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getting grill to cooking temps?

help please!

how do you normally get your egg to cooking temps of 200?

do you get to the desired temp of 200 and close her down to maintain or get high then back down?

North Alabama - Roll Tide

LBGE 2013

Comments

  • Don't go hight then low. It's tougher to cool it off.
    I light the charcoal and let it catch, I have the bottom vent open full, close the lid, top daisy wheel slots open, and I wait. As it gets hotter I start to close the bottom vent. I eventually nail 225-and balance it out. While you're waiting smoke a cigar, get a beer/port/Jack-n-coke and watch your temp. It might take 20-30 min to get it perfect.
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited July 2013
    Read on here sometime ago that for low and slows, target temp is best between 225-250º. Once electric starter has done its work, I put in the set-up with both vents wide open. As temp approaches 200º, I close down the lower to about 1/2" or less and the petals to about 1/2 open. Walk away and leave it for an hour or so. 
    The temp will stabilize and fine adjustments can be made as you load in the meat. 
    With egging, time is your friend. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • minniemoh
    minniemoh Posts: 2,145
    I set the vents like Skiddymarker does except without the electric starter (I use starter cubes). Seems to work well for me. The medium seems to require a little more attention than the large for me to get dialed in. I have only had the medium for a month so I'm still figuring it out. 
    L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....
    eggAddict from MN!
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669

    What are you cooking at 200? Just asking.

    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,170
    If you are running indirect and are looking at 200*F on the calibrated dome thermo then you will start out at around 180*F or possibly less at the cooking grid.  As noted above, don't over-shoot on your way up.  You can hold around 200*F with a small fire but it will likely take some attention. 
    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.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Generally, its somewhat better to edge up on a low temperature. If the temperature overshoots, and is caught right away, it will drop fairly quickly. But 10 - 15 min at 450F dome can take more than that long to start dropping at all.

    A dome temp of 200F during an indirect cook will mean the grill area is only 175F, or so, for an hour or two. It will also take about an hour for the bad smoke to clear. Unless you are planning on doing hot smoking, anything under 225F will take f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

    But if you want to get that temp, place a small amount of lump on the grate. Light that, and pour more lump over it. Shut the bottom vent to at least 1/4", and put the daisy on, with the petals all open. When the therm reaches 165, close the bottom to a crack, and the daisy petals the same.
  • robnybbq
    robnybbq Posts: 1,911
    I have found it tough to maintain under 230ish.  230 and higher I can lock in.  I start my fire (Mapp torch) in one spot in the center and leave the bottom vent wide open and the top open for 5 minutes.  I then close the lid  with the daisy wheel off.  I let the smoke start - as I am about 50 degrees away from my temp I will add the Daisy wheel and and start closing the bottom grate and dial in the temps - checking every 10 minutes.  Once I am locked in I then add my indirect stone and wait until the Egg comes back to cooking temp then cook away.  I find using this method allows time for the fire to burn off the VOC's (bad smoke).

    _______________________________________________________________
    LBGE, Adjustable Rig, Spider, High-Que grate, maverick ET-732, Thermapen,


    Garnerville, NY
  • Mickey said:

    What are you cooking at 200? Just asking.

    not cooking anything at 200, I just threw out a lower than higher number to see how people held the temps. I've been letting the grill get hot then come back down to desired temp and had trouble getting low.

    it finally hit me that I needed to stop the temp on the way up to get a low temp

    North Alabama - Roll Tide

    LBGE 2013

  • RV10Flyer
    RV10Flyer Posts: 140

    When you overshoot, if you catch it quickly before the ceramic is heat-soaked, it will come back down without too much trouble.  Once the ceramic heats up, you have  a bigger battle on your hands.  Catching it on the way up is the way to go.


    North Texas

    XL and Small BGE

  • Acn
    Acn Posts: 4,424
    edited July 2013
    Also, of you're doing something that low, you'll probably be cooking indirect; if you wait to put in your plate setter that can help you drop temps.

    It won't help you going 450 down to 250, but it can help drop from 325 to 270 or so.

    LBGE

    Pikesville, MD