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lo and Slow help with BGE

Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ Posts: 1,152
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Normally I have been using the egg for grilling. Want to try to do a couple of Butts. When you start the fire do you use the 6-12-6-12 method or do you do it from just one side. For the guru users about where do you keep the vent opening for the fan. Looking forward to trying this. It is a little embarassing that it has taken this long. Will be using Whicked Good and apple wood chunks

Thanks

Comments

  • Big George's BBQ, I try to light the lump in three places out from the center.

    I use my guru to stabilize my egg at 250 clipped low on the dome probe. I have the meat probe connected to the guru with no meat and outside the egg until stabilized.

    I open the damper on the pit viper until I put the meat in then, I close it part way.

    Hope this helps some. Have a great cook. :) Tim
  • Usually when I do a low and slow, I'll start the fire right in the middle. It will spread outward over time. Unlike grilling, it is not important to have red coals evenly distributed across the charcoal bed, because the plate-setter will even the heat out.

    I sometimes use a Stoker (when sleep is important), but I still like to do manual control when I can. When using the Stoker, the daisy holes are about half open for a while, then I find that I get tighter control if I shut them to only 1/3 open before I go to bed.

    If you do manual control, you will likely find that the daisy will end up with holes around 1/3 open, and the bottom vent will be somewhere between 3/8" open down to just credit card width depending on your egg and your target temperature (If you go down to 200 degrees, that bottom vent will just barely be open)

    I like to get the dome temperature up to approximately where I want it before I let the Stoker take control. IMHO, the Stoker is way too aggressive in getting the egg up to temperature at first, and will generally overshoot.

    Don
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    read elder wards full 4 part writeup, its in the recipe section and on the naked whiz site. make sure to get all 4 sections. change his cooking temp to 250 dome, write that on the instructions. its a good read that addresses most every question. in reality its just an indirect cook at 250 dome that takes along time so dont sweat it, its an easy cook with superior results, really hard to mess up
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    I'd say go without the guru for a few low cooks to be sure YOU can do it. ;)
  • Light in three spots and set the Pit Viper to 1/4 open. In the fan slider you can see the marks, just look down the opening of the fan to see how the damper will close it or open it. 250* dome or 225* grate temp, (if you use a BBQ Probe Tree or clip it to the the meat probe near the wire or directly to the grate, just make sure it does not touch your meat. Close the daisy wheel down to the width of a toothpick and check it when you wake up from your sound sleep. enjoy and let us know how it worked out. If you have a some cherry, add that to the apple, really nice flavor for the butt.

    Smokin'Stogies in Exton, Pa with my wife and our four dogs; Sully and Boo the Newfoundlands, Murphy the Irish Setter and Alli the Beagle/Lab mix. 

    Eggers Prayer-

    Our egg, which art in sizes, hallowed be thy smoke, thy will be grilled, at home as it is at eggfest. Give us this clay our daily brisket and forgive us our rubs, as we forgive those who gas grill against us, and lead us not to flashback but deliver us from overnighters. For thine is the grill, the smoke, the egg. Let's eat!

  •  
    As mentioned above Elder Ward's instructions are a good read.

    I don't light the lump in one single spot any more. I have had a vertical burn with out using a guru and I have had a vertical burn using the guru.

    I light in three to 4 spots, 3, 6, 9 o'clock and center and make sure I don't overshoot the target temperature.

    When the dome gets to about 200° I put the guru (or stoker)on. My gasket is getting pretty bad so I close down the DFMT completely. If the gasket is in reasonable shape then open the petals on the DFMT about the width of a toothpick.

    I have the 10cfm blower and on the guru restrict the airflow to 1/4 - 1/3 open. The Stoker has a auto damper and it closes anytime the blower is not running.

    A log of ways to accomplish what you are doing and all of the above methods work.

    If you have a guru or Stoker use it. For me it is kind of like having to go shovel snow. One can put on some Levis and a jacket, go out and get to work. Or, one can start up the snow plow, get it a warm cabin and then go push the snow. Same results.

    GG
  • NC-CDN
    NC-CDN Posts: 703
    I connect the guru to the lower vent and it's sealed nicely. The top daisy wheel only has some small cracks. Not wide open or even medium. Just enough to allow some air flow. I attach my probe to the grid, rib rack or whatever I'm using to be at the same level as the meat I'm doing. Dial it in to 250 or whatever you like and that's it.

    Like others have said. I do the same. I light in 1 place and let the fire spread from there. IT don't matter how fast it goes. I still get my 250. Some like the coals to completely light up and then dial it down. I don't do this at all. 90% of my lump isn't lit when I leave for the night. Good or bad, it's what I do.

    Oh and I light the lump before actually firing up the guru. I let it at least burn the cube or other propellant before getting it set up. I don't put the wood in until the fire is going either. Some like to have it burning until clear, but I spread my wood throughout the lump so some of it won't see fire until the morning or middle of my cook so I can't see a benefit.

    Good luck. ENjoy.