Electric lighters - how long to 400?

SmokyBear · July 2014

Hey, gang..

For those of you who use an electric lighter to startup your Egg..

How long does it take you to get to 400 degrees?

I'm thinking of adding a Small or a Medium Egg and this is (or cubes) are the only ways I'm comfortable with given I'm on a wood deck (ie: weedburner or MAPP is out of the question..)

Startup time to 400 is killing me on my KJ (same size as a LBGE). Takes 20+ minutes to get to 400 (RO lump), and last night took about 30 with Ozark Oak.

I'm using about 2 lbs of lump..(believe it or not, I've actually weighed it to trying to figure out how much to use..not sure if I just have a leak [dollar bill pulls out too easily IMHO] but I have very little lump left from the 2 lbs after a 400 - 425 degree cook for 90 minutes [Spatchcock chick last night..30 minutes warmup, 60 cook]).

Wondering if a MBGE or SBGE would reduce my startup to 400 time and increase amount of lump left over..I keep hearing about how efficient the Egg is on only using lump needed and this is indeed what my Mini does..but not sure if it's just because it's a Mini.

There are times I REALLY wish I had just bought a LBGE so I'm not always wondering about the KJ..but I got sucked in by all the KJ fit and finish and innovations (divide and conquer, pull out ash drawer, BBQ Wizard, etc)..ugh.

Thanks for any/all feedback!

Biggreenpharmacist · July 2014

My small actually takes a little longer to get up to 400 than my large. With my large, It's usually about 15 or 20 minutes total time. I put the electric lighter in for 8 minutes then pull it and shut the dome and with daisy wheel off and bottom vent wide open. I just catch it when it gets close to 400 (or whatever) and put the wheel on and adjust the vents. I don't know that theres a good way to do it faster than a 20 minute startup. I would think you wouldn't even have good smoke before that? And I have a hi-que grate in large and small.

johnmitchell · July 2014

Biggreenpharmacist said:

My small actually takes a little longer to get up to 400 than my large. With my large, It's usually about 15 or 20 minutes total time. I put the electric lighter in for 8 minutes then pull it and shut the dome and with daisy wheel off and bottom vent wide open. I just catch it when it gets close to 400 (or whatever) and put the wheel on and adjust the vents. I don't know that theres a good way to do it faster than a 20 minute startup. I would think you wouldn't even have good smoke before that? And I have a hi-que grate in large and small.

Agreed on this..That is exactly the same method and time I do with my large, and have also started using a hi-que grate and am loving the extra air flow..

BRush00 · July 2014

With my looftlighter..... probably around 15-20 minutes.

I can fast-track it, just leave the looftlighter on the lump a long time, and light a bunch of different spots - but 90% of the time, I don't want the whole load burning to begin with, and I'd overshoot 400 that way, so I don't bother.

Ladeback69 · July 2014

Biggreenpharmacist said:

My small actually takes a little longer to get up to 400 than my large. With my large, It's usually about 15 or 20 minutes total time. I put the electric lighter in for 8 minutes then pull it and shut the dome and with daisy wheel off and bottom vent wide open. I just catch it when it gets close to 400 (or whatever) and put the wheel on and adjust the vents. I don't know that theres a good way to do it faster than a 20 minute startup. I would think you wouldn't even have good smoke before that? And I have a hi-que grate in large and small.

I agree, but the way to get it up faster is to put a piece of vent pipe on the top to get up faster. Here is a YouTube video I found about getting the Egg up to 700 in 5 minutes. I hope it works for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPsRJCJTf0M

Skiddymarker · July 2014

MBGE owner here, what @Biggreenpharmacist says: 8 minutes with first burn lump, 6 minutes with second burn lump.

Two pounds of lump seems quite low to me. In MBGE at least 1/2 of the eight pound bag goes in. When finished cooking, on goes the ceramic cap, closed goes the lower vent and out goes the fire.

First burn lump will be at least 20 minutes to clear the VOCs, second burn might be good to go in as little as 10 minutes, providing there was not too much fat dripping from the previous fire.

DaveRichardson · July 2014

VOC's are the biggest issue.... Gotta get those burned off first!

allsid · July 2014

My electric element lighter is almost melted thru because I got distracted once so now I set the timer on my iPhone for 5 min. If my small is ash free, and I went 10 min with the element immersed, I would say you could get to 400 in under 15 min every time.

Remember tho that you will not have your ceramic up to a stabilized temp that quickly but a small will stabilize quicker than a large.

On a side note- I have a Hi-Q grate and never use it with the small because the lump falls thru and gets clogged. My experiences have been with the stock fire grate-

IMHO if you are looking at a smaller egg, wait for the Mini-Max. I saw one and it looks like it is set up to breathe.

After trying every method I have read about to light the egg, the electric immersion hands down works the best and fastest for me with no waxy or chemical starter to burn thru before cooking-

Biggreenpharmacist · July 2014

@Ladeback69

I don't have a problem with a 20 minute start up time. I plug in my electric lighter (egg is just on back porch-I just step out of kitchen onto porch) and then go in and prep whatever I need. Heck the other day I kept thinking my egg sure was slow to get up over 300. I finally figured out it was wrapped around and back up to 300. That was only after about 25 minutes. I think if I put stove pipe on it, I'd probably melt the siding off my porch.

Big_Green_Craig · July 2014

I have a Looftlighter and a Bison Airlighter. Using either, I can have my fire started in approx 2 minutes and temp to 400 in under 10 minutes. Even less time if my huge ash pile has been cleaned out.

Mickey · July 2014

Why not..............

SmokyBear · July 2014

Big_Green_Craig said:

I have a Looftlighter and a Bison Airlighter. Using either, I can have my fire started in approx 2 minutes and temp to 400 in under 10 minutes. Even less time if my huge ash pile has been cleaned out.

Which do you like better? I was looking at both but they both look to throw a LOT of sparks (looking at the YouTube videos)..

I was seriously thinking of ordering the Bison since it shoots the butane flame at 2,000+ degrees where the Looflighter seems to just use really hot air..

10 min sure sounds good tho..I might have to Amazon one just to try it..but same reason I don't want to use a torch - raised wood deck and all..

Ladeback69 · July 2014

I've been looking at the Bison Airlighter.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JVWNNWA?cache=9b9f37813d00da9eed88cceff905ef32&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1405780007&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

SJ21XDC · July 2014

Big_Green_Craig said:

I have a Looftlighter and a Bison Airlighter. Using either, I can have my fire started in approx 2 minutes and temp to 400 in under 10 minutes. Even less time if my huge ash pile has been cleaned out.

I have the Looflighter also and agree. Fire in less that 2 minutes and 400 in less than 10. Works for me!

sctdg · July 2014

Harbor Freight 1100 watt heat gun . Under $20 frt included .Fire in 30 seconds ,if you light 4 spots one hell of a fire in about 2 minutes . Cheap at twice the price .

erniemcclain · July 2014

Just the way you worded the original post makes me wonder. Are you bringing the lump to the top of the firebox every time you use the egg? As I understand, not having enough at the beginning can cause low temps and slow starts.

SmokyBear · July 2014

Top of firebox? Kinda..I build a pile that winds up being a bit of a pyramid vs a flat "all the way to the top" across the entire diameter of the fire box. The top of the pyramid is at the top of the firebox..but there's also a lot of space around the top also. If that makes sense..

Maybe I just need to use more lump..

TigerTony · July 2014

The way to light before electric or mapp torches.

jaydub58 · July 2014

I have tried the stack pipe trick, and it is very helpful to get to temp.

Electric lighters - how long to 400?

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