on the outside of the firebox (and under it for that matter) clear of ash buildup?

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    I went from starter cubes to a chimney starter that I fill with lump and use the gasser side burner to get super hot. What lump you using btw
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • Spaightlabs
    Spaightlabs Posts: 2,349
    Take the guts out, clean it out good. Make sure everything is aligned correctly and try a new bag of lump. Granted, Colorado has low humidity, but I never use more than one stater cube and I'm up to 350 - 400 pretty quick.
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    Damp lump, buy a brand new bag of lump and try it again.
  • Arbucklej
    Arbucklej Posts: 90
    Everything lined up great....using b&b oak lump but the bag had really small pieces from what I am used to. I am gonna re-stock on wicked good once I can get a hold of it. Also might pick up some ozark oak.
  • CAT Seller
    CAT Seller Posts: 208
    Large here. One Weber cube in the center lit, close lid, open bottom and top all the way, and one drink later I am at 500 and climbing.
    If it ain't a CAT, it's a dog!!! 2 LBGE's & BGE Backyard Chef Edition Cart
  • dougbacker
    dougbacker Posts: 277
    Arbucklej said:
    Everything lined up great....using b&b oak lump but the bag had really small pieces from what I am used to. I am gonna re-stock on wicked good once I can get a hold of it. Also might pick up some ozark oak.
    Really small pieces = No Air = Low temp
    +1 on Damp Lump


    --------------------------------------------------------
    South Dakota
    KBØQBT
    Large BGE, 
    Mini BGE
    36" Blackstone Griddle
    Phoenix Gasser
    Cyber Q WIFI

    And a deck box full of toy's


  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191

    A lot of lump that sits through the winter months picks up moisture....  Not a matter of who made it, but how it has been stored??

  • I had a ton of trouble with small chunk lump. I wasn't getting any airflow. +1 on all who said air is your issue if your pieces are small. The HiQ would help a lot. I took a couple small bricks and an old stainless grill grate from a tabletop grill and made an impromptu version when I had little lump chunks. Anything to get some air through it.
    LBGE 2013, SBGE 2014, Mini 2015
    Columbus IN
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    Arbucklej said:

    Everything lined up great....using b&b oak lump but the bag had really small pieces from what I am used to. I am gonna re-stock on wicked good once I can get a hold of it. Also might pick up some ozark oak.

    Might pick up some Ozark?..
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    =))
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • Arbucklej
    Arbucklej Posts: 90
    Missed the funny I can pick up Ozark Oak in Austin...Does itnot have great reviews? I have yet to try itbut here good things
  • When all else fails, praise Ozark as the best you have ever had!
    LBGE 2013, SBGE 2014, Mini 2015
    Columbus IN
  • Seriously though, check out the comprehensive reviews on Naked Whiz. Very helpful reviews of just about every lump out there. Ozark stands up against all of the best. I used my first bag a few weeks ago. It was really good but not quite worth what the local butcher shop wanted to charge me. When I find a new source I will definitely continue to use it. But as a side note, don't waste your time with really cheap stuff. It is awful and impossible to burn when the pieces are tiny. I bought a bag in a hurry from a farm supply type store for $5 for 15lb. I would have been better to pull bark off my trees.
    LBGE 2013, SBGE 2014, Mini 2015
    Columbus IN
  • Arbucklej
    Arbucklej Posts: 90
    I am starting to see that just had to satisy my curiosity...alredy sold on wicked but I will be in Austin this weekend and will pick up a few bags of ozark
  • Chubbs
    Chubbs Posts: 6,929
    As others have said --- trouble getting to temp can ONLY be one of two things. Bad fuel or bad airflow.
    Columbia, SC --- LBGE 2011 -- MINI BGE 2013
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Blast a leaf blower in the bottom draft door.  It'll get hot fast.  Also, it knocks out any air-flow clogging ash. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..