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Large egg keeps dieing overnight

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dinmax82
dinmax82 Posts: 4
in EggHead Forum
Twice now my large bge died overnight. Plenty of fuel left in the firebox. First time i just dumped in ozark lump and started it at 11, steadied at 250 dome and died when I woke up at 8. Last night i selected the biggest pieces from two bags of ozark lump. Started at 8 around 275 n steadied her at 250 by 1. Woke up at 6am and it was under 100. Firebox was cleaned out well before each cook. This last time I could see some of the holes clogged up upon inspection. The temp gauge was calibrated to boiling water and my thermapen. Any advice? Btw I open both top and bottom vents by half an inch. The 1/16" thing yall do will kill the fire!
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    How long are you letting it sit at your desired temp?

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    Sounds like you did everything right. After what you said the only advice I can give you is maybe invest in a hi que grate or similar. Interested to hear what the vets have to say
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • dinmax82
    dinmax82 Posts: 4
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    The first time just 2hrs...the second time over 5 hrs before I went to sleep
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  • GeorgeS
    GeorgeS Posts: 955
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    Is your fire box lined up correctly with the vent in the bottom? It shouldn't be off center at all.
    Bristow Virginia XL&Mini One of the best feelings in life is watching other people enjoy the food I cooked!
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,396
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    Stable is a relative term-this thing runs on air-flow as long as you have fuel.  Five hours and a 150* drop is 30*F/hour which works out to 1/2 *F /minute.
    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.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Sorry, just re-read your post. All big pieces is no es bueno! The big pieces go on the bottom, medium middle and small and dust on the top. Or you can just dump. The big pieces won't transfer the burn. I have heard nothing but good about Ozark Oak but if it is oak it's gonna be dense. Mix a little RO or something faster burning in.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • flemster
    flemster Posts: 269
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    Before I got the temp controller this would happen occasionally(not all the time) I could prevent it by hand stacking lump, big on the bottom and going for dome temp just a bit above 250. HiQ grate addition eliminated the issue completely at 250 dome temp, but I still had to hand stack the lump. Now with the controller I can dump and light and I am fine.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Keywords: Gator, Nashvegas, LBGE, Looftlighter, Thermapen in Racing Green (faster than the red one!), PSWOO2, Spider with CI, IQ120
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  • HawkeyeEgghead
    HawkeyeEgghead Posts: 88
    edited March 2014
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    Agree with all the previous post.  One thing I do when using my egg in stock mode is to position my egg based on any wind, sometime into the wind, other times away.  Natures positive pressure venting and cheaper then a Stoker or Guru.  I also reduced the amount I close down my daisy wheel and focus on adjustments of the lower vent.  Both have improved my temperature control.  Your cooks seem to suggest you've closed the vents too far based on you specific environment.  Not to be insulting but you might try loading up the egg performing a few practice runs.  I did this initially by starting and maintain at 200, 225, 250, etc.  I'd hold it for a few hours and then adjust.  It was worth a few bags of cheap coal to get the hang of using the egg.

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  • tcampbell
    tcampbell Posts: 771
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    I had the same thing happen twice,once on large and the other on xl.I think I close the vents down to low in fear of getting to hot r running out of lump.Both times my fault I need to leave top open more I think.I do it just when going to bed thinking it will get to hot.
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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    Little Steven said:

    Sorry, just re-read your post. All big pieces is no es bueno! The big pieces go on the bottom, medium middle and small and dust on the top. Or you can just dump. The big pieces won't transfer the burn. I have heard nothing but good about Ozark Oak but if it is oak it's gonna be dense. Mix a little RO or something faster burning in.

    +3 @Little Steven‌
    On low and slow I always hand stack for that exact reason.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • tcampbell
    tcampbell Posts: 771
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    Is it better to light lump from top of pile r bottom.
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  • Mross
    Mross Posts: 338
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    Your Egg is defective. I will send you the cost of shipping to me for disposal!
    Duncan, SC
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  • Smokinpig
    Smokinpig Posts: 739
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    I think it is better to light from the top. My understanding is that fire will spread toward the air in this case down. 

    LBGE Atlanta, GA


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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    tcampbell said:

    Is it better to light lump from top of pile r bottom.

    I have lit from both the top and bottom but, prefer from the bottom. Eventually it will all burn. Are you lining up the bottom vent and opening on the fire box? This just really seems like an airflow issue.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,396
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    Regarding lighting-I light from the bottom (forward of center) and have never lost a fire (now jinxed). While the BGE is not an oxygen unlimited environment, all the structure fires I have seen tend to burn up before heading down for more fuel.  No scientific proof, just an opinion....
    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.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    lousubcap said:
    Regarding lighting-I light from the bottom (forward of center) and have never lost a fire (now jinxed). While the BGE is not an oxygen unlimited environment, all the structure fires I have seen tend to burn up before heading down for more fuel.  No scientific proof, just an opinion....

    Lou,

    When I bought my first egg they told me to shove newspaper in the lower vent to start it. Did that for a while until I realized I was going through a lot of lump. I light three or ffour spots on the top with a map torch.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
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    Little Steven said:

    Sorry, just re-read your post. All big pieces is no es bueno! The big pieces go on the bottom, medium middle and small and dust on the top. Or you can just dump. The big pieces won't transfer the burn. I have heard nothing but good about Ozark Oak but if it is oak it's gonna be dense. Mix a little RO or something faster burning in.

    Buy this man a tall, cold beer...
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    And a long straw! :D

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    @Little Steven‌ I also light in 3 or 4 spots but usually poke mapp tip toward bottom to light. You've got better results and more efficient burn from top lighting?
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • wallyjar
    wallyjar Posts: 123
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    Light three spots on top with Looflighter after dumping RO.  20 hour cooks at 250 and still have fuel left
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  • Egglegal_Alien
    Egglegal_Alien Posts: 113
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    +1 on being an airflow problem
    +1 on checking firebox opening alignment with vent door

    Don't think it's caused by lump density or size, I've done all lage chunks, large on bottom mid/small on top, wood only with no problem.

    Don't think it's related to lighting from top or bottom either (tough "wood only" should be lit from underneath), tough I personally prefer to light from the bottom to "Bank the fire" on low and slow cooks.


    XL BGE + Large BGE @ Monterrey, Mexico
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  • tksmoke
    tksmoke Posts: 776
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    What elevation are you at?  High altitudes require slightly different technique than us sea level guys use.
    Santa Paula, CA
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  • bud812
    bud812 Posts: 1,869
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    If you got the OO from @henapple he prolly spilled beer on it, or peed on it.  =))

    Not to get technical, but according to chemistry alcohol is a solution...

    Large & Small BGE

    Stockton Ca.

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  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
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    That is just the reason God invented Turbo Cooks. No overnights at all now......
    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.   

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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    NPHuskerFL said:
    @Little Steven‌ I also light in 3 or 4 spots but usually poke mapp tip toward bottom to light. You've got better results and more efficient burn from top lighting?
    Just doesn't burn so much lump lighting from the top. Smoke clears earlier too.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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