Long Slow Cook

Unknown · October 2003

I'm a new egger and am having difficulties in getting the temperature down and holding around 200 degrees for long periods of time (3 to 10 hours). Guessing that the amount of charcoal combined with vent openings is the answer. I have tried to just bearly leave an opening for the draft and no luck in keeping temp down for long times. Using less charcoal doesn't give me the option to crank it up afterwards for the finishing cook. Any suggetions or help greatly appreciated.[p]Steve

CR · October 2003

Chicago Egg, 200° is a hard temp to maintain; some have better luck than others. Remember that if your dome temp is 200° then your grid temp is probably in the 175° range.[p]I usually do low & slo cooks at about 250°-275° dome temp. I can maintain this very well with my lower damper closed to about 1/4 inck and my daisy-wheel almost completly closed.[p]What are you cooking that you need to be at such a low temp?

stike · October 2003

Chicago Egg,
how high is the temp before you try to "get it down"?[p]

Jeff J · October 2003

Chicago Egg,
When I started I thought I needed to get a good fire going and then chock it down to 200, which would kill the fire, then I'd relight. Anyway the way to go is ease up on your target temp, When I'm going for 200 for an all nighter, I load up with lump, light in the center, load in my plate setter, open vents and top till temp gets to 150 the close top and bottom to settings and adjust till I get to 200.

sprinter · October 2003

CR,[p]Not trying to be critical at all here but you may want to do just the opposite, open the top and close the bottom more. By nearly completely dampering the top and having the bottom 1/4 inch open you are allowing air IN but giving the burnt air/smoke noplace to go and therefore the food may get oversmoked or turn bitter from the "dirty" smoke. By dampering the bottom nearly closed and opening the top up a bit more, you allow minimal air in, just enough to keep the fire burning, while giving the burnt air/smoke plenty of room to escape and you are always putting "fresh" smoke onto the meat.[p]Again, just a suggestion or opinion and everyone knows what they say about opinions but thought I'd throw this into this thread as it has application to both your post and the original post.[p]When I cook low and slow I leave about a couple paper sheets of thickness open, at most, on the bottom and the top could literally be taken off but I leave the slide cover closed and the daisy open all the way. Plenty of exit room for the smoke and the temps stay rock solid about 250 or so.[p]Troy

CR · October 2003

sprinter, I disagree. The lump burns by air flow through the egg. If the top damper is closed down you are then restricting fresh air from entering through the bottom damper. In fact if you close the bottom damper to almost nothing and remove the daisy-wheel all the way you will have a difficult time controlling the temp because there will be a down-draft of fresh air through part of the open top as well as escaping hot gasses.[p]I control the temp mostly with the daisy-wheel; I close the bottom to minimize any abberations that might be caused by wind, etc.

sprinter · October 2003

CR,[p]I knew I should have kept my fingers off the keyboard, should have just left well enough alone on this one. But, since I'm already in it I'll stay in it for a bit I guess. I've never tried to control the temps with just the top vent so I cant comment on that technique. If it works for you, I say keep at it.[p]I DO know that what you say about it being difficult to control the temps without the top on is not necessarily accurate, at least in MY experiences. I've cooked many a low and slow, 14+ hour cooks and longer with NO TOP AT ALL, and the temp was rock solid at 250 or whever I wanted it. No downdrafts effected the temps at all. I find it much easier to restrict the INCOMING air to control the temps. Just my method of doing things. It is also my personal opinion that by letting the "used smoke" out I get a better tasting product by allowing the burnt and bitter smoke without recirculating it around the cooker. Again, MY OPINION based on MY EXPERIENCES with the egg and and other cookers/smokers.[p]Not a right or wrong answer here, everyone has their own techniques. If yours works for you, thats great.[p]Have a good one.[p]Troy

Unknown · October 2003

sprinter,[p]Looking to do some long and slow ribs and brisket. See you're cooking at 14 hours+. Sounds great. Any suggestions/receipts?[p]Steve[p]PS- For what ever reason, couldn't get a message thru to you via your email address.

Unknown · October 2003

sprinter,
Great post and right on the money.[p]Dave[p]

sprinter · October 2003

Old Dave,[p]Thanks for the support you old duffer. I THOUGHT this may get you to post a bit, I know your thoughts on the subject. Hope life and the contest circuit have been treating you well this summer. Drop me an email when you get a chance. Take care and smoke 'em if you got 'em.[p]Troy

sprinter · October 2003

Chicago Egg,[p]Man, I've typed more onto this forum today than I have in the past 6 months. Teach me to open my big mouth.[p]E-Mail address should be correct, I've received a couple from others regarding this thread so they must be getting through on the one thats on the post.[p]Troy the email again and I'll see if I can help you with the longer cooks.[p]Troy[p]

UnConundrum · October 2003

CR,
I can't imagine a downdraft problem.... you have hot air rising out of the egg leaving no room for cold air to fall....

CR · October 2003

UnConundrum, it's the same principle as when a lake or pond freezes over in winter. You have colder water falling towards the bottom as the warmer water rises until the top layer of water is cold enough to freeze.

UnConundrum · October 2003

CR,
Uhhhh, I'm familiar with that, and I'd agree in a pond or closed system. If you had a creek emptying into the pond, the results might be different, depending on creek water temperature, and the volume of water exchange. In the egg, you're pumping fresh air in the bottom, which exits the top. I don't think, unless you want to discuss the uncertainty theory, that the volume of gas venting the top would allow for downdraft... I could be wrong, but...

CR · October 2003

UnConundrum, try putting out your lump with the top open and only the bottom vent closed. There will be enough fresh air entering from the top to keep the lump going even though there is hot air is coming outat the same time.

Unknown · October 2003

CR,
Uh oh, sounds like the Ford/Chevy debate again - both seem to work but which one do you drive.[p]I fall into the bottom vent control mentality for the exact reasons that you used to justify the top vent control method - controlling the source of oxygen that is available to the lump will control the temp. I set the top much like you set the bottom and fiddle with the other control.[p]Since I started using an electronic temperature controller (which controls the bottom vent) I don’t really pay much attention to either vent much anymore (the setup is pretty much the same for all slow cooks). I’ve also seen a top vent control that works on the top vent.[p]So what method does everyone else use?[p]Oh yeah, I almost forgot - Chevy

CR · October 2003

pivotizer, I agree with you, either way will work. I like using the daisy-wheel because it is easier to make minute adjustments. By the way, using the top vent as the adjustment is the same principle as using Mickey T's rings. You, in effect, control the amount of available fresh air entering the bottom vent by controlling how much air(hot gases) can escape.[p]Ford.

Unknown · October 2003

CR,
I won't disagree that it works, or even that fiddling with the daisy is much more convenient. I do know that in most other applications (not lakes or ponds or rivers) I wouldn't opt for controlling the exhaust over the intake.[p]Car
Furnace
oven
pot-belly stove (just imagine controlling the temperature with the damper instead of the intake - cough...)
Industrial processes[p]I am not talking about ignoring the exhaust system, but I certainly do not control my truck's speed by restricting the muffler, but it would work in a pinch.

CR · October 2003

pivotizer, restricting or unrestricting the exhaust gases will work quite well. This is somewhat how afterburners work on jet aircraft. In fact the way a jet engine works is much more similar to the operation of the BGE than a piston engine.

Unknown · October 2003

CR,[p]Yikes, I hope your friend sitting right-seat doesn't see your post about afterburners. Or maybe I missed the fuel injector option on my daisy wheel.[p]Betcha you could really Trex a steak with you afterburner.[p]Just kidding, obviously we agree on controlling air flow, so next time I’ll give you’re method a try – I’ll let you know if I like it better.

Unknown · October 2003

<p />CR,
Drat, I'm wrong again. Here I thought your engine reference was just plane silly, but there is proof out there.

CR · October 2003

pivotizer, is that the new Boeing Green Egg(BGE)?

HighMedLow · October 2003

Chicago Egg,[p]I've been basing my cooking and expirements w/ BBQ's based on the "Rumford design"'s - you can't go wrong.

Unknown · October 2003

CR,[p]Yep - 7E7 - they don't say what E stands for though.

Fairalbion · October 2003

sprinter,
It would be interesting to actually TEST the two methods side-by-side.
I would hypothesize that the 'Bottom controlled/top open method' might be susceptible to problems if you were doing a cook during cold weather. Would cold dense air trying to dump down into the egg have more success with larger top vent apertures than with smaller apertures?
Regards to all.

Wise One · October 2003

Chicago Egg, I've found it difficult to keep the temperature constant at a temp less than 240 using just the slide vent (bottom) and daisy wheel. Howeve using something like the BBQ Guru's controls (either the bottom mount with probes or the top mount with thermostat) or Mickey T's rings does a great job. If you're not willing to sit nearby and monitor it (which I normally am not) you may want to invest in one of these if you like cooking at low temps. However, I would also suggest that you may want to consider a slightly higher temp for most items.[p]ANd just to set the record straight, you CAN control the temperature with either the bottom or top vent (and the other wide open). I have done both and both will work. I still like a combination but for no particular reason.

Long Slow Cook

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