Having issues getting up to temp?

shadowrider · August 2015

On the last couple of cooks I've used my CGS AR rig setup for indirect with the CGS oval stone. The cook before last I ended up taking the stone out after about an hour to finish up and crisp up the skin on my leg quarters because I just couldn't get to 400 which is where I wanted to get to. I figured it was time for a cleanout as it had been awhile. This cook was with all used lump.

Tonight's cook I finally got it to where I was going but it took forever and I couldn't even get above 300 degrees so I yanked the AR rig and added more lump, filling it almost to the top of the fire ring. When I did add more lump the fire was going quite well, and the smoke had cleaned up. A few minutes after adding more lump it did come up to 325 so I threw my meatloaf in. Prior to lighting tonight I did a cleanout with a shop vac and put about a gallon container's worth of used lump in the bottom then topped it off with fresh. Most of the cook tonight was with the bottom vent wide open and the daisy wheel wide open and even swung a little out to the side. After about 2 hours (from lighting) I was able to close the vents down a bit as it did get real close to 400.

Lighting and getting a good fire isn't a problem so I don't think it's the lump. It's just getting up to temp with the oval stone in place that seems near impossible. I find it very hard to believe that I'm having so much trouble getting to 375-400 dome temp with the oval stone in this thing, airflow just doesn't seem like it could be a problem. I did get to temp tonight but it took a lot of time and way more coal than I would have thought. My firebox is oriented with the window to the bottom vent correctly.

How often do you need to pull the fire ring and fire box out to clean? I'm going to recheck the calibration on the dome thermometer tomorrow because something seems to be up. I'm using a LBGE with BGE/RO lump. Any ideas?

jtcBoynton · August 2015

shadowrider said:

... airflow just doesn't seem like it could be a problem.
...

Not being able to get high temps is almost always caused by air flow issues. Assuming your thermometer is accurate, try to figure out where the air flow is having problems.

Scottborasjr · August 2015

Depending on how much you cook, taking the all of the ceramic pieces out could be a once a year or a once a month thing. Not sure exactly what could be the issue other then that. I probably empty the whole thing once every six months and cook 3-4 times a week.

shadowrider · August 2015

@Scottborasjr Based on your post, it wouldn't seem that I'm due yet, but I'm going to take a look tomorrow evening when it's completely out and cooled off to make sure. I'm just starting on my 3rd bag of lump since buying it new, but I do reuse most of what I left from the previous cook. It needed cleaning, but I couldn't tell that it would have been starving for air when I cleaned it tonight, it wasn't up to the grate or anything, but there was definitely a pile of ash in there.

Scottborasjr · August 2015

Yeah that seems a little excessive for only a few bags in. When you are using the old lump are you taking it all out of the egg and then dumping it back in? Or just stirring it up and emptying the collection of ash under the firebox? I wonder if you have small pieces of lump blocking the grate on the bottom of the egg. I just stir and dump but have a Hi Que grate which improves air flow tremendously.

Another item to look into would be a Kick Ash basket which many on here swear by. Just sandboxing here. I cooked without the Hi Que for a couple years without problems. Hope you can figure it out.

nolaegghead · August 2015

Man, I never take the firebox out. Just another way to prematurely break it. Think air flow. That's the secret with the high temp problem.

Toxarch · August 2015

I'd agree that you probably have some of the grate holes blocked by small lump and blocking airflow.
I have the KAB and no stock grate. I opened up the top and bottom vent to just burn off some food stuck to the cooking rack while I put stuff up after a cook. My LBGE temp shot up from 500 and wrapped the thermostat within about 3 minutes. I noticed the temp and closed up the vents real quick. I had half new and half used lump when I started cooking.

Satch_Q · August 2015

shadowrider said:

Prior to lighting tonight I did a cleanout with a shop vac and put about a gallon container's worth of used lump in the bottom then topped it off with fresh.

Its definitely an airflow issue. It's perfectly okay to use up the left over lump from other cooks but change the order in which you refill a cleaned out firebox. My guess would be most of the used is small pieces and when it's added first it will cover and block the holes in the grate and around the firebox. Unless your looking for nothing but low temps always start with large lump first and build a good base over the grate. A good base will shield the grate from blockage whereas small lump compacts together too tightly will clog with ash much quicker.

shadowrider · August 2015

@Satch_Q now that is exactly opposite of what I've read. I thought putting the smaller pieces on bottom ensured getting enough coal in there to last through a your cook. Next cook I'm reversing it for sure to see. I guess it's all relative to the size that one culls as to whether it'll block the vents in the grate and firebox. But after thinking about it it does seem to make sense. Even if you don't cull down too small the smaller ones in the bottom are going to get small enough to block the vent holes first and would be in the perfect position to do just that.

@Toxarch I have read about the KAB and have been very tempted to pick one up. The concept seems like pure awesome. The sole reason I haven't is because it just looks like it won't hold enough coal for a 12+ hour cook without covering the handles and that would kind of negate it's whole purpose. I just hate to spend the money to find that I have to add coal 6 or 8 hours into a cook on a brisket or butt. I've not done a long cook yet so I'm kinda ignorant in this area.

shadowrider · August 2015

nolaegghead said:

Man, I never take the firebox out. Just another way to prematurely break it. Think air flow. That's the secret with the high temp problem.

I'm with you man, Just couldn't figure out what would be causing it. Satch may have given the solution.

theyolksonyou · August 2015

I'm a dump and light guy. The only time I EVER have issues getting high temp is if I screw up and dump a bunch of fines in there.

I clean as little as possible. I'm a lazy POS.

fishlessman · August 2015

your limiting the upper temps with the daisy, take it completely off the egg. temps can and will go up to about 1200 dome with a clean egg full of lump, lower vent wide open, daisy sitting on the ground. if im going for searing temps, the daisy is not on the egg

jtcBoynton · August 2015

@shadowrider When using the KAB you still fill up the egg with lump as before - up into the fire ring for long cooks. The KAB will be completely buried at that point. You don't really need the 'pick up by the handles and shake the KAB' function until you burn enough lump that what is remaining is within the confines of the basket. I really like that the KAB keeps the lump away from the side holes in the fire box, which really helps with air flow.

Chief9 · August 2015

I second the daisy wheel opinion. I don't think youre getting the airflow you need with the ceramic in place and the daisy wheel opened so minimally. Im new to this, but experienced a similar issue and that was the cause.

Toxarch · August 2015

shadowrider said:

@Toxarch I have read about the KAB and have been very tempted to pick one up. The concept seems like pure awesome. The sole reason I haven't is because it just looks like it won't hold enough coal for a 12+ hour cook without covering the handles and that would kind of negate it's whole purpose. I just hate to spend the money to find that I have to add coal 6 or 8 hours into a cook on a brisket or butt. I've not done a long cook yet so I'm kinda ignorant in this area.

Like @jtcBoynton said, you can fill the lump higher than the handles, that's not a problem at all. Fill it way above the handles for a long cook. You don't need the handles until the lump has burned way down and the egg is cooled down.

Satch_Q · September 2015

Some larger pieces of lump directly on top of the grate creates some larger gaps that won't get choked so easily with ash as the cook progresses. Once the air makes it into the lump it will find the fire but it has to make it through the limited holes in the grate and fire box. This is a drastic example but think of filling a glass with marbles as opposed to sand. The smaller the pieces the more compact the structure becomes. If you spread the used lump throughout the middle and top you'll have a much better go of things and the used lump will get used.

Btw, I've only had my egg since April so my personal experience is limited. Any advice I offer should be taken with a grain of salt.

shadowrider · September 2015

@Satch_Q that was it. I had way more AND smaller pieces on the grate than I thought.

@nolaegghead I pulled it all the way apart and two of the firebox holes had nice piles of ash built up to about 2/3 the way to the hole. So they weren't blocked and all the others were basically clean. I think it was getting most all of it's air through the firebox holes, the grate really surprised me how much small stuff was on it.

KAB is being ordered in just a few...

theyolksonyou · September 2015

Look at hi que as well. Have them in large and mm.

BIll-W221 · September 2015

When I first started i was having a hard time getting higher temps, figured out I wasn't letting the fire get hot enough before closing the lid. Now I leave the lid open for 15 or 20 minutes after starting the fire and once i close the lid I let it climb up real close to the temp i want before closing the vents down. And another vote for the KAB, I did a 24 hour cook, back to back 12 hour butts, with it this past weekend. It worked out great.

Hungry Joe · September 2015

I never had one problem using the turbo grate, I'm currently use a KAB but may go back to the turbo grate, I just think the turbo grate is easier and doesn't drop small chunks of charcoal.

nolaegghead · September 2015

In all fairness, I never take it apart but I have a vacuum that I can poke behind the firebox and reach the stuff that builds up behind it.

anton · September 2015

I use the Hy-Que for my medium, it solved my temp problem. But then again, the medium starts with airflow issues. After I changed bottom grates, this thing will hit high temps no prob, 600-1000F. Keep on experimenting, and try new lump, different size pieces, you'll figure it out.

Satch_Q · September 2015

Glad to hear the mystery is solved.

Having issues getting up to temp?

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