3-5 hour cook

Have you cooked on a Egg before? If not I would recommend just lighting the charcoal, playing with your vent settings to see how temperature control works and then doing something simple like burgers, chicken breasts, or a spatchcock chicken. 

I would suggest spatchcock chicken, ribs, or something simple just to get practice and experience with your damper control.

Welcome to the forum...happy egging.

Donnie

stemc33 said:

Ribs

+1. Generally a 4-5 hour cook. Most do ribs in the 225-250 range which, can be a little tricky until you really know what you're doing with temp control.

I suggest loading up with lump and 2-3 wood chunks; of your choice. I usually just light in one spot in the middle of the lump. Once you've got the lump going (i.e., you can see that it's burning) add your plate setter, drip pan and gird. Keep an eye on the temp as you do not want to overshoot your target. I suggest that you start making vent adjustments when you get within 50* of your target; gradually slowing things down until you get there. Once you reach your target let it roll for 1/2 hour or so to make sure that it's locked in and then, add your ribs. You'll see a drop in temp at that point but, it should recover in very little time. Don't worry about some temp fluctuations during the cook, 15-20* either way will not be a problem.

Welcome to the forum and to the lifestyle!

Not sure on time, but you're looking for 160 breast and 180 thighs. You can pull a little under that and it will carry over. 

Have you checked the calibration?  Boil some water, insert dome thermo-should read around 210*F-if not adjust out the off-set using the nut on the back then recheck.  If it passes the cal check then I wouldn't worry about the ambient temp reading.
This presumes you don't currently have a fire going but if so then it is so hot you have wrapped the needle all the way around.

Hold your hand over the top (carefully) to see how warm it is.  If you don't feel heat rising out of it then your fire may have gone out.  

Like @lousubcap mentioned if you have a fire going with the vents wide open it is possible you have wrapped the thermometer around (so again...be careful putting hand over the top).  I think you would know if it was that hot because you would see the tips of flames coming out the top. 

Also, don't choke it down to try and cool then casually open the dome a few minutes later. Don't ask me how I know. 

Take the chicken out. You want to get to temp, wait for a thin blue smoke then add the meat. Otherwise you will end up with some nasty tasting chicken. I usually get to temp and hold it for about 20 minutes before adding my meat. Lets the egg stabilize and all that ceramic come to temp. This will keep you from chasing temp while cooking and make sure you are eating the good smoke not the acrid tasting VOCs.

I use my screen every cook. 

I'd make sure I nailed this chicken first before I attacked a brisket... Atleast do a pork butt to get your feet wet. A lot cheaper if things don't go your way.. but if money is no object go for it. its a very long cook.

lousubcap said:

"Thanks for the advise."
That's it...surely there has got to be more info regarding your temp/thermo issue!

lol...Lou is right...we need closure!  Did the fire go out?