Is it possible to adjust temp from the lower vent alone?

not under 350-400 or so. If you want to go lower than that you'll need to further restrict airflow using the daisy.

I like to cook low and slow around 250-260. Seems my egg is more stable there. Most of the time for me that's like 1/8-1/4 inch open on the bottom and barely open up top. I live in TX so it is warmer than many other places this time of year. You may need to open it up a little more if it's cold where you are.

Yeah. You can do it

think of it like a garden hose. Stupid analogy, right?

well, the business end allows fine tuning. You can open the tap at the wall wide (or lower vent) and still fine tune with the nozzle end (upper vent)

or control flow at the tap (lower vent) and not even use a nozzle (no daisy)

or you can use both

i use the bottom for heneral coarse adjustments and dial in with the top

but either way, it is airflow, and that's it. Anhthing that allows more air through will cause temps to rise

a common misconception tho: leaving the daisy off and using only the lower vent doesn't "let more smoke out". Letting more smoke out would mean the air would be moving faster.  Temps would rise. So if the egg is stable, you can't be letting air (smoke) out faster 

in various states of inebriation, i've left either the bottom or top vent open when shutting down for the night. The fire still goes out. No air flow

just like the garden house. Shut one end and the whole system is shut down

egghead43 said:

I ran my BGE up to around 350 for the third and final time to cure the gasket before I start cooking.  I wanted to experiment with temp control and left the top completely open.  I had just a sliver of the bottom grate open and the temp kept climbing to close to 400.  Is it possible to fully adjust temperature with the top completely open?  It appears not.

I'm probably going to try my first Boston Butt later this week and would like suggestions on how to maintain a lower temp in the 225-250 range (i.e. bottom vent and top vent settings).  Thanks!

225-250?

Fire her up. Once burning, load your platesetter, drip pan, etc. 

Catch the temp on the way up. 

When I close the lid, I'll go about 4 inches open until it begins to creep, then inch it down. The final position for me is about 1/4 inch plus for  bottom vent and the same with the daisy wheel. 

Also, let the temp set in for 20-30 minutes before putting the butt on. 

Enjoy! 

I've never tried top vent open  what I do for low and slow is after getting to temp I close down bottom to 1/4 open and top about 1/4 open. (I use the smokeware SS cap). I watch it and open or close them if temp drifts. Once the fire is well established and clear smoke, I'm usually have the bottom open about the thickness of a quarter and top vent open 20-30%. 

Then throw in a few chunks of smoking wood and your ready for your meat. When you put in a huge chunk of cold meat, your temp will drop and stay low for awhile. Don't be tempted to open vents up to raise temp, it will come back as the meat warms up. 

On on higher cooks like wings (350-400 indirect) I will end up with button open 30% or so and top vent open around 30-40%. 

Play around with it and find what works for you. Once it's stable for an hour, it's not going anywhere. Sleep well. I usually put a couple butts on and watch it re-stabilize and check it again an hour later and go to bed. Might check it again around 8:00 am and almost always the temp is holding within 10 degrees of my target of 250. I've had a hard time holding 220-225 on my egg but 250 is crazy stable on mine. 

Once i did wake up and find my temp dropped to 180 but that was because I tried to be cheap and conserve fuel. Now I just fill it up near top of fire ring and still have coals after 16 or more hours. I usually than just pull the meat and open the vents to dry out and burn off any fat in the egg. 

Life is good. 

Darby_Crenshaw said:

in various states of inebriation, i've left either the bottom or top vent open when shutting down for the night. The fire still goes out. No air flow

Well, that shoots down my theory.  I've always thought that, left uncovered, the top can let air in even while it's exhausting CO2/heat, and have always added the Daisy Wheel, with just the small holes open, to restrict any entry of O2.  
 
If you've left the top open and the fire still goes out, my theory is nulled.  

Only one thing to remember:  Air flow is air flow no matter how you control it.

You are overthinking this. Somehow, most of us have managed without the Smokeware. I'm sure it's nice and all, but far from necessary. 

I never use anything on top, Smokeware or Daisy Wheel unless I am cooking low and slow.  I know from experience when to catch it on the way up and mange my temp that way.  For example. I have nothing on top and my bottom vent open about 3/4 inch and this will get me temp around 375-400.  This is what works best for me having just one variable to deal with. 

YukonRon said:

egghead43 said:

Carolina Q said:

You are overthinking this. Somehow, most of us have managed without the Smokeware. I'm sure it's nice and all, but far from necessary. 

Not overthinking it.  I don't mind getting gadgets for it since it's new and the daisy wheel just seems like a pain.  I'd rather start with the Smokeware. 

My theory holds true, the cost of the BGE is the cheapest expense in owning a BGE. I have warned so many, yet I have failed the minions. They don't call it "Big Green" egg for nothing.......

LOL, that's why I stopped buying this sh, umm, stuff.

I have the Smokeware top.  In my opinion, it is no better or worse than the BGE's daisy wheel except if you ae cooking in the rain; then the Smokeware, being the shape of an umbrella, obviously would be a better bet.

I have 4 Eggs and zero Daisy Wheels. I never use them at all. Would not be able to lay hands on them if needed.  But then I never cook under 300 so no reason. 

I know Mickey never uses the daisy wheel and he cooks at 300+ Darby also makes a good analogy but my particular setup does not seem to be conducive to no wheel, Smokeware or tip top controller. I think it has to do with where my Eggs are located on my deck and the maybe slope of the roof or orientation of my house in relation to local breezes. I have always had problems with temperature fluctuations even with the DW in position on the vent. This did not happen at my previous property so it is something that happens here only. If I use the tip top controller I can easily hold temps and I can definitely see the flapper working during the cooks so something is affecting the airflow around or through the Egg. If I would try to shut down by only closing the bottom vent, the Egg will often consume all the charcoal. I suspicion the effect is something like when you blow across the mouth of a bottle to make a musical tone. When the DW/Smokeware is on and I close the them and the lower vent the fire dies as it should. Last winter, I moved the Medium to the covered front porch on the West side of the house and the temps acted like everyone else generally reports so there is definitely some anomaly regarding the deck on the East side of the house.  Perhaps moving the Eggs to a different area of the East deck might help but they are presently in the most convenient place for my usage.