Chasing the temperature

Grillin_G_Ma · April 2014

Why do I always end up chasing the temperature? It seems like at least every 30 minutes I am closing the chimney cap and the vent just a hair or opening them up just a hair. What am I doing wrong? Should I just be using the chimney cap or the vent to regulate the temp? I have only been egging for about 3 years but I can't seem to get the grill to stabilize to one temp.

Thanks.

NPHuskerFL · April 2014

@Grillin_G_Ma‌ is this occurring on low and slow only or all the time regardless of temp?

Grillin_G_Ma · April 2014

All the time. Yesterday, I grilled a stuffed pork loin for an hour and a half and I probably adjusted the cap and the vent 25 times.

Eggcelsior · April 2014

For cooks over 350, you can go topless and just control the intake vent. Temps can take up to 30 minutes to stabilize so I wonder if you are adjusting after it gets to the temp you had previously adjusted for as opposed to what you are trying to get to. How much derivation are you getting? I don't mind 15-25 degrees difference unless I am baking. Lastly, if you use both, only adjust one at a time and stick with it.

buzd504 · April 2014

You're probably adjusting too frequently.

Try burning a load of lump and adjusting the settings every hour (or more). Keep the vents mostly closed and see where it settles in. Adjust a bit after an hour or more and see the effect.

Vent settings will vary a bit with type of lump, ambient conditions and what you have in your grill, but practicing with an empty egg can give you an idea of how long it takes to settle into temperature, and where your vent settings are.

I usually use the chimney cap for small adjustmetns and the bottom vent for larger (50* +) adjustments.

I also wouldn't be too concerned about 20, 30 or sometimes 50 degrees off from target. Dome temp isn't usually totally equivalent to grid temp anyway.

gerhardk · April 2014

I always stabilize with no plate setter or meat in the egg. Then when I add the plate setter and meat I ignore that the temperature has dropped, sometimes it takes an hour and a half before it recovers but it always does recover. Generally I end up within ten degrees of what I dialled in at the end of the cooks.

Gerhard

Grillin_G_Ma · April 2014

Wonderful advice! Thanks, everyone.

I see several things that I can try. I don't think that I was really letting the temp stabilize before I put the meat on and after I put the meat on I was trying to get the temp back too fast.

NPHuskerFL · April 2014

For low and slow I load lump and wood chunks, get fire established, install p.s. and as temp is coming up I adjust accordingly to desired temp using my Smokeware SS cap and bottom slider vent.
+1 on what @Eggcelsior‌ said> on anything above 350℉ I pull the cap and adjust from the bottom slider vent. Limit opening dome too because this will throw it off as well due to huge intake of oxygen. Hopefully this helps :-)

SenecaTheYounger · April 2014

Are you adjusting temperature after you open the dome? Many first timers tend to think they need to readjust the vents after opening it, because their temperature is low. It will end up returning to the original temperature in a few minutes.

jhl192 · April 2014

My two favorite temps to cook at are 250 and 350 degrees. Next time you get your temperature stable, whether it is in 15 minutes or 1 hour, take a picture or make a note of how BOTH of your vents look. Then next time, once you feel your fire is established and it is close to your desired temp, adjust your vents to those settings. It should settle in at close to your target temp. Factors like outside temp, type of lump and wind should only require small changes. Good luck. You will be an expert in no time.

AD18 · April 2014

I usuallly preheat my Egg with everything in but what I am going to cook. Platesetter, grate, whatever. If I use a water pan I always boil water in tea kettle and fill it up with hot water, not cold. You should see temps drop when you first put your meat in. As it starts to cook, should start coming back to preheat temps. If you open lid you should usually see temps drop dramatically because you have lost your heat, but don't be suprised if the temps go above what they were prior to opening lid because your charcoal has gotten a good load of oxygen when the lid opened. The longer it is open, the higher the spike may be. I always try to leave the daisy wheel dial open and adjust temps with lower vent. My 2 cents........

Mama Roneck · April 2014

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got on this forum was that you've got to "creep up" on the temp, whether you use daisy wheel or sliding damper. If you overshoot, you'll be chasing it through the cook.

Monty77 · April 2014

AD18 said:

I usuallly preheat my Egg with everything in but what I am going to cook. Platesetter, grate, whatever. If I use a water pan I always boil water in tea kettle and fill it up with hot water, not cold. You should see temps drop when you first put your meat in. As it starts to cook, should start coming back to preheat temps. If you open lid you should usually see temps drop dramatically because you have lost your heat, but don't be suprised if the temps go above what they were prior to opening lid because your charcoal has gotten a good load of oxygen when the lid opened. The longer it is open, the higher the spike may be. I always try to leave the daisy wheel dial open and adjust temps with lower vent. My 2 cents........

+1 on this comment, especially on the addition of the meat or other items, they can drop the temp quickly but you have to resist the urge to crank it up, it will eventually creep back up to the original temp! Takes time, trust and patience but you will get the hang of it.

Chasing the temperature

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