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hot spots

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batfire
batfire Posts: 19
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Med. BGE, I use fire starters (2). The egg gets up to temp quickly but where the starters were that area will be hotter, of course. The longer it goes it evens out. So if grilling chicken leg quarters direct, I have to rotate them. Maybe this normal, only my second week using the BGE and loving it !
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  • WessB
    WessB Posts: 6,937
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    batfire,
    I typically only use 1 starter, but what I would suggest to you is to merely let it satbilize at your desired temp for a little longer...once your happy its holding your desired temp give it another 10-15 minutes, then throw on your meat. That should allow enough time for the burning coals to even out more. Or you can just continue to rotate as you are, nothing wrong with that if you dont mind doing it...HTH[p]
    Wess
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  • TRex
    TRex Posts: 2,714
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    batfire,[p]After your firestartes have burned up and your coals are burning good in those spots, just take your ash tool and stir the coals around a bit to more evenly distribute the hot ones. That should help.[p]You'll likely always have hot spots, though, no matter what, just because the air distribution into the firebox is not symmetrical. Often when I do something like chicken, when I'm cooking over a direct fire, I will use an elevated grid which helps lessen the effects of hotspots since you've moved the food further from the coals.[p]TRex
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    TRex,[p]Even if the air distribution is symmetrical, there can still be hot spots. A hot spot in the middle is symmetrical but it is still a hot spot and can affect cooking. From my observation, even if you have an evenly distributed bed of coals, it will be hotter in the center and can result in uneven cooking.[p]P.S. - You probably already knew I was anal retentive.
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  • TRex
    TRex Posts: 2,714
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    Yes, I did. But, good point nevertheless.[p]Perhaps instead of "symmetrical" flow I should have said "evenly distributed across the cross-section of the bottom of the Egg in a direction perpendicular to the ash grate" flow. I suppose the ash grate with holes tries to accomplish this - a pseudo-orifice effect, if you will - but, alas, that center-bound symmetrical hot spot prevails!![p]Maybe you're anal retentive but I'm clearly a dork.[p]:-)
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