Temp Control

GBZee · January 2004

Been Eggin' for avout a week and some of the cooks required temps around 350. Not a problem, but to get it stable there, the bottm vent opening was only open about 1/4 inch wide and same with the top daisy wheel. Does that sound right? How the heck do you get the low and slow temps of 200 - 250?[p]When it's stable around, say 350, and you want to get it tp 300, do you mess with the bottom vent, top vent or both?[p]When putting in sokeing chips, so much smoke seems to escape out the top. Should you close the top as much as possible to keep the smoke inside and try to control the temp with the bottom vent only? or not worry about the smake going out.[p]Thanks all!
-george

sprinter · January 2004

GBZee,[p]Wow, get ready for some answers all over the board here GB, this is a pretty hotly contested topic. Not that anyone is right, just different ways of doing the same things. Here's how I control the temperature, others methods I'm 1000000% certain will vary.[p]I use the bottom vent almost exclusively to control the temp. In fact I sometimes take the top off to cook. Here's the reason I do it. Not saying its right but it makes sense to me. I like to cook with clean smoke. If I open the top and close the bottom I regulate the amount of air COMING INTO the egg. It burns and then goes out the top. Clean smoke is made by the fire and I get clean smoke on the meat. Now, should I do it the opposite way, close the top, open the bottom, I allow a LOT of air into the egg, it burns, smoke is formed, but it has noplace to go. The smoke circulates around the egg dropping creosoted particles around the inside of the egg and on the food, and generally makes a mess. SO, by regulating the incoming air I allow it to come in, do its thing to the meat, and leave through the top. Bottom line is I like to cook with clean smoke. I like to see smoke coming out the top. I dont like to see too MUCH smoke though. You want to put the chips in, let them burn a bit, then when the smoke turns somewhat clear you want to add the meat. That white smoke you see when you first add chips or chunks is bitter smoke. Let the wood burn a bit and that thick smoke clear and then you have good smoke. Dont worry, its not wasted, you still get the flavor you want even though it doesnt appear to be smoking at all. Its doing what it needs to do.[p]Now, your settings for 300 or so are right on. To maintain about 350 on my egg I have the bottom open about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. To cool it down I simply shut it down a bit. My low and slow cooks I have the bottom vent open just a HAIR, less than 1/16th of an inch at most. Keeps it perking along about 220-240 no problem at all.[p]Hope this helps. Get ready for some answers on this one, everyone has their way of doing it, top, bottom, both, you name it.[p]Troy

fishlessman · January 2004

sprinter, i almost always control the fire from the bottom and shoot for a very light smoke for my cooks. the only exception for me would be for very low temps, 150 to 175, for doing jerkey.i have found that i need to adjust the top as well as the botom for these temps. my setting for 225 on the bottom is about half the thickness of a credit card. on very windy days i may have to adjust the top also

Mully · January 2004

Welcome GBZee,
Well for starters I only know how MY egg reacts to drafting changes.The way that works for me is as follows.
Low n slow
I try to arange the lump to a certain extent with large lump on bottom smaller on top.Other methods can be found of aranging lump for the ultimate stack..search for Elder wards method here I beleive..?Someone here will correct me if thats not it.Anyhoo I light it in the back in just one spot and keep the lower vent about a 1/64 inch open or the thicknes of a credit card.The top daisy wheel is opened very little and for me I can hold 200°-225°every time.One thing about the egg that makes it a great cooker is it's awsome ability to hold heat and moisture.. thats 2 things,oh well.So when your doing low temp cooks you realy want to stay away from letting the egg get up way over your target temp of say 220°.The egg heats up much faster than it cools down..for me at least.So stack it ,start it in 1 place and take her to your target temp slowly and then throttle her back with the daisy to stablize..
Smoke?
I have found a little smoke goes a long way in the egg,I don't think you will need to keep the top closed to get a good smokey flavor!
Be careful with poultry it is a smoke magnet!!
Good luck
Keep on--Cookin on!
Mully[p]

CR · January 2004

GBZee, bottom-line is that you are controlling the amount of air allowed to go through the BGE. Controlling with either the top damper or the bottom works. In the end you are using the damper that restricts the most air to control with anyway. A good analogy is a garden hose. You can control the amount of water through the hose at either the input or the output; when all is said and done, it is the end that has the most restriction that is doing the controlling, regardless of where the other end is set.[p]Personally I use the top damper to control with as it is more granular in its adjustment. For most mid-range cooks I set the bottom about 1/2 open; for high temp cooks all the way open; for low&slo closed down very small. The reason I adjust the bottom at all is to reduce variations over time from wind, etc.[p]Your settings sound okay for the temp you were at. When I cook at 350° my bottom vent is 1/2 open and my daisy-wheel slide is closed and the daisy wheel itself is slightly less than full open. When I cook at 250° the daisy section is almost completly closed.[p]

GBZee · January 2004

GBZee,[p]Great information here for us new users. I was comcerned that air was getting in from somewhere, not even thinking that the bottom vent would ever have to be open less than 1/4 inch! I was even thinking that there would not be enough air going through at 1/4 inch to keep a fire going. It really says a lot for the Egg that it does these lo and slo cooks so well. I will soon get up the nerve to try one!
thanks!
-george

Chris · January 2004

Mully,[p]I did a smoked salmon for New Years and was afraid I would have trouble stabalizing at 100. I had the daisy wheel set to 99% closed and the bottom draft the same and was happy to find it stayed about 110 all 8 hours of the smoking. The salmon turned out great for a first timer, but next one I will only smoke for 6 hours. ( 4 pound fish fillet.) [p]

Unknown · January 2004

Sprinter,
You say you "sometimes" take the top off to cook. Can you please elaborate on when you dont and how you use the daisy wheel? I'm listening, Scott

Sundown · January 2004

sprinter,
Early on at one of the first EggFests (Waldorf that is) I was chatting with Goddess Cat waiting for her to finish "Cats Ribs". I noticed the daisy was nowhere in sight and all she was using was the bottom vent. Like you, it made sense to me , so I had to ask her just to be sure and most of my cooks are sans daisy. For lo 'n' slo I use MikeyT's rings usually a #2 with the bottom vent "just a hair" open and with that combo Mr. Egg chugs along at 250º for hours. Adjustment time to get there is a couple of cold drinks and less than half an hour.
Excellent advice to our new friends!!

sprinter · January 2004

Scott Borders,[p]Generally IF I take the top off its for cooks that are in the 3-400 degree range. There is enough air flow through the cooker then that the top really doesnt make that much difference, assuming you are controlling the airflow INTO the egg on the bottom vent. For low and slow cooks I like the daisy top on and open about full on the daisy portion, slider closed all the way. It gives a more stable temperature control that way and still lets plenty of air OUT to keep the smoke clean. No real hard and fast rule of when I cook with a top on and when I take it off, just whatever blows my hair back that day.[p]Troy

Unknown · January 2004

Sprinter,
Thanks for the advice.

Temp Control

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