Small egg, lump question.

Timbo66 · November 2014

I cleaned out my egg completely, loaded up lump ( R.O.) to where I can get ps on. Set temp to 250*. It did great for around5 hrs then noticed the temp started dropping. I removed ham and ps and the lump was not all the out but there was not much left I had to reload. This was the first time cooking low and slow on my small. Is this normal? What can I do to cook longer without adding lump? Is there a better lump that does not burn as quick? Thanks for any input and Happy Thansgiving

Sammi · November 2014

Haven't had that issue with my small but interested in what the elders might think.

I do use a HiQ grate though.

Timbo66 · November 2014

What is a HiQ grate?

Sammi · November 2014

Amazon.com : Stainless High Heat Charcoal Fire Grate Upgrade for Small / Mini Big Green Egg Grill : Grill Parts : Patio, Lawn & Garden

You can search the forum for more info, lots to be had.

DMW · November 2014

Yes, I use Fogo lump for my low and slow, especially in my small. I ran 400* in my small today and a load of R.O. only went a few hours.

Timbo66 · November 2014

Thanks Sammie, and DMW. I will order the grate and then locate some Fogo lump. I thought I was doing something wrong, never had the issue with my large egg. Thanks again

DMW · November 2014

Fogo is available from Amazon. There are other lumps that burn longer than RO as well. Rockwood and Ozark Oak come to mind.

Mattman3969 · November 2014

I did my turkey breast in the small today. I ran it at 325-350 for 3 1/2 - 4hrs if you count the hr of stabilize time. I took the fire ring out to gain some headroom so I only filled the firebox full. I think I could have went another 1 -1 1/2 hrs on the lump that was left. I was using RW and a HighQue grate.

Timbo66 · November 2014

Thanks Mattman3969, I found the grate and lump at Amazon. Thanks

theyolksonyou · November 2014

+1 on FOGO for L&S

FarmerTom · November 2014

I have a Medium egg but had a similar problem with a 6 hour cook for a butt. Had used a cheap grocery store brand and had to reload before finished. Have since started using Rockwood lump. My last butt cook was 7 hours and had half the lump left after shutting down. Definitely a huge difference between the low and upper grade lump. I know nothing about the O.O. or FOGO, but assume they are similar to RW from what I read on here.

canegger · November 2014

I have a small with a stock grate and have gone 8 hrs no problem. I was using maple leaf lump but don't remember having a problem with other lump

DMW · November 2014

I also forgot to mention, I went 16 hours 250*ish in my small with Fogo lump, no temp controller.

Hi54putty · November 2014

I have gone 8 hrs a handful of times at around 300 but feel like that is probably the max time on one load. Using Rockwood but don't think that matters.

pgprescott · November 2014

Check the thermo. Something in this equation does not add up. Should easily be able to exceed the time suggested. People use RO all the time on this forum. Seems to me you were likely running hotter than the dome suggested.

ChicagoEgghead20 · November 2014

I've found that when I store my lump in the garage or in the shed the lump does not burn as long as when I store it in a plastic box or in the basement. Something about the dampness or humidity that causes a shorter burn time. Also try a higher quality, FOGO is good, I like Wicked Good as well.

jhl192 · November 2014

The high-queue grate with help with airflow issues that sometimes shut the burn down prematurely leaving some unburned lump. IMO they are a must for the medium and small. I also have one on my large. Never needed one for the XL. Your problem is slightly different. I would load more lump in and go higher up the fire ring, I would also stack the lump closer together and switch to a longer burning lump as suggested above. Good luck.

Timbo66 · November 2014

I checked the thermometer against my guru and was 5* off, I placed lump to the bottomnof the ps. Im getting the HiQue grate and going to try the Fogo lump. Thanks guys.

Mikee · November 2014

I get 8 to 10 hours at 275-300* (dome) using RO lump. Bottom vent is opened about 1/8". A bad seal between the dome and base will cause excessive lump to be burned.

Mikee · November 2014

I have a butt on the egg since 11:30 this morning and still holding strong at 300*; that's 7 hours. I still estimate 2-3 hours to go.

Should the temperature start to drop and opening the lower vent does not make it recover; I'll finish it off in the oven. Done that more than once. In my opinion there no need to add lump and then wait for it to start burning cleanly.

Timbo66 · November 2014

Thans Mikee.

Mikee · December 2014

Pulled the pork butt after 11 hours. Still had enough Royal Oak lump to burn another 2 hours. I doubt Fogo lump would have done any better.

Mattman3969 · December 2014

What size egg are you running @mikee ?

Mikee · December 2014

I have a small. Filled the fire box to the top of the fire ring. I think the small is borderline on 10+ hour cooks. Sometimes it happens and other times it winds up short. Today the gods were in favor.

There are others who tout a brand of lump, but the thing is that one bag will vary from another. Royal Oak is good lump in my area. A 20lb bag is just $11.

DMW · December 2014

@Mikee

I use Royal Oak. It is readily available locally.

However, I ran 16 hours in my small with Fogo lump. There is no way I could have done that with RO. Just not possible.

Mikee · December 2014

I don't really give a rats azz about your overpriced Fogo. I got 10 hours out of RO, still had some in the fire box.

Why would I pay twice as much for 10% longer burn? Send me a bag of Fogo and I'll give an honest opinion. My guess is that RO will win out based on price,

theyolksonyou · December 2014

@Mikee‌ again, if you're happy fine, but why would someone pay for your experiment? If you don't want to pony up to try a different lump, fine. Why get hostile with people with a lot of experience. Be happy with what you got and accept that people have different opinions and experiences. No need to get nasty.

DMW · December 2014

Mikee said:

I don't really give a rats azz about your overpriced Fogo. I got 10 hours out of RO, still had some in the fire box.
Why would I pay twice as much for 10% longer burn? Send me a bag of Fogo and I'll give an honest opinion. My guess is that RO will win out based on price,

Glad that you don't care enough to keep coming back with your RO semi-success stories.

FWIW, I have used RO, Fogo, Rockwood, Ozark Oak, Kebroak, and a few others. RO works, but is far from the best available. If you don't believe me (and others), feel free to test on your own dime. But don't call us wrong without trying.

Oh, and BTW, I funded all my lump testing purchases.

Mikee · December 2014

Sorry!

I have used several brand of lump. I have had good experiences with RO. I am not one to pay twice the price to get an hour or two for a slow cook. In fact, I think the 1 to 2 hour extra burn is a unicorn.

nolaegghead · December 2014

Coal has a much higher BTU content than lump and based on how many on the forum make their fires, I don't think there would be much of a taste difference in the fuel and you'll go much longer than RO.

Mikee · December 2014

It seems that some here like the white smoke.

Not me.

Small egg, lump question.

Comments

Categories