Pulled Pork Fiasco!

Unknown · June 2004

O.K. team, I need your help to get my confidence restored after my fiasco today. I've had my large BGE since Xmas, and really have enjoyed cooking everything that ain't movin. Last month I did 4 butts in a marathon 20 hour cook using Old Dave's extended grill method and indirect with drip pan. Came out great!![p]The month before that I tried another overnighter for brisket, only to find my fire had gone outin the middle of the night. In all cases, I clean the firebox, take the box and ring out and clean everthing --and I follow Elder's guidelines for starting and coal load.[p]This month I got the Pitminder especially for overnighters. Tried it out on a 5-hour rib cook, and it worked great.[p]Today, I tried to cook 4 butts again, planning to use the Pitminder and get some sleep without worrying over the fire going out. Loaded with large pieces of lump in bottom, then smaller pieces, then larger pieces. Lit the coal in 4 places (12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock), bottom grate open and daisy off, and watched the temp climb to 350 deg.--as usual-- when coal was catching, then temp began down to 250 deg as usual. At that point, I attached the Pitfinder, which closes the bottom vent, and cracked the Daisy a small amount, just like on my successful butt cook last month.[p]After about an hour, it was obvious that Mr. Temperature was not going to come down, even with the "good setting" on the Daisy. The Pitminder was kicking on and off as usual. In any event, the temp went up to almost 380 deg, and I couldn't bring it down--even by removing the Pitminder and closing the Daisy. When i looked in the firebox, I saw that most of the fire was down in the lower coal--none on the top. My butts were burning, so I shut everything down, pulled the butts off, scolded and cussed my Egg, and lit up my trusty Weber Smoky Mountain for the rest of the evening cook. Old WSM came up to 225 deg and was happy. Cook on WSM going smoothly.[p]I am coming to a conclusion that the Egg is a great, versatile grill/smoker (and I really do love it) but for long, overnight cooks-with a big load-- it is a fussy tempermental thing, and I still think the WSM beats itfor that type of cooking.[p]Now that I've committed heresy, please give me some comments on what went wrong today so I can get my Egg religion back!![p]Thanks,
Joe

The Naked Whiz · June 2004

VAEgger,
Why do you let the temp get up to 350 and then drop down? I'd recommend you approach your target temperature slowly from below. Once you allow the ceramic to heat up, it is hard to get the temperature down. I suppose that once you allowed it to get up to 380 and it had been there a while, the ceramic was just too hot to allow the temperature to get down in the mid 200's for a long time.'[p]If you read about my first overnighter, you'll see that I dumped a chimney full of red hot coals into the egg and had it up to 400 degrees as I recall. However, I put the plate setter and the meat in right away and when I closed the lid, the temp was down to 200 or so and I was then able to creep up on 230. So, I think you just allowed the ceramic shell to get too hot before you started controlling the temps.[p]TNW
[ul][li]My First Overnighter[/ul]

Unknown · June 2004

VAEgger,[p]Just because i'm curious what kind of charcoal are you using? I have had a similiar problem controling my fire when I haven't cleaned out the ashes in a bag or so of coal. It's strange that you have had many successes and tonight a setback. How long have you had your egg? I also have an alternate method of smoking but enjoy the attributes of the BGE the best. I underestand your frustration and hope that we can find a way to solve your problem.

Unknown · June 2004

VAEgger,
For a long overnighter..low temp, try lighting the fire in one place...dead center. When the starter goes out, the starting temp will be much lower.[p]Dan

Unknown · June 2004

The Naked Whiz,[p]Yeah, why don't you manage the fire in the Egg the same way you do in the WSM?[p]Lee

Unknown · June 2004

The Naked Whiz,[p]Think you're right on with my poor temp control method. next time it will be light in center and keep initial temp down. My Pitminder never had a chance![p]Thanks!

Unknown · June 2004

QSis,[p]Biggest difference between WSM and Egg. In my WSM, I use the "Minion" method of dumping a chimney lighter of briquets into the fire box, then dumping unlit coal to the top of the firebox. Temp comes up quick and precise to 225 deg.--and stays there all night long, no fuss.[p]I'm still looking for the secret on the Egg.[p]Thanks!

JSlot · June 2004

The same method would work in the Egg with lump charcoal. Light some in your chimney, put it in the bottom and fill with fresh charcoal. My most stable long burns come when I have a minimal amount of hot coals left from grilling dinner the night before a long cook. I just dump fresh charcoal over the lit coals and fill to desired level, put in the cooking setup I want, and then adjust the dampers to their normal position. Works every time.[p]Jim

ChefRD · June 2004

VAEgger,
Well, since you committed heresy, here is my take on your cook.
I've never used a WSM but I think you control the airflow thru the bullet with the little circular things that plug the holes on the bottom and top of the cooker. (If I'm wrong, forget the rest of this )

The Egg is pretty much the exact same. You can shut off the bottom vent and the top and I guarantee you that you will kill the fire, (assuming all is normal).[p]If you have a pitminder cycling a fan off and on in the lower vent, with the daisy cracked a little then I am not sure what temperature you will finally achieve. But if your fire went up to almost 380 then you can be assured you were getting too much oxygen to maintain a low temp like 250 degrees. [p]So it seems to me that you did build a really good bed of coals and they were ready to burn a long time but "somehow" they must have got too much air to slow down the combustion rate and thats why you couldn't get the temp down to 250. If you do have a good fire base and some incoming air it can be hard to lower the temperature down to that level. But that has nothing to do with the cooker design, thats just plain physics. More air=More Heat (assuming fuel is the same )[p]But FWIW I just use one fire cube right in the middle, on top, of the coals for an overnighter, and creep up to 250 slowly. [p]I've never tried lighting a fire in 3 or 4 places to start a slow fire and I've had only a handful of problems doing lots of overnight cooks. They were not all perfect, but not enough problems to make me change my method.[p]HTH,
later,
ChefRD[p][p]

WilliamH · June 2004

VAEgger,
My two cents is to light the coals just enough to know they won't go out. Set the pit minder to the cook temp. If you're worried about it getting too hot then first set it to 50 degrees below your desiired cook temp. After it reaches that, then set it to the cook temp. Good luck and keep the faith.

jwitheld · June 2004

VAEgger,
for low and slow i light i 3 places around the edge. then let my guru bring it up to temp. however i do put aluminum foil over the fan nozzel with about 5 small holes poked in it (ink pin tip). this severly limits the air flow and temp is achieved slowly with almost no overshoot.
finished my 4th since starting wednesday today at 2pm.
the second and third i just dumped in more lump.

GaDawg · June 2004

VAEgger,
You've already received good advice, but here's what I
do.... I light hot fires in 3 spots from below with fire
starters, I light low temp fires in one spot (the middle),
from the top, with one fire starter. There's more than one
way.... but this is one of the many that work.[p]Chuck

singram · June 2004

VAEgger,[p]Where did you have the temp probe for the Pitminder? If the fan was still cycling on and off then the Pitminder did not think the fire was too hot (certainly not 150* too hot). I usually clip my probe to the dome thermometer (which is a Tel-Tru) so at least the two will agree. Also, have you checked the calibration on your dome thermometer, it could be misleading you.[p]BTW, when I'm doing low and slow with my Pitminder I start the fire in one place, center left to right, but about 1/3 back from the front. The reason I do this is one of the first times I used my Pitminder the fire smothered itself, I had lit it in the center back and the fire had burned underneath the charcoal as it came towards the fan, then it smothered itself. I have to admit that I take very little care building my fire, I just dump the charcoal in and stir it around a little, but I've had no problem since I started lighting it towards the front.[p]Hope that helps,[p]Steve

Unknown · June 2004

Many, many thanks to everyone for the help--what a Forum!! No doubt an apology is due me to my BGE (maybe on my knees) as we all agree that my big mistake was in letting the fire get away before the Pitminder could act. And I think I'll go with a single lighting spot at center/front.[p]Gonna try again this weekend. Hope I wasn't excommunicated![p]Thanks Again,
Joe

Bamabob · June 2004

VAEgger, if you have the new Pitminder E-temp (sounds like you do) you might also consider adjusting the slide damper on the fan nozzle. It gives you even more control over your temps.

tach18k · June 2004

VAEgger, What comes to mind is the many lightings of the lump, My last slo cook I just got 3 small spots hot, with a full load of lump, nothing preheated, it almost sounds like you had way too many lump chunks fired up and it ran aqway from you right from the start. Also you stated your fireminder hept running on and off, sounds like the tepm it not calibrated correctly, if your 350 and you want 250 it shouldnt fire at all. I would try a ful load of lump light in one spot maybe the middle with a mapp torch, watch it rise to 250 and then damper it down and wait an hour for it to settle down then put the meat on.

Unknown · June 2004

VAEgger, just read down the this post from you and it's as far as I need to go to tell ya, you got it! Even without the pitminder your assesment now would be accurate, and your future modifications are too.

Love Handles · June 2004

VAEgger,
Used a Guru for the first time last weekend. I made sure to attach it to the thermometer in the dome so the temps were similar. Worked like a charm. Cooked for 13 hours and never went up or down in temp. Keep trying. See-Yaa

Brobear · June 2004

VAEgger,[p]I did a butt this weekend for 16 hours. I don't have any temperature control gadgets. I cleaned my large out of all ash, and filled with lump nearly to the top of the fire ring. I started the lump in the center with an electric starter. I assembled the egg with plate setter, drip pan, grid, v rack, and butt, closed the lid, opened the dome and bottom vent, and let the temp rise to 230 or so. I then closed the vent to about a half inch, and the daisy slots were about half open. At this setting, the egg stayed at 240 to 220 for 12 hours. At 12 hours, the internal temp with a regular old thermometer was at 155-160. I bumbed the bottom vent open slightly and raised the temp up to 250. I left it alone for another 4 hours, and upon lifting the lid, the internal was at 195 and removed the butt. [p]I am still a novice, but it seems to me the temp control is pretty easy without the electronic devices. I did break down and by a polder so that I won't have to raise the lid to check internal temps.

Pulled Pork Fiasco!

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