New Egger - Temp Questions

You'll figure it out... you're on track.. took me 4 or 5 times to figure out how to hold the higher temps, but i did it.. lower temps i'm still messing with but it's coming along. I use an electric starter.

Leave top and bottom wide open til you get to 300°, maybe even 325°. Pay attention though. Then start closing things down. You can adjust with top and bottom vents or with one, but not the other. Lately, I've just been adjusting at the bottom, no DFMT at all.

Skip the chimney. Get a torch. Paper towel with a light splash of oil, twist and light will work too.

First off keep in mind I am using an egg that has been cleaned out and has fresh lump or I am liting an egg using lump that has been burned before and has been stired so the ash falls off the partially burned lump and falls through the bottom lump grate and has been raked out.

I may do things differently than others and I may change to a better way but for now. Here is how I do it. I lite my lump with the top and bottom vents wide open. After a short time I close the dome and spark screen and watch the dome thermometer rise. If I want my egg to stabilize at 300° I will wait until the egg reaches 300° then close the bottom damper slider door one inch.

When the temp goes beyond 300° I close the bottom damper half way and wait. (Keep in mind the daisy wheel is still off)

When the temp goes beyond 300° close the bottom vent to about one inch open and wait.

When the temp goes beyond 300° close the bottom vent to about half inch open and wait.

When the temp goes beyond 300° place the daisy wheel on with the petals open and the slider half way.

As the temp continues to rise continue to close the slider until your egg stabilizes at 300°.

I may take 15 or 20 minutes maybe even longer. I often let my egg sit at my desired temp for up to an hour. This way all the bad smokes clears out and the egg will recover fast after putting a big chunk of cold meat in there. This way you don't have to chase the temps around just leave the settings where they are set at and the egg will recover in time.

Here is a post by Granpas Grub use it as a guide to stabilizing your egg.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=718915&catid=1

I also use a wiggle stick. http://thirdeyebbq.com/WiggleRods.aspx

Here is a very good post by Grandpas Grub.
http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=901811&catid=1

 
As you can see there are a lot of ways to light the egg and they all end up with a good stable temperature.

What you described is pretty normal depending on the starting material.

I think the following is covered in the Links 2Fategghead posted above.

With starter cubes, oil & paper towel, alcohol and such you will experience some of what you explained above. Using these or most any starter method that creates an initial flame you will experience...

Initial high temperature due to the flame up in the egg.

As the starter material burns out - you will see the initial fast temperature drop (no flame licking the upper area of the egg).

Then, a slow temperature climb - this is where you want to adjust your vents. About 30° below your desired cook temperature close down the lower vent to slowly reach your desired cook temperature.

I close the dome just after the starter material is fully light (30 seconds to 2 minutes after lighting - others will do it differently).

With MAPP or Propane...

Light the lump in 2 to 4 spots close the dome and adjust vents before reaching desired cook temperature.

There is a lot more to talk about on this subject, but for now I will leave it at this.

GG

With the cube starters, the first spike in temp is from the cube, fire not yet burning, wait for 1st spike to go down then on the 2nd rising of the temp start adjusting when about 50* from desired temp. Hope this helps