What is your process to settling the egg at 225º?

YouEnjoyMyEgg · October 2015

I am just not good at this. It seems like it's roaring past 225º in a matter of minutes and before I know it it is too late. I need some pro tips.

dstearn · October 2015

How do you light your lump and how long do you leave them dome open after lighting it?

YouEnjoyMyEgg · October 2015

dstearn said:

How do you light your lump and how long do you leave them dome open after lighting it?

I light the lump using a MAP torch and I usually just light the middle really well. On a normal cook I leave the top open quite a while. On low and slow it's obviously shorter but I do not know how long. I've only done 5 or 6 of these. But every single time I wind up spending an hour + trying to tend the fire back down to a usable temp.

Eggcelsior · October 2015

What is "a really long time"? I use a MAPP and I hit the middle-front for 30 seconds or so. I typically make sure I hear crackling in the coals and then shut the dome with vents wide open. Once the temp starts to rise, I close them down to cook settings. For 225, top and bottom should barely be cracked. I stick the PS in either at the beginning or once I'm within 50 degrees of cooking temp.

Another factor with 225 is the proverbial "sweet spot" every egg seems to have. Some like 225, some like 255, etc. no matter what you do short of a pit controller, each egg will settle in at a certain temp. I can get really low(I've held as low as 185) but my large seems to love 250.

Lastly, with the environment the egg creates, you won't notice much of a difference with 225 or 250, so don't sweat it too much.

pgprescott · October 2015

If you want to rock along at 225 or lower, I advise a controller with a fan. If you want to do it manually here are the steps
1. Bump temp to 250-275
2. See step one.
3. Carry out your cook.

Terrebandit · October 2015

Get a controller, as this is the easiest thing to do. Bottom line is not to let the fire get too big before adding the heat deflector and choking the vents way down. It's a longer process than a hot fire.

Tinyfish · October 2015

When I had my XL it was very easy to hit 225f.

Your mistake I believe is a combination of lighting the charcoal for too long combined with leaving the dome open too long.

Next time start your egg earlier and light the charcoal with the torch a little less and close the dome after 1 minute. With the dome closed and vents wide open a vacuum is created. Let the temp climb slowly at about 150f start closing the vents to their final position. My XL it was an 1/8" bottom vent and 1/8" smokeware cap.

Darby_Crenshaw · October 2015

Lighting it "really well" and leaving the top open is your problem

your 225 fire is supposed to be small

light in one spot, sut the dome immediately, and shut upper and lower vents to nearly shut. A quarter inch is too much

some folks will complain the egg is too hot, will simultaneously saying they are afraid of snuffing it out if they shut the vents any more.

If the egg is too hot, it is ALWAYS because the vents are too open. Even when you can't believe how 'shut' they seem

onedbguru · October 2015

I use 1/2 of a Weber chimney, get it mostly red hot. dump it in the middle and then fill the to the top of the firebox (right at the fire ring line) and close the lid and open the bottom vent to 1/8th to 1/2, top similar (smokeware or dfmt) and bring it up. Going too high and trying to bring it back down is a recipe for disaster.

Roadpuke0 · October 2015

First thing should be asked is do you have stock gasket? If so get with ron RRP for a replacement gasket witch will aid in what you are try ing to aquire.

lousubcap · October 2015

If running L&S I light in one spot (about a third of the way down the lump load and forward of centerline) with the dome and lower vent full open. Once I have about a softball sized fire going I shut the dome and set the lower vent and DFMT for about the settings for around 250*F. Dial it in from there. The key is to catch the temp on the way up. No need to hurry on a L&S. FWIW-

Jeepster47 · October 2015

Terrebandit said:

... It's a longer process than a hot fire.

I really like that comment. Intuitively you know it's wrong ... first thought is that time and temp are in sync. But, you're right, it takes more time to sneak up on 250 degrees 'cuz you have to pay attention and invest the time to be sure the fire stays small and contained. That's a great point to put front-n-center when instructing a new egger.

JRWhitee · October 2015

@eggcelsior hit it on the head. I have had my large going on 10 years now and i have never been able to hold 225 for very long, it does for a while but then it starts dropping after a couple hours, I can go 250 all night long.

jeroldharter · October 2015

I use the BGE electric fire starter in and XL egg. Takes ~10 minutes. I remove the fire starter, attach the DigiQ set to whatever temp. For really low temps like that, the DigiQ vent must be on the small/narrow setting and the daisywheel almost closed. I let it go for a good 45-60 minutes untouched to equilibrate.

It is more difficult to go so low manually but you don't want to start off with too much lit charcoal, the lower vent and daisy wheel must be almost closed, and you need to give it time to equilibrate.

jtcBoynton · October 2015

My process to settling the egg at 225º is to not try. My egg seems to be much happier at 240º. I can't think of any significant improvement in results by trying to keep it at 225º, so I don't fight the egg.

Legume · October 2015

My XL can be very happy at 185 if I only load a couple of lbs of lump and start a small fire. It will still last a long time, but I wouldn't ever try to run overnight or anything like that, I did this with bacon recently and have done this for Salmon.

clweed · October 2015

I have a 10 year old large and a 1 week old large both like to cook at 240

anton · October 2015

Light lump with mapp torch, three or four spots, ( I use 4 compass points method), when lump takes, 5-10 minutes, close lid, daisy wheel set at a crack, lower vent at 1/4 inch, should hold around 225-250, adjust from there. Best of luck, don't give up, it'll happen.

YouEnjoyMyEgg · October 2015

Lots of great advice in here, thanks everyone. I guess I should have said ahead of time - I know 225 is not the only L&S temp. It's just a common number I hear so I used it in my title. I'm lighting an overnight burn right now. I feel a lot more confident tonight with all the above guidance. Will report back if it goes awry.

HoustonEgger · October 2015

On my old large (purchased in 2007) I can hold 225 for 12+ hours. But on the new one (purchased in 2011) I can't get lower then 240 reliably.

To get to temp though - I light with the looftlighter, then keep the top & bottom vents open until the temp creeps around 350 - then I shut things down to the desired position for cooking. Can typically get everything dialed in within 30 minutes or so.

Ladeback69 · October 2015

I will chime in here on my 2 cents. I am sure someone has told you to catch it on the way up I hope and it sounds like you are from your first statement. On my XL I use 2 small starter sticks one on each side, let it run for 8 minutes, put wood in and set in plate setter. Close the lid and lit it go up with the vents all the way open. When it start getting close to 200, I start closing the bottom vent and closing down the daisy wheel to about an 1/8". It usually settles around 225 or so. Even after I have set it there for an hour or more and put the meat on, it seems to be around 250 to 265 8 hours later and doesn't move. I guess it likes that temp and it is still in the smoke range so it is all good. A good L&S smoke range is anywhere between 200 to 275, but I have had good luck doing a turbo but from 300 to 350 and got a great smokey flavor.

I hope you cook is going well.

YouEnjoyMyEgg · October 2015

Thanks @Ladeback69it went pretty well. I did catch it on the way up and that helped tremendously. I did not have to fight it back down from the mid 300s like usual. I ran into some problems about 7am (6 hours in). I was awoken by the temp alarm (iGrill app) as the dome had dropped below 205º. Not a huge deal as the fire was still burning. I just opened the vents a little and blew some air in to get it rising. But this is where I come to my other issue. I seem to be able to get the temp rising, or dropping in some cases, but getting it to stop moving is not easy for me.

So I got it to start rising from 205º and when it got to 230ish I went back to bed. I laid there watching it continually rise, past 300 and beyond. Ugh. Back downstairs to close the vents a bit. And then it started down, down, down.... Haha. Thankfully by the time the dome temps got too low again the meat temps were approaching finishing temps so it didn't become a problem. But I guess it was a success as it was easier this time. And hopefully each time I will get better at the temperature management.

The butt came out incredible like usual. It's just a matter of how much work is involved.

Maybe someday I'll invest in a temperature control device. I probably don't do enough L&S for that to be worth it to me though.

Downr@nge · October 2015

I usually light the lump in my XL using two Weber cubes and leave the top open for about 5-10 minutes with vents wide open. Once I see the coals are well lit, I close the vents to nearly closed and close the lid. By then, the dome temp is usually around 200. I then put in the platesetter and grate and grate probe.

I then just let the egg settle to temp (mine likes 250 for some reason) and just wait for the thin blue smoke to show up before putting food in.

Ozzie_Isaac · October 2015

I have found, for me, the key is not to rush this part. I slowly creep to my temp. I usually start my eggs 45min -1hr before I put my protein on for L&S.

NPHuskerFL · October 2015

225℉ in the BBQ world is so cliché. Although it seems this particular choice of pit temp for L&S is the norm it doesn't necessarily produce better results. I can hold even lower temps using my Stoker but, typically don't use it unless I'm busy or if it's an overnight L&S. Light in one spot (center slightly more toward the rear) with a MAPP torch and once it's burning (maybe 3 minutes), load the PS and the rest of your set-up. Shut the dome, no Smokeware or DFMT and lower vent wide open. Once good smoke is rolling and temp is about 150-200 start configuring the Smokeware or DFMT and lower vent for that temp. FWIW in an egg you're not gonna see a monster difference in outcome between 225-275. For whatever reason my Large likes 235-275 on L&S with no controller and the MM 240-275. If you overshoot the temp it's not the end of the world. Much easier to catch and control the pit temp on the rise than to fight bringing it down.

nolaegghead · October 2015

I would probably hand lay all the lump in the egg rather than pour it in to do 225F. I have a large, they like to run a little hotter than that. But totally achievable. Keep the fire small. Or get a stoker. As others have said, there's no need to try to achieve such a low temp. On a stick burner, it's easy. With an egg, it's a challenge. XLs to it much better than smaller eggs.

Bulitt · October 2015

I leave my bottom vent all the way open all the time. One less thing to worry about. I control the temp with my stainless chimney top. For 225 to 250, the chimney top is open about 1/8 inch and will hold below 250 all night or until the lump is gone.

You do NOT need to worry about the lower vent setting.....wide open is the way to go. If you use a Daisey wheel, open the petals about 1/8 inch to hold your 250 with bottom wide open, screen closed.

Try it.....it works!

YukonRon · October 2015

Typically after the tenderloin sacrifice, I light candles burn incense, prayer chants, drink heavily, and light the lump. I try to catch it on the way up. I use the plate setter, when out gets to 225, and practically shut everything s

THEBuckeye · October 2015

I light my large with a starter cube. Let the fire get going. Add placesetter, close lid. Close top/bottom to about half. In 5-10 minutes the temp will begin to climb.
Once it hits 175-200 close top and bottom to about 1/4 inch. Let it sit for 20 minutes or so before adding meat. Rock on at 225.

rmercier · October 2015

I didn't read all the comments, but this is what i do. First of all, I use an electric starter.

1) With the bottom vent open about 2 inches, I plug in my starter and insert into charcoal. Once small flames appear, i pull out the starter and close the lid.
2) I leave the daisy wheel all the way open
3) I close the bottom vent to about 1 inch
4) i monitor the dome temp and wait for it to get to about 240
5) I close the bottom vent to about half an inch
6) I put in my grate and hook up my temp monitor on the grate and close the lid and set my temps in the monitor
7) I close the daisy wheel but leave it fully vented and close the bottom vent to about .25 inch
8) temps are usually around 230 at this point
9) I then start to close the daisy wheel a bit more
10) I monitor temps for a bit to see if they need adjusting and make sure they are stable

All this takes about 15 - 30 mins once I first close the lid in step 1

What is your process to settling the egg at 225º?

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