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Need help! Frustrated...why won't my lower vent adjust temp!!!

cswann821
cswann821 Posts: 6
in EggHead Forum
Hi all,

  For my 3-4 cooks on my XL egg. I have noticed that I cannot adjust temperatures using the vents as usual. I just put a holiday ham on and it's doing it again...I cleaned it with my shop vac, took all the Rings out but still the same issue.

Details: 

So it seems like any lower vent adjustment is pointless. Whether the lower vent is closed or full open, the only method I can use to adjust the temperature is by sliding the top vent. Even with the lower vent fully open and the 5 slots on top fully open, Temps will start to lower. I have to slide the top plate and adjust it to get Temps higher and where I want!

What gives..??????
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Comments

  • jabam
    jabam Posts: 1,829
    What temp are you having trouble with? Anything 350 or higher I take daisy wheel completely off and adjust with lower vent. 
    Central Valley CA     One large egg One chocolate lab "Halle" two chiuahuas "Skittles and PeeWee"
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  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
    I can only get to about 300-325 if the daisy is on but not slid open, if just the petals are open.  It is a matter of airflow.  Want hotter than 350? Take the top off. Careful, because if you already have meat on, you do not want a flair up.  
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,936
    What do you mean by "temps will start to lower" ?  So they're starting high and then dropping after you put the protein on?
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,088
    JohnInCarolina said:
    What do you mean by "temps will start to lower" ?  So they're starting high and then dropping after you put the protein on?
    Good clarification. That would make sense if a ham was just put on.  That is a good chunk of pig. 
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
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  • cswann821
    cswann821 Posts: 6
    edited December 2015
    I can get hotter than. 350 with the top...daisy wheel..slid or fully open. It's below 350 and fine tuning that is my problem.  If I have the top lid closed but the 5 teardrop shape vents fully open...and my lower vent fully open, my Temps drop?? My egg use to not do this. My lower vent, I use to have to almost have closed to maintain a low temp. Now it's like my lower vent doesn't matter. And anything at or less then the too teardrop vents fully open, drops my egg temp. 

    Right now, I have the lower vent screen on...lower vent door fully open...and top 5 daisy wheel vents fully open. This keeps me in the 290'same where u want to be....but I swear the lower vent open fully should raise Temps still.
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,936
    cswann821 said:
    I can get hotter than. 350 with the top...daisy wheel..slid or fully open. It's below 350 and fine tuning that is my problem.  If I have the top lid closed but the 5 teardrop shape vents fully open...and my lower vent fully open, my Temps drop?? My egg use to not do this. My lower vent, I use to have to almost have closed to maintain a low temp. Now it's like my lower vent doesn't matter.
    So... you're starting with everything fully open, then you close the top lid but have the daisy wheel so that all vents are open... And you're surprised your temps are dropping?
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • cswann821
    cswann821 Posts: 6
    Not surprised. I guess what's bugging me is the that my lower vent use to or seemed very sensitive when it came to adjusting the temp of the egg. But not now. 
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  • RajunCajun
    RajunCajun Posts: 1,035
    The  thing I would look for is plugged or partially plugged air holes in the firebox.  Sounds like you may have an airflow problem.  I find that if I have a bag of lump with mainly small pieces and try dumping those in first when putting a fresh load of lump, the small pieces tend to "plug" the holes in the fire grate and the firebox and I struggle with temp.  A fresh setup (ash removed, ensured firebox alignment, clean holes in fire grate and box, fresh lump with bigger pieces on bottom) and my bottom vent opened ~ 3/8" and my daisy petals completely shut with the vent slider opened about 1/4", I typically will hold at 350deg forever.  Good luck and Merry Christmas!
    The problem with a problem is that you don't know it's a problem until it's a problem, and that is a big problem.
    Holding the company together with three spreadsheets and two cans connected by a long piece of string.
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  • cswann821
    cswann821 Posts: 6
    Well, even today and in the past I shopvac'd the whole thing. I was worried that the small pieced of coal were clogging the grate/plate. I tried my best to place large pieces in first. Are there any mods or products out to help prevent coal from getting in those holes??
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,318
    The BGE runs on fuel, air-flow (aka oxygen) and a heat source.  Once the lump is lit then the whole thing is an air-flow driven device.  If you are having trouble with getting to low temperatures or your lower vent doesn't have any impact then you must have air-leaks that provide enough oxygen to negate any effect.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
    Hi Que grate or Kick Ash Basket. I think either would solve your problem. If you are cooking over 300 I would recommend leaving the top completely off and adjusting with only the lower vent. Good luck. 
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
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  • mimauler
    mimauler Posts: 136
    It is an air flow issue.  Is the vent on the bottom ceramic piece aligned with the vent on the egg itself could it be blocking some air getting into the egg?  Air is being blocked somewhere, if you have the bottom vent fully open and the petals fully open then you should be kicking into high gear.  You have some sort of a blockage somewhere or all the air is leaking out somewhere (which I doubt).  I wouldn't start buying more stuff yet until you fix this problem using just the egg itself.  Remember there is a learning curve you've kind of just scratched the surface after only 3 to 4 cooks.     
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  • njl
    njl Posts: 1,123
    That sounds normal to me.  I only have a large...not XL...but the principles are the same.  Temperature is controlled by air flow.  How open the bottom vent is doesn't matter if the top is restricted.  i.e. if you're restricting output airflow (at the top), the amount of opening at the bottom (input) doesn't really matter.  If you want higher than somewhere around 300F, you need to not only open the petals, but also slide the daisy wheel open to some degree.
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  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,936
    njl said:
    That sounds normal to me.  I only have a large...not XL...but the principles are the same.  Temperature is controlled by air flow.  How open the bottom vent is doesn't matter if the top is restricted.  i.e. if you're restricting output airflow (at the top), the amount of opening at the bottom (input) doesn't really matter.  If you want higher than somewhere around 300F, you need to not only open the petals, but also slide the daisy wheel open to some degree.
    This.
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,318
    I do believe there is some confliction here;
    Quote: "Whether the lower vent is closed or full open, the only method I can use to adjust the temperature is by sliding the top vent."

    But it is Christmas Eve...

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • littlerascal56
    littlerascal56 Posts: 2,104
    My XL acts like that when I have both 1/2 moon stones in it, doing an indirect cook. Having both stones seems to restrict the air flow, which starves some areas of the lump.   Now when I remove one half moon stone, it goes back to cooking like normal...and I have to pinch the bottom vent way shut to hold 350.   
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,022
    Did your thermometer stab into the ham?
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
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