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Egg Temperature After Lighting

This is my third cookout with the Egg and have had a great experience thus far but have started off a bit slow with the heat of the fire.  I use the Egg lump charcoal filled to just below top of the firebox as well as the firestarter cubes to light the fire.  However, after 10 minutes the temperature in the egg is only 280 and steady.  I have both the bottom vent and daisy vent for ventilation but the temperature won't go up.  Any ideas?

Comments

  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Airflow. I'm probably a bit fanatical but, after every cook I shop vacuum out the fire box etc, and every 3rd or so cook I remove all the ceramics and shop vacuum everything out. If you can't control airflow you have no chance of controlling temperature.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • I have cleaned out the firebox after each cook, raked the coals and ensured the vent holes are clear.  The only thing I can think of is that maybe I filled the firebox with too much charcoal?  What is your technique to fill with charcoal?  How high should I fill with charcoal?  What temperature should I see after how long after lighting?
  • Firestarter cubes suck. I clean mine about every 20th cook if it needs it. Get a map torch

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • CP92
    CP92 Posts: 317
    When are you shutting your dome? Let your fire get established before you close your dome. In lieu of that, I've resorted to blowing on my coals to get them moving.
    Chris
    LBGE
    Hughesville, MD
  • Firestarter cubes suck. I clean mine about every 20th cook if it needs it. Get a map torch

    This!
    Nowhere Indiana
  • Greeno55
    Greeno55 Posts: 635
    I've had my egg almost two years, and it came with a free box of fire starter cubes. I quickly upgraded to the electric one and it worked well, but since going with this, I haven't used either for quite some time. I also have a small propane torch when I'm starting for a low and slow. Also, I agree with @CP92. Make sure you have a good fire going before you close the lid.
    LBGE (2012), MiniMax (2014), and too many Eggcessories to list.  - Sudbury, Ontario
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    If your dome is closed 10mins after lighting the cubes you are closing it way to soon and the only reason you are reading 280 is just from the intial heat burst from the cubes. Take 1 cube and cut it into 4 pieces, place them at 3-6-9-12 and light, cover them with smaller pieces of lump, go inside and have a beer, give it 15-20mins and once you have glowing embers shut your dome and leave vents wide open. Start shutting your vents when your within 100* of target temp and fine tune once you are within 50*.

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.


  • try a loof lighter...best method IMO
    Brandon, MS
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    I've noticed an interesting thing lately.  Doing a number of 350 - 500 degree cooks.  Lighting from the bottom vent with oil soaked paper towels.  After about 5 -10 minutes, paper towels are burned up, and the coals are smoking a lot.  Close the lid, and continue to get a lot of bad smoke and temp goes to about 250 or so.  After another 5 - 10 minutes, still lots of smoke and temp stuck at 250.  Burp the Egg to a big flashback, close the lid and temp goes up to 400 degrees over the next 15 - 30 seconds, and bad smoke goes away . Start shutting down the vents and I'm ready to cook when stabilized.  Has happened the last 4 times I lit the Egg.
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • Tjcoley said:
    I've noticed an interesting thing lately.  Doing a number of 350 - 500 degree cooks.  Lighting from the bottom vent with oil soaked paper towels.  After about 5 -10 minutes, paper towels are burned up, and the coals are smoking a lot.  Close the lid, and continue to get a lot of bad smoke and temp goes to about 250 or so.  After another 5 - 10 minutes, still lots of smoke and temp stuck at 250.  Burp the Egg to a big flashback, close the lid and temp goes up to 400 degrees over the next 15 - 30 seconds, and bad smoke goes away . Start shutting down the vents and I'm ready to cook when stabilized.  Has happened the last 4 times I lit the Egg.
    You are closing the lid too soon.  The big flashback is your clue that you are starving the fire.
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    morgaj1 said:
    You are closing the lid too soon.  The big flashback is your clue that you are starving the fire.
    Probably right, but it's a cool way to get rid of all the VOC's in one shot.  Takes about the same amount of time, and now that it is dark at dinner time, I love seeing the flashback in the dark.  Just have to be prepared for it. 
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA