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temp control

still kinda new to this egg temp control theory, with fire box darn near full with BGE Lump. place setter in place legs up, 3 full racks in the BGE 6 rack holder, bottom door closed and top opened as far as possible slid to one side, temp will not get below 300 F. grate One last note the thermometer was calibrated at 100 C in boiling water. Every time before I use this I  remove the fire ring the grate the fire box and  vacuum out all with a shop vac. I would really like to be able to set it at say 200- 250 F and walk away for a few hours without having to buy a guru. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated and followed. Thank you in advance






Comments

  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
    For 250 and sub, you want the bottom barely open (maybe the width of a credit card) and the top barely open.  Your egg will be happier around 275, though, with no ill effects on the food.
    NOLA
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    Only time I use the top vent is for below 300 degrees. With top vent open just a crack (each hole barely open - about the width of of a matchbook cover) and the bottom vent only open a bit more, about 1/16 inch open, I settle in around 250, give or take +/- 25 degrees. Important thing is to catch the temp on the way up. If you overshoot, it's hard to bring it back down. 
    I light a couple oil infused paper towels, bottom vent open a couple niches, top about 1/2 way, and when the flame goes out shut the dome and start closing the vents. 
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • DMshow
    DMshow Posts: 18
    I think that the top being that far opened is your problem.  I have no trouble setting and maintaining 250 for extended cooks with no guru.  For my egg I get to 250 with the bottom vent opened to about 3/4's of an inch and the daisy wheel just barely cracked.  
    LBGE '15    
    UA Local 100


  • sctdg
    sctdg Posts: 301
    get a tip top temp control ,were on sale for $19.00 .Right now using it on a rib cook going on 6 hours holding at steady 210 degrees . No fuss no muss ,simple .
  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    ... bottom door closed and top opened as far as possible slid to one side, temp will not get below 300 F. ...
    The bottom vent should be open - not much, but some.  Top vents will be closed a lot more than you have set them. Egg is designed to have an airflow with air entering the bottom, moving up through the lump and exiting the top.
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
  • NJ_BBQ
    NJ_BBQ Posts: 137
    Tjcoley said:
    Only time I use the top vent is for below 300 degrees. With top vent open just a crack (each hole barely open - about the width of of a matchbook cover) and the bottom vent only open a bit more, about 1/16 inch open, I settle in around 250, give or take +/- 25 degrees. Important thing is to catch the temp on the way up. If you overshoot, it's hard to bring it back down. 
    I light a couple oil infused paper towels, bottom vent open a couple niches, top about 1/2 way, and when the flame goes out shut the dome and start closing the vents. 
    With this approach, how long does it take for the "bad smoke" to burn off when using fresh lump?
    Basking  Ridge, NJ - XL with KAB
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    As above, it is all about air-flow but once you get above your target cook temp then it can take quite a long time to cool-down.  For the future, the key is to catch the temp on the way up.  But for now you may want to get an aluminum pan, fill with ice and put in the BGE to create a heat-sink to help with reducing the temp.  That said, with your bottom vent shut you have effectively starved the fire so you may be seeing only residual heat on the thermo.
    Not there so just guessing here.  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.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    For 250°, light the lump, leave the top and bottom vents wide open until dome temp gets to about 225-235°. Then close the bottom vent to a credit card width and the top petals about the same. DO NOT let yourself get distracted or you will come back to a raging inferno. Pay attention!

    sctdg said:
    get a tip top temp control ,were on sale for $19.00 .Right now using it on a rib cook going on 6 hours holding at steady 210 degrees . No fuss no muss ,simple .
    @sctdg, where'd you find the TTT for $19? I just bought one from TTT direct and paid $30. Now I see they are $35.99.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    NJ_BBQ said:
    Tjcoley said:
    Only time I use the top vent is for below 300 degrees. With top vent open just a crack (each hole barely open - about the width of of a matchbook cover) and the bottom vent only open a bit more, about 1/16 inch open, I settle in around 250, give or take +/- 25 degrees. Important thing is to catch the temp on the way up. If you overshoot, it's hard to bring it back down. 
    I light a couple oil infused paper towels, bottom vent open a couple niches, top about 1/2 way, and when the flame goes out shut the dome and start closing the vents. 
    With this approach, how long does it take for the "bad smoke" to burn off when using fresh lump?
    By the time temp settles in at 275 or so, I'm good to go.  I've found that most, if not all of the time I have bad smoke, it's coming from one or 2 pieces of lump that are not carbonized.  Look and see where your bad smoke is coming from.  If it's in one or two specific places, look for the piece of bad lump (the smokin' gun).  Lift it out with tongs, and it will start flaming.  Into a galvanized bucket with a little water and the smokes clears immediately. 
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • ThrasherIII
    ThrasherIII Posts: 252
    Tjcoley said:
    Only time I use the top vent is for below 300 degrees. With top vent open just a crack (each hole barely open - about the width of of a matchbook cover) and the bottom vent only open a bit more, about 1/16 inch open, I settle in around 250, give or take +/- 25 degrees. Important thing is to catch the temp on the way up. If you overshoot, it's hard to bring it back down. 
    I light a couple oil infused paper towels, bottom vent open a couple niches, top about 1/2 way, and when the flame goes out shut the dome and start closing the vents. 

  • ThrasherIII
    ThrasherIII Posts: 252
    When you say catch the temp on the way up, are all the coals white and glowing? I'm thinking old school here or is that wrong? I am going to go with the paper towel trick, is canola or olive oil okay?

  • ThrasherIII
    ThrasherIII Posts: 252
    Thank you all for the instructions and directions, is it not right to wait for all the coals to light before closing the dome or is this done right after lighting?
    I think this is where I am really screwing up:)

     
  • Dondgc
    Dondgc Posts: 709
    Once the goals are all white and glowing you have a raging fire that will be impossible to reduce if you are keeping the top vent open.

    Once  you have a fire established in two or three places - which is very different from "all goals white and glowing" - close the top and begin closing the vents as the temp moves towards your desired point.  That's "catching it on the way up." @buzd504 and others have given pretty clear instructions on where the vents need to end up for you desired temps.

    Even if you do start slower, you cannot achieve your desired temp with the top vent open.  Too much airflow.
    New Orleans LA
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    For me for low&slow , I will light the lump in one spot slightly forward and a bit left of center around 1/3 the way down into the lump load.  Dome and bottom vent full open.  Get around a soft-ball sized volume of lump burning then load the platesetter and cooking grids, shut the dome with DFMT about a quarter open on the full side, bottom vent shut to around 1/2".  When passing 200-220*F on the dome, slide the DFMT slot shut with the petals full open, bottom vent to around 1/4" and go from there.
    As has been said before, ease into the desired cooking temp and don't chase temps.  If the BGE settles in at anywhere from around 230-275*F and is happy there-go with it.  Once stable and the cook is on for a while ( a couple of hours at least) you can adjust the temp to either speed up or slow down the cook.  FWIW-
    BTW-there are many ways to get there.  The above is just one that works for me.  Experiment and you will find a process that you are comfortable with.
    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.
  • ThrasherIII
    ThrasherIII Posts: 252
    Thank you I understand what catching the temp means now, yes this is going to be a long journey and that is okay. Now that I have a better understanding of this I will try my next low and slow as you all have instructed I will update on the instructions and the results I am really looking forward to it. Thank you all I really appreciate the directions.
  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
    As time goes on and you get more cooks under your belt, temp control will become second nature.

    I don't think there is anyone here who knew how to control temps from the get go ... if they did know, it was because they had someone with egg knowledge to guide them,

    My best advice is to not overthink and just enjoy your time egging ... I find it therapeutic.

    Tim
    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    When you say catch the temp on the way up, are all the coals white and glowing? I'm thinking old school here or is that wrong? I am going to go with the paper towel trick, is canola or olive oil okay?

    Thank you all for the instructions and directions, is it not right to wait for all the coals to light before closing the dome or is this done right after lighting?
    I think this is where I am really screwing up:)


    If you let all the coals light, they will be producing enough heat to warm the egg up to 700º+   You want a small area to be burning - around a fist sized - when you close the dome.  It doesn't take a much to keep an egg in the sub 250º range.
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    As mentioned above - it doesn't take much to heat the Egg to 250. My Egg, sitting in direct sunlight this afternoon, with outside air temp 97 degrees, was well over 100 degrees before I lit a match. 
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • MeTed
    MeTed Posts: 800
    Someone on here once said, think of the bottom vent as the gas and the top as the brake, they are right.
    Belleville, Michigan

    Just burnin lump in Sumpter