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A few questions after 3 weeks

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BigGreenGator
BigGreenGator Posts: 346
in EggHead Forum
Ok I've cooked steaks 650 degs
We've cooked ribs 275 degs
And tonight chicken legs and thighs 375 degs

Here's the questions
1. Sometimes after I light the egg and the thick white smoke stops I'll add the wood to smoke and it seems like it's the same smoke as before ??
2. When we cooked the ribs I wanted to do a 220 slow smoke but couldn't get it down and stay down at that temp even when just about closing it off ???
3. And tonight I wanted to get it up to 375 and keep it there ... I left bottom and top fully open to achieve that temp ..last week when I cooked my last week when we cooked steaks I did that and got it up to 675????

Large Big Green Egg / Ceramic Grill 2 Tier grate / Maverick ET-733 / homemade egg station / Amelia Island Fl. "Go Gators"

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  • KennyLee
    KennyLee Posts: 806
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    Sounds like airflow issues.  Are you cleaning out your ash or at least stirring your leftover lump prior to loading and lighting again?  If not, the holes in the grate will get a bit clogged and restrict airflow making temp inconsistent. 

    And with the rib cook, you might have let it get too high too long and had a hard time dialing it back down to 220.  That said, you are better off in the 250-270 range for ribs anyway in my experience. 

    LBGE

    Cedar table w/granite top

    Ceramic Grillworks two-tier swing rack

    Perpetual cooler of ice-cold beer

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  • BigGreenGator
    BigGreenGator Posts: 346
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    @KennyLee‌ thanks for the reply no I didn't stir the left over coals & ash :/ and I knew to do that to dang it and I have not cleaned out ash at the bottom yet, I've looked in there and it didn't seem like a lot accumulated yet but I will now :)

    Large Big Green Egg / Ceramic Grill 2 Tier grate / Maverick ET-733 / homemade egg station / Amelia Island Fl. "Go Gators"

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  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
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    KennyLee said:

    Sounds like airflow issues.  Are you cleaning out your ash or at least stirring your leftover lump prior to loading and lighting again?  If not, the holes in the grate will get a bit clogged and restrict airflow making temp inconsistent. 

    And with the rib cook, you might have let it get too high too long and had a hard time dialing it back down to 220.  That said, you are better off in the 250-270 range for ribs anyway in my experience. 

    *Agreed.

    250-270 is what I do my ribs at. FYI, I'm not in the Turbo camp ... I do my ribs and butts 'low and slow' 


    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
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  • KennyLee
    KennyLee Posts: 806
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    BigGreenGator said:
    @KennyLee‌ thanks for the reply no I didn't stir the left over coals & ash :/ and I knew to do that to dang it and I have not cleaned out ash at the bottom yet, I've looked in there and it didn't seem like a lot accumulated yet but I will now :)
    I don't clean mine out after every cook, maybe every 3-4.  But always stir before each cook and always clean out totally (shop vac) before a low and slow, just FYI.

    LBGE

    Cedar table w/granite top

    Ceramic Grillworks two-tier swing rack

    Perpetual cooler of ice-cold beer

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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    Add the wood at the start. Don't hit it w. fire. The heat from the coals will break down the wood to flavor. "Good" smoke is mostly invisible, and from wood sort of baking away.

    220F is very hard to maintain. Best I've done was 180 for about 3 hours. Unless you are trying to hot smoke something like fish, meats need more heat. If the heat isn't above steam temperature, the meat will take forever to cook. Aim around 250F dome, +/- 15F.

    Calibrate your dome therm. Put the probe into a pot of boiling water. High temp cooks can wack it out. Use the nut below the dial to adjust the needle if it is not registering right.

    If the therm is OK, most likely it is an ash clog.
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  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
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    If you want to 220, ease up to it. Once it hits 275 it'll take a while for it to come back down.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
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  • BigGreenGator
    BigGreenGator Posts: 346
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    Great input thanks for the help :)@henapple‌ @gdenby‌ @SoCalTim‌

    Large Big Green Egg / Ceramic Grill 2 Tier grate / Maverick ET-733 / homemade egg station / Amelia Island Fl. "Go Gators"

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  • BigGreenGator
    BigGreenGator Posts: 346
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    So what I've learned so far is that you must clean your ashhole for good air flow =))

    Large Big Green Egg / Ceramic Grill 2 Tier grate / Maverick ET-733 / homemade egg station / Amelia Island Fl. "Go Gators"

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