temperature control follow up

Unknown · April 2008

Okay, so after asking some basic questions about temp control last night and getting some helpful advice from the Naked Whiz and others, here is my report on what happened. After reading this is it evident to anyone what I might have done wrong.

I loaded my egg to the fire line with lump an d soaked chunks and chips and started it up with an electric lighter. Then I put in the grate and the plate for offset cooking, set my pork butt on top and closed the lid. At this point I was registering about 130 degrees. I did like Naked Whiz said and sat there with it with the ventsabout half open, letting the heat come slowly up and closing them down incrementally until I was at 230. I hit a couple snags along the way where the temperature rise seemed to shut down--first at about 180 and then again at 200 or so, but each time I just opened the vents back up again and it started moving. After about forty minutes or so of sitting with it, I felt like I had it locked in around 235 or so, maybe closer to 240. It hadn't moved in about ten minutes, and I left it alone to cook. When i came back to check on it again a half hour later it had crept up to about 275, so I closed the vents a little more. (At this point, the bottom vent was open about a half an inch.) Then I left it again, when I came back another thirty minutes later it had crept up again to about 290, so I closed it down even more to where the vent was only open about a quarter inch, maybe just a little less. Then I went to bed.

This morning I got up and checked on it again (this is maybe six hours later) and the temp had fallen all the way down to about 160 during the night. I opened it up to about an inch and a half to two inches and blew into it for a while to try and stoke it up a bit, but then i had to go to work. I'll be here another six hours, so I hope that did the trick.

So from reading that little run down can anyone see problems in my method or things that may have gone wrong? By the way, right before I loaded everything up I completely dismantled and cleaned out everything, so there shouldn't be any blockage anywhere, and the fire box is perfectly aligned with the bottom vent.

Thanks again for your help last night, and for any further advice you can give me this morning.

Matt

DynaGreaseball · April 2008

I think you're getting there. Just a little note...

In order to maintain 250°, I find, consistantly, that my bottom vent (Medium Egg) has to be open less than 1/4 inch, and the daisy pedals open about half way. I think you just didn't close down enough on the way up.

By the way, I don't soak my wood, and I wait 'til my temp is stabilized before I put the meat on.

Next time, once you have the temp rising, just close it down to about 1/4 inch when the temp is about 50° below your target.

I think you're doing fine.

Seems hard now, but eventually it'll be second nature to you. GOOD LUCK!

BamaFan · April 2008

One thing that helped me was putting the plate setter and grate in and getting the temp stabilized. At the last minute I take off the grate and trow in my wood chunks, put the grate and what ever the cook is and watch it for a while.The cold meat will bring the temp down some but it should not take long to get it stable again. One other thing i learned from these guys is "do not soak the wood chunks".

Mike in Abita · April 2008

Have you tried the Elder Ward fire building method. This one hasn't failed me yet.

Fidel · April 2008

Everything sounds pretty good except for one major point. Don't put on the meat until the temps are stable where you want them.

Stabilize your fire and temps for 30-45 minutes and then add your meat. Trying to stabilize your fire and temps with the meat inside will leave a bitter taste to the exterior of the food. Stabilizing your fire lets the VOC burn off. Let the billowing white smoke clear and turn to a thin wispy smoke before putting on your food and you'll be much happier. The temps will drop because you opened the lid and added cold mass, but trust the egg to come back on its own. Don't fiddle with the vents for the first hour after adding your meat or you will be chasing the temps all night long. The egg is very good at getting back to the stabilized point. After an hour or so if it is still low make a very minor adjustment to the bottom vent only. Wait 30 minutes and if needed make another minor adjustment (less than 1/16"). Never adjust the top and bottom vents at the same time until you are proficient at temp control.

Hope this helps a little.

Spaceman Spiff · April 2008

I usually expect it to take 45 to 60 minutes to stabilize, maybe more.

If I choke the intake down too far the fire will die out so I have a minimum I will go on the intake and then use the exhaust to control further.

I also find the charcoal wants to 'hollow out' after 5 to 6 hours so I stir/shake it up before then.

Spacey

Grandpas Grub · April 2008

What are the settings on your top vent?

On my large If I have the bottom vent open 1 to 1-1/2 inch my egg would be at 450° + depending on the top vent. If the top vent pettles are full open and the slider is 1/4 open I have a pretty hot temp.

If I had to remove the fire ring and fire box and clean out my egg every cook I probably wouldn't use the egg at all.

I have had my large for almost a year now and I haven't removed any insides yet. I do use the ash tool every one to two cooks sometimes I may go three cooks if the cooking time has been short. Only once have I removed the used lump and put in all new lump.

Since getting my egg I have cooked probably 5 to 6 meals a week.

I do, stirr the used lump to get the small ash to fall through the bottom grate on every cook. Sometimes the grate moves and I have to slide the used lump up the side of the egg and reset the grate, then clean out the ash.

For 250° to 170° My lower vent is at 1/8: to 1/4" and the top vent is slider closed and pettles 1/2 open. You are going to have to learn where your vent settings need to be for different cooking ranges. I am not sure if you are going to be able to determine those settings until you are able to get your egg stabilized.

It sounds to me like you are chasing your temps. It was hard for me to learn to leave the vents alone and really let the egg stabalize.

I am assuming you know the difference in the white smoke and clear or clear blue smoke, when you get the clear smoke that is when you add the falvor wood. If I use chunks I don't soak. If I use chips and a longer I do soak and also make 3 foil tubs with soaked chips and some water in those tubs. This will usually get me flavor smoke through out the entire cook.

Some thoughts that might help you. Once temp is stabilized, if you put in a cold platesetter, or cold food (or both) the temp is going to dip, leave the vents alone, the egg will recover.

If you put in a lot of wood chips, the temp is going to drop and if too much is put in it will possibly tale a long time to revover, don't play with the vents.

Depending on what you use to start the lump, expecially fire starters or napkin or paper towl and oil, you will get a high temp reading due the the heat generated by those types of starting material. The majority of the time, after that inital spike the temp will settle down somewhat. The lump will take hold and bring the temp will again climb back up depending on if you had closed down the vent settings.

With as long as you have had your egg and as much trouble you have had with controlling the temp it might well worth you taking the time to do a test burn to learn the vent settings on your egg.

The only time I have come close to experiencing what you are experiencing is with my medium and if my lump is mostly smaller pieces (the size of 50¢ pieces).

Sorry this is so long but I hope it might be of some help.

GG

[Deleted User] · April 2008

You have lots of good info spread out over these replies.

1- Get dome up to temp and stabilize for a good 20 minutes before putting meat on.

2- Put platesetter in after coals are establshed but before you're up to temp. I find the platesetter restricts the airflow a bit. When you first put the platesetter in, the temp will drop until the platesetter warms up.

3 - for 250 cook, I have the bottom draft door open the thickness of a nickel and the daisy petals less than half open, sometimes only a crack. But set this when your platesetter is in and you get to within 50 degrees of your target. Then check in on it regularly over the next 20 minutes. If it's getting high or low, adjust the petals in a tiny increment, leave it and check again.

4- when your fire has been burning for at least 20 minutes, your platesetter has been in long enough to warm up, and the temp has been holding steady at your target, then you add the meat. The time it takes to get ready varies and has something to do with the batch of lump. Some take longer to burn off the dirty stuff.

Unknown · April 2008

Grandpas,

Don't apologize. I really appreciate you taking the time to type me such a long reply. All of this is great information and I'm just trying to soak up everything I can get, so thanks very much.

I've been on the phone with my wife and she's been chasin the temp everywhere from 250 to 350, so we might just have to write this butt off. We'll see when I get home, but from what I did last night and this morning and from what you guys have all written today I think I can see where I went wrong, so even if this one's shot we'll get her next time.

Trial and error. I really want to learn to use this thing right after having it for so long. Thanks very much for all your help.

Best,

Matt

civil eggineer · April 2008

It is suprising at first how much heat can be sucked up by cold meat or a pan of water.
When I am in a long low temp cook, the bottom vent might be open about an 1/8 inch in the begining and will require a little more open during the ned of the cook when the lump is running out.

Jawjajoe · April 2008

"Pan of water", you don't need to add water with the egg.

temperature control follow up

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