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Cost of Charcoal

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  • Ladeback69
    Ladeback69 Posts: 4,482
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    marianneiamele1 said:
    I cooked 2 meals. The first one was good and last nights was abysmal

    What happen in the second cook. I haven't had a bad meal on my except some fish that was fair.
    XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas Grill

    Kansas City, Mo.
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  • marianneiamele1
    marianneiamele1 Posts: 119
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    It took forever to get to 350. And when I checked the temp of the chicken it said 180 and it was raw inside. By that time I closed the vents. I had to leave shortly thereafter to show a house (I'm a Realtor) and in all the years we've been married it ranks as one of the few that were really bad.
    XL...Round Rock, TX
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  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583
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    I'm going to guess you use paraffin cubes, I do too. Get them into the charcoal. Use 3-4. Keep the lower vent and screen wide open. Keep the kid up for a solid 10 minutes. Keep the daisy wheel off when you do close the lid.

    Test your thermometer in boiling water. 212 deg at sea level. Make sure it goes into the thickest part of the meat without touching a bone.



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  • jshillin
    jshillin Posts: 42
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    marianneiamele1 said:
    How long should it take to get the Egg to 350 degrees?
    Depends on how much charcoal you have in it, how you light it, how much you light, air flow, etc.  Could be 15 minutes or 30 minutes depending on how you go about it.
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  • badinfluence
    badinfluence Posts: 1,774
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    marianneiamele1 said:

    It took forever to get to 350. And when I checked the temp of the chicken it said 180 and it was raw inside. By that time I closed the vents. I had to leave shortly thereafter to show a house (I'm a Realtor) and in all the years we've been married it ranks as one of the few that were really bad.

    Should be about 30 min to 350 and stable. As far as raw inside at 180 that can't be. Did you do bone in chiken. If so I'm willing to bet you probed to deep and hit the bone. Was it a direct or indirect cook? Heck I do whole chiken at 350 indirect and done in less then a hour.
    1 XXL BGE,  1 LG BGE, 2 MED. BGE, 1 MINI BGE, 1 Peoria custom cooker Meat Monster.


    Clinton, Iowa
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
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    TonyA said:
    I'm going to guess you use paraffin cubes, I do too. Get them into the charcoal. Use 3-4.
    3-4??

    That's excessive.  One should be fine.
    NOLA
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  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583
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    I should clarify on the cubes. I have an xl and use 3. I could not imagine starting with one.
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    You should try cutting the cubes into 1/4s. You can light 4 spots with one cube.

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

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
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    ok, that makes more sense.  I can use one weber cube in my large and it works fine.  If I use the BGE starters, I just cut one piece into quarters.  It also depends on whether I'm grilling or doing L&S and how much time I have.

    I also have a looftlighter, which is what I use most of the time.
    NOLA
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  • marianneiamele1
    marianneiamele1 Posts: 119
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    I used a looftlighter, but maybe I didn't get it going enough. 
    XL...Round Rock, TX
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  • tksmoke
    tksmoke Posts: 776
    edited June 2014
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    With the looftlighter for a direct 350 - 400 cook, light 3 areas, and make sure they are going strong.  Make sure the bottom vent and screen are completely open.  After the coals are lit, move the looftlighter back a few inches from the lit area, and it will look and sound like a blow torch.  This superhot flame will light the surrounding lump.  After 3 areas are well lit, leave the top open for 5 minutes or so.  You will see the lump gets a great start.  Then you can close the lid, but leave the DFMT (cast iron daisy wheel top) off and bottom vent open until the temp comes up to around 300.  At that point, place the DFMT on, and close to about a half inch open at the widest, and set the bottom vent about an inch and a half open.  That should put it in the 350 ballpark.  You may need to adjust based on the lump you are using.  If it isn't up to temp in 15 minutes, something is amiss.  This is assuming you have an XL.  Slightly different for the Large, and way different for the medium - up to temp in 5 minutes.

    Do a search for spatchcock chicken.  It's super easy, and is always done in under an hour - direct at 400. 

    Santa Paula, CA
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  • marianneiamele1
    marianneiamele1 Posts: 119
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    Tksmoke. Thanks for the great direction. I will go by this next time. They weren't as explicit at the store. Now I see why it took me so long to get started last time!
    XL...Round Rock, TX
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