Attaining High Temps on the Small ?

Kinger · January 2006

I love using my small egg and am finding that for my "everyday" cooking it is the bomb. I struggle with attaining really high temps (above 550). My large will go well past the 750 mark in 15 or 20 mins. The small seems to take much longer to get there. I can make it get hot with a hair dryer but that kinda feels like cheating. Am I missing something? I do a fairly good job of cleaning it out and the fire bowl opening seems to be lined up with the outside vent properly. Is it a matter of fuel? I normall fill to the top of the fire bowl but not up into the fire ring. I use mostly Royal Oak, BGE and Wicked Good.[p]Thank[p]JNK

Spring Chicken · January 2006

JNK,
Others have mentioned the same problem but I think it may be due to blockage of the fire grate or something simple like that. I read where other small owners regularly take thiers up to 750° to do Trex steaks. I'll be doing it myself as soon as my diet permits. [p]Spring "Hungry As A Bear" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

ChefRD · January 2006

JNK,
Hi, I've had my small for about 7 years or so, and it has not, and I don't believe ever will, hit 750 degrees. I have used different lumps, cleaned it like new, bottom draft wide open, aligned the air inlet of the firebox with it, and left the top off. I have used different thermometers calibrated in water and they all say the same.
I gave up trying to reach 700 years ago. Why others will and mine won't, I don't understand, and now don't care much.
It will eventually get to around 500~550, but as soon as you open it and add a steak, it will drop to 450 and will stay at about that temp for a good long while.[p]The large has no problem with heat and will wrap the thermometer around easily, but I don't try to do it.
So when you say you can't reach high temps, I understand completely.
HTH,
Ron.

Unknown · January 2006

JNK,[p]There is no good reason to operate any ceramic cooker at these excess temps. It will NOT produce a better steak period!!! In the first place, the hottest point in your fire is close to the tip of the flame or just slightly in the first inch or two in the flame and the higher temps place the product lower in the flame where the temp is actually lower unless you are doing them on a forge with forced air. I have seen a few posts lately about just laying the steak on the coals and here again, it is not the hottest part of the fire and that is why it works well. [p]Why don't you just try the same steaks in the tip of the flame if you want the highest temp available and see if you can cook them like you want. No use burning up the felt and cracking parts if it will work for you. [p]This is just my opinion like all the others on the forum but it does work well for my cooking.[p]Dave

Puj · January 2006

JNK,[p]I use my small as a searing machine and the only advise that I can add is to add more lump (don't skimp). The remaining lump is reusable.[p]re: "I normall fill to the top of the fire bowl but not up into the fire ring." [p]Puj

QBabe · January 2006

JNK,[p]If it will get there with a hair drier, then it would eventually get there on it's own. Each of my cookers (and I have all but the XL), has a personality of it's own. They all heat up at differing times and cool down rate is different for each. They have different personalities while cooking.[p]My suggestion is to get to know YOUR cooker. Who cares whether it gets to the higher temps in the same time as the large? Learn what it's parameters are and don't fret about it. Relax and enjoy the ride. Don't be so tied up with the numbers, but learn how your cooker works instead. A very wise BBQ man once told me "trust your instincts". It's a lesson to live by and can carry right over into your egg's effectiveness as well.[p]Have fun and enjoy that small egg![p]Tonia
:~)

Spring Chicken · January 2006

QBabe,
That's good information. As a Newbie at owning multiple Eggs I need to know stuff like that.[p]Thanks.[p]Spring "Oldie Moldy Newbie" Chicken

RRP · January 2006

JNK,
I have no problem hitting and maintaining 735 to 750 on my small, though of late I'm finding 625 suits my seared meat tastes far better than charred taste. If nothing else that allows a somewhat longer time to monitor the searing process vs the "jack-flash" and it's over temp! Furthermore I agree with QBabe that each BGE seems to have its own personality. A great example of that are the people who post here saying they don't need any gasket - while most of us have to have one to compensate for wavy edges.

Charbon · January 2006

JNK, I second what Old Dave says. I have been using small for several years and only recently discovered the fact that it is hotter up closer to the flame tip. Found this out by being too lazy to move chubby grate lift bracket when cooking a steak. Eggscellent results and would find it hard to go back to lower to grate is hotter mantra. Also the 750 and above cooking I think is meant for those who really enjoy replacing gaskets.

Kinger · January 2006

QBabe,[p]Okay I did not mention before that at least 40% of the pleasure I gain from cooking on the egg is not related to the food itself. I have this "fire bug" thing coupled with a somewhat competitive nature. I am fine cooking at 500 degrees but the fact that others are able to hold temps much higher looms in my brain as a defeat. I know, I know too much macho BS. $15,000 in therapy and I can then move on to my next of many issues.[p]JNK

Smoke 'n Things · January 2006

JNK,
On my small with Wicked Good, it seemed to take a lot longer and needed more air flow (I used a fan) to get past the 500 mark. The BGE and Royal Oak lump seemed to heat up to the 600 mark with no problems. I do not try to go past the 600 mark on the small for cooking steaks. I look for a well distributed fire with orange/red coals and little visible smoke at around the 550-600 mark. That works for me.[p]Smoke 'n Things

Attaining High Temps on the Small ?

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