MM?

Lit · April 2015

So I have mentioned gripes about the MM before but keep reading all these I love my MM posts. What are you guys doing that I am not? This thing comes to temp so slow and it takes forever to cool down. I did stuffed chicken greats 2 nights ago. I cleaned the mini and MM out and loaded with fresh OO. Dug a little hole in the lump and stack lump around the lit starter cube in both egss and closed both domes and walked away. 10 minutes later came back and the mini was 500 and the MM was 200. After they both finally got hot I cooked the chicken and shut them both down and let them sit out to cool. Like an hour later the mini was under 200 and the MM was still reading 350 the temp I was cooking at? I cooked stuffed pork chops again tonight and the MM wouldn't get over 500 when cleaned out and all vents wide open and its been sitting for an hour and a half after shutdown and dome is still 275. Not sure what else to try here.

Jeremiah · April 2015

They (me included) probably don't have a mini and a jr to compare to as you do. I'm a big believer in the ash basket for two reasons: one it doesn't clog like the factory grate and two, I can pull it out and not end up with the ash collecting in the bottom. I believe this will be invaluable in the mm. I did wings tonight, and it took 30-45 min to get to temp with the plate setter in it. (Yes it needs cleaned out).

NPHuskerFL · April 2015

I light mine with a little MAPP torch usually just in one spot. I shop vac it out when the ash is getting full but, not that often really. I keep the DFMT off and lower vent open with screen in place and usually hit 500℉ pretty quick. I've never timed it though. And shut down I use the ceramic cap and the temp seems to drop quick but, again I've never timed it.

Jeremiah · April 2015

Yeah that was jumbled^^. I believe the ash basket will help my mm, but I want a mini... Is that better?

NPHuskerFL · April 2015

For the most part I use it the same as my large. Stir lump with my hand to clear the grate and firebox holes and shop vac as needed. Only difference is I often use lump out of the large for the MM (waste not want not). I don't have any complaints with mine.

Lit · April 2015

Jeremiah said:

They (me included) probably don't have a mini and a jr to compare to as you do. I'm a big believer in the ash basket for two reasons: one it doesn't clog like the factory grate and two, I can pull it out and not end up with the ash collecting in the bottom. I believe this will be invaluable in the mm. I did wings tonight, and it took 30-45 min to get to temp with the plate setter in it. (Yes it needs cleaned out).

With the plate setter in you are correct it takes 45 minutes to get to 350. Both of my recent cooks were with no plate setter and clean egg and it was still really slow. I watered the grass and then went in and seasoned the pork and went out and it wasn't over 500 yet tonight. Not sure why they didn't put a larger air hole in the egg to help the larger fire grate.

SkinnyV · April 2015

I have the mini and a large. I admit with the PS in it does feel a little long. At the end of the day its a grill and I don't analyze it.too much. I spent what I spent and am overall pleased.

mtbguy · April 2015

I lite it then go about the prep and it is usually ready to go. I sometimes use a fan if I'm in a hurry, which doesn't happen a lot.

Monaarts · April 2015

Try a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil instead of the starter cube. I get better results - maybe you will too?

Lit · April 2015

The paper towels do give a bigger flame and may speed it up a little but I lit the mini and MM both the same and the mini had no issues. The XL comes to temp way faster than the MM even with just a starter cube. BGE knew the small had an airflow issue and they put the MM out with the same sized tiny little bottom opening. I know I should just cook on it and quit looking at everything but it took an hour and a half to cook 2 pork chops last night.

Big_Green_Craig · April 2015

I noticed the same thing initially. The Mini Max has the same Fire Grate that the Large Egg has inside. I replaced the OEM Fire Grate with the Fishbones Fire Grate. I have noticed a significant improvement in the time that it takes coming up to temp since this was installed. The High Que Grate would be an equivalent alternate. It just seems like the airflow is so restricted, due to the shallow fire bowl, that it needs any extras help it can get.

SmokyBear · April 2015

Wow..glad I held off! I've been wanting a MM for the 3 additional inches in the cooking grid over the Mini, but at this point am thinking the tradeoff in startup time would have outweighed the benefits..

Guess I'll stick with my (very tiny grid) Mini and continue jamming the food into the tight little space I have to work with!

(Plus, I'm still not even sure a MM would fit in my current SS table, so there's that too..but was hoping if it did it'd be the 'perfect' size..)

fishlessman · April 2015

after years of using the small i put it at a friends house, it took way too long to get to high temps, i believe the lower vent is just too small, i believe the mm has the same lower vent as the small. my small never got to the searing temps i wanted and searing was the reason i got the small. maybe get one of those rechargeable battery inflatable blowers

Lit · April 2015

@fishlessman I believe you are correct the issue is the same with the MM as the small. The MM with the platesetter in is even worse than the small was though it takes forever. The MM without the plate setter seems to be slightly better than my small was but not much. I am gonna try what Craig said and get the high que it did help my small some but then I'm gonna have to clean the ashes every use.

minniemoh · April 2015

fishlessman said:

after years of using the small i put it at a friends house, it took way too long to get to high temps, i believe the lower vent is just too small, i believe the mm has the same lower vent as the small. my small never got to the searing temps i wanted and searing was the reason i got the small. maybe get one of those rechargeable battery inflatable blowers

That's why my small is my least used egg. Platesetter makes it ridiculously slow to temp.

Anyone ever mod the base to fit the larger vent from BGE? That might be worth a try.

WeberWho · April 2015

minniemoh said:

fishlessman said:

after years of using the small i put it at a friends house, it took way too long to get to high temps, i believe the lower vent is just too small, i believe the mm has the same lower vent as the small. my small never got to the searing temps i wanted and searing was the reason i got the small. maybe get one of those rechargeable battery inflatable blowers

That's why my small is my least used egg. Platesetter makes it ridiculously slow to temp.

Anyone ever mod the base to fit the larger vent from BGE? That might be worth a try.

Warranty would be no good after. Might be worth a shot on a used egg

NPHuskerFL · April 2015

@Lit Just out of sheer curiosity, what is the highest temp you've hit with your MM? And what would you say your highest temp would be for normal use excluding pizza or crazy high temp searing? Are you using the PS, PS w/ WOO, WOO with round deflector or WOO naked with just a grid? Lump brand? (not that it should be that big of a swing per brand). And lastly top wide open and bottom vent wide open w/ or w/out screen in place?

minniemoh · April 2015

Has anyone ever tried this additional stack method? It might just solve the slow start with the small and mini max.

I stumbled onto this over the Winter so I never tried it. Now that it's warmer out, I might give it a shot.

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

DMW · April 2015

@minniemoh I haven't used a pipe like that, but I have just set my charcoal chimney on top of the egg and it definitely gets hot faster than without.

Lit · April 2015

@nphuskerfl I am using fresh OO. Last night it warmed up with just the woo and grate in but even when I am using the platesetter I let it get hot before I put it in cause it will take twice as long if not. I did pizzas not long after I got it and I usually do pizzas around 500-550 and I am pretty sure I have run it up over 600 before. When I did chicken breasts a couple nights ago had mini and MM right next to each other and both freshly cleaned and lit exactly the same and when I came back mini was 500 and MM was 200. Just wish BGE would have made the bottom vent a little bigger.

NPHuskerFL · April 2015

I want to check mine @Lit I guess I've never really paid that much attention to it. I'll report back what I find in my test.

FWIW I would buy my MM again in a heartbeat.

SGH · April 2015

Lit said:
When I did chicken breasts a couple nights ago had mini and MM right next to each other and both freshly cleaned and lit exactly the same and when I came back mini was 500 and MM was 200.

The mini kicks ass. Plain and simple. On a serious note, the mini really does come up to temp exceedingly fast. Especially now that I have installed the HIgh Q grate. A combination of good air flow and a small cooking chamber to heat contributes to this significantly. As far as getting up to temp the mini will spoil you. While I think that my large comes up to temp in a adequate time frame (25-45 minutes) depending on set up and desired cooking temp. The mini coming up to temp in 5-15 minutes makes the above seem like a eternity. Sometimes the mini is a little to small, but when it's not it is my favorite unit to use. Quick to temp, very fuel conservative, will hit very high temps at will and just does a outstanding job of cooking. I have said it before and will say it again now. If you don't own a mini, you really don't know what you are missing out on.

chick533 · April 2015

Due to the size of the MM and the price that's why I bought a medium for a second BGE. Bigger grille area if needed, heats up fast. Love it. One down side not as mobile, but didn't plan on taking it anywhere.

Mickey · April 2015

I am at 400 in 5 min.

Mickey · April 2015

tcampbell · April 2015

Never timed until seeing this thread from plugging in started till 500 degrees 10 min 4 seconds.Mimi max no plate setter.

DJ_IA · April 2015

I haven't timed mine but lighting with a fist size piece of newspaper when I get home from work until I change clothes it's up to 350°. On my first pizza cook I left the top vent off, bottom wide open and when I went out 15 minutes later I was over 950°. I have a harder time keeping it low than reaching cooking temp or getting too high.

bbqlearner · April 2015

Sounds like different MM has different start up time. What did you do differently than OP (well other than using big fire like @Mickey does)?

DJ_IA · April 2015

I'll have to get some pics the next time I light up.

Mickey · April 2015

bbqlearner said:

Sounds like different MM has different start up time. What did you do differently than OP (well other than using big fire like @Mickey does)?

I also use High Q's in all my Eggs.

SGH · April 2015

Mickey said:
I also use High Q's in all my Eggs.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ makes a huge difference. If you have a ceramic cooker, no matter what brand, the High Q is the way to go. It really is a huge improvement over the factory grid.

MM?

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