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Using all of the charcoal in 12 hours with Flame Boss 200

Question for the group: during my last two cooks all of the charcoal has been burned to near zero left in about 12 hours. I'm currently cooking a Boston butt that I put on at 4 pm yesterday at 225 degrees. I woke up this morning and the BG had flamed out and the temp had dropped to 160. I opened the lid and there was no charcoal left. It was completely full with brand new charcoal when I started the cook. I've got the daisy wheel open to about 3/16th of an inch and the bottom vent where the fan connects completely closed.
What am I doing wrong or what's causing this? Any ideas? This is two cooks in a row where this has happened.
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Comments

  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,310
    What size egg? You sure it was full? I can cook 18 hours on the large without a controller. You need to add more fuel 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

  • etherdome
    etherdome Posts: 471
    Contact flameboss
    Upstate SC
    Large BGE,  Blackstone, Weber genesis , Weber charcoal classic
  • etherdome
    etherdome Posts: 471
    Type of "charcoal "?
    Upstate SC
    Large BGE,  Blackstone, Weber genesis , Weber charcoal classic
  • It's a large BGE and it was completely full when I started. Very curious as to why this is happening.
  • @etherdome... I'm using BGE lump charcoal.
  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,984
    How much lump are you using when you load it? What brand are you using?
    I have an XL, fill it up to just beneath the PS, and after doing a couple hundred L&S, I have never run out of lump, even with a leaky gasket, or cracked base. Just my experience.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,310
    What do you consider completely full? Visual reference. Full to the top of the firebox or full to the top of the ring. 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

  • @YukonRon @ColtsFan I filled the charcoal to just a few inches beneath the PS. 
  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,984
    Just curious, do you just pour your BGE charcoal in or stack it? I have done both, and I have found if stacked (large pieces on the bottom, smaller pieces on top), I have more left over than when I do not stack. However, I still have not exhausted all the fuel by not stacking.
    Maybe th he pit probe on your Flame Boss is defective, requiring your air supply fan to operate abnormally, however, it would make you think your pit temps would have skyrocketed, right? 
    I have used BGE lump when I first started, and other than a couple of minor nuisances, it did just fine on the low and slows. I quit using BGE lump because of the consistant medium, small, and dust content was about 95% of each bag, which inevitably led to excess waste. Now I use Rockwood, or in emergency, Carbon del Sur.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
  • Thanks @YukonRon. Very useful info. I typically pour the coal in to just over the top of the firebox for long slow cooks. I may have a sensor problem as you suggest and will contact Flame Boss tomorrow. Hoping I can salvage this cook! 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    Load to the point where you are at the top of the fire ring leaving enough space for the platesetter to sit on the ring.  You about double your lump capacity going from the top of the fire box to the top of the ring.  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.
  • @lousubcap... Thank you! I'll also try that on my next cook. 
  • RedSkip
    RedSkip Posts: 1,400
    @BobWrightATL

    Fill the charcoal so it barely touches the PS, or even touching.  I know you mentioned a few inches below.

    Daisey wheel should be open the thickness of a dime.

    Maybe this will help?!?  Just offering more ideas..
    Large BGE - McDonald, PA
  • BobWrightATL
    BobWrightATL Posts: 8
    edited January 2017
    @RedSkip... Will definitely fill to the max (to the PS) next time and will try stacking as well. Thanks for your input. The more I think about it and as @YukonRon said, I don't think it's the sensor because the temperature would have spiked which it did not. Could be a simple novice mistake.
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    It's not the FlameBoss.  Even if it was a bad probe, you would also have to have a bad dome temp gauge.  If the FB was some how reading an incorrect low pit temp, the fan would be running like crazy to raise it.  The dome temp gauge would show a higher temp and your brisket would have been a piece of shoe leather in a matter of hours.  If you post a screen shot of your FB graph, we can rule that out pretty quick.

    No accessory is going to affect how much charcoal is used when smoking (smokeware cap, flameboss, etc.)  It's all about the amount of charcoal, its BTU per pound, the the pit temp, and the outside air temp.
  • @stlcharcoal... Thank you. After all the input this morning I think the charcoal was too loosely arranged in the fire pit and simply not enough of it. Embarrassingly, it looks like a rookie mistake.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    ...I think the charcoal was too loosely arranged in the fire pit and simply not enough of it. Embarrassingly, it looks like a rookie mistake.
    Arranged? I've had an egg for 7+ years and have never arranged lump. If I had to arrange lump, I'd buy a gasser. Dump it out of the bag and light it. You are correct about "not enough" though. Yes, a rookie mistake, but nothing to be embarrassed about. 

    Welcome to the nuthouse!

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    I don't think it's how it was arranged, I don't think you dumped enough in there to begin with.  You said you "filled it up", but then said "a few inches below the PS".   The XL firebox + ring is only 6" deep.  So if you were two inches below the PS,  that's only 2/3 full.  You need to fill it up so the charcoal is touching the platesetter.  You should be able to go 24 hrs at 225F in a mild climate no problem if it's truly filled up.  The XL should hold about 15-17# of domestic lump.
  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    Thanks @YukonRon. Very useful info. I typically pour the coal in to just over the top of the firebox for long slow cooks. I may have a sensor problem as you suggest and will contact Flame Boss tomorrow. Hoping I can salvage this cook! 
    A large filled to just over the top of the firebox is about 40% full.  A full load (top of the fire ring) will last at those temps for well over 20 hours (sub zero outside temps will affect this, so if you are in North Dakota or similar you will get less).  Getting 12 hours on what your fuel load was, was more than you should have expected.  I don't see any issues with the egg or the FB, just ran out of fuel.

    The fire box on my large holds about 1/3 of a full load.
    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.
     
  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    edited January 2017
    What brand of lump are you using?

    i can run a 8# bag of lump for a day, 24 hrs at 225-250 with our without a controller. Load it up to into the fire ring. I've never done anything but dump stir and light. 

    Youve already gotten solid advice. Just throwing in my 2¢


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,310
    @BobWrightATL nothing to be embarrassed about. We've all been there. This is coming from the guy who cooked his first butt direct. I had to cut 3 inches off the bottom. It was awful 
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 900
     I've got the daisy wheel open to about 3/16th of an inch 
    Agree with those who said there wasn't enough lump. A few inches below the plate setter is the same as saying "halfway up the fire ring."

    Also, when I do 225°F with the FB200 in my LBGE, I have the daisy wheel almost completely closed (maybe 1/32" of open space showing). So 3/16" would burn up the lump faster than I'm used to.
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    You will burn more lump cooling indirect especially if ou have a water pain ther as well.  But it does sound like you may not have had enough lump to begin with. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • @stlcharcoal... Thank you. After all the input this morning I think the charcoal was too loosely arranged in the fire pit and simply not enough of it. Embarrassingly, it looks like a rookie mistake.
    I think the fans can definitely make it burn faster. My CyberQ has gone out in 12 hours before, but it was with smaller pieces at the end of a bag of royal oak. I'm using my first bag of Rockwood now and the pieces are bigger and seem to last longer from what I'm seeing. Might be something to think off. 
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    In my XL last naked pork butts went 16hrs had coal left over 
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • JMCXL
    JMCXL Posts: 1,524
    I have tried the load by pumping and load by hand and see little difference. When using an XL, the load by hand method, I had plenty left after a 18 hour cook. (I'm the one that did a video about hand loading lump and got a few comments.  I am good with it, I was just showing a method I learned on the forum.)
    I have a fan system and used it on the MM, I find that it burns the lump faster than without.  Also I think once you get a hang of the egg you won't need it.  I am by no means an expert but the last 3 overnight cooks I poured, start and let go - all was good in the morning.
    Northern New Jersey
     XL - Woo2, AR      L (2) - Woo, PS Woo     MM (2) - Woo       MINI

    Check out https://www.grillingwithpapaj.com for some fun and more Grilling with Papa (incase you haven't gotten enough of me)

    Also, check out my YouTube Page
    https://www.youtube.com/c/grillingwithpapaj

    Follow me on Facebook 
    https://www.facebook.com/GrillingPapaJ/

  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684

    I think the fans can definitely make it burn faster. My CyberQ has gone out in 12 hours before, but it was with smaller pieces at the end of a bag of royal oak. I'm using my first bag of Rockwood now and the pieces are bigger and seem to last longer from what I'm seeing. Might be something to think off. 
    A temp controller or fan is not going to change anything on consumption.  225F with 10# of charcoal with a temp controller is going to burn for the same amount of time as one without a temp controller.  If the charcoal burned any faster, it would be accompanied by a higher temp (in which case the fan would shut off.)

    With a temp controller, you close off the daisy wheel (exhaust) and use the fan to push air into the firebox.  Without one, you leave the daisy wheel open more and use a flue action to pull the air into the firebox.  Either way, it's the same amount of air if the temp is remaining a constant 225F.

    Doesn't matter on the chunk size when it comes to rate of consumption on a low & slow.  Our charcoal is 11,000 - 11,500 BTU/# whether it's one huge chunk or a bunch of fines.   Where it does matter is on a hot & fast, because of surface area.  If O2 can't get to it, then it can't burn.  All the fines nest together, and one big chunk doesn't have enough surface (and is difficult to get heated through).  That's where all the medium pieces with lots of air gaps between them will make a roaring fire.  So, yes, small to medium chunks with an unregulated amount of O2 will in fact burn faster, but they are accompanied by a massive & hot fire.

    I'm not saying you didn't see what you did, but it had nothing to do with your CyberQ or chunk size.  It was carbon content of the charcoal (i.e. higher BTU/# with certain brands).  Outside air temp and/or the amount of evaporation inside the Egg (amount of water in meat or pan) can also play a factor.

  • Everyone knows that the small pieces don't burn @stlcharcoal
  • stevez
    stevez Posts: 122
    I


    I have had the same problem and this is after I stalled out on a turbo pork butt cook.  Maybe only got 4 1/2 to 5 hours and had it packed with Fogo to the line that I'm pointing at.  I always thought that was the top of the fire ring.  I was running right at 300 and ran out of fuel.  I will go much higher now for cooks, but this is what I thought.
    Steve

    X/L BGE

    Louisville, Kentucky
  • @stevez, you can fill all the way up to the notch above your finger where the platesetter sets in. That is where I fill for a L&S brisket cook which may be 16-20 hrs on my XL.
    SE PA
    XL, Lg, Mini max and OKJ offset