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Fixed the "heat problem" with my BGE

tmuenster
tmuenster Posts: 35
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I posted this past week that my BGE was not heating up correctly. We were doing a rack of ribs and the darn BGE never got above 250 F. It was very frustrating. :pinch: The grill was a present from my wife. She was so upset that we discussed selling the Egg. Based on the advice from all of you wonderful people here, I did the following:
1. Calibrated the thermometer (it was fine and did not need any fine tuning)
2. Cleaned the egg (Not much ash in the bottom to remove so it was cleaned out in less than a minute)
3. Bought new charcoal (my source for BGE charcoal was closed so I got some Cowboy Brand at Home Depot)
4. Filled the Firebox up to the top with fresh charcoal
5. Lit the charcoal with a Map Gas torch that I normally use for soldering copper pipes
6. Waited 20 minutes with the top and bottom vents wide open

Well, let’s just say the BGE did not have a problem heating up this time. Within 20 minutes the grill was at 600F. I had 4 nice strips that I wanted to sear but we were waiting for our friends to arrive. Once we were ready to put the steaks on, there was a new problem. I could not open the BGE. The gasket had melted and sealed the top shut. I had to jam a screw driver between the lid and bottom to pry it open! I received a small, but painful :blush: , burn on my thumb that will remind me to always burp the lid fully. The great news is our steaks turned out perfectly! I never thought I could get such high quality grilling results at home. Learning to master the BGE will be a challenge but I am enjoying the experience. :) My wife knows that I want a BBQ Guru DigiQ for Christmas so hopefully Santa will get the message. I promise to be good. :evil:

Comments

  • fieroguy
    fieroguy Posts: 777
    The only ting required to use the Egg is COMMON SENSE!!!
  • mr toad
    mr toad Posts: 779
    may i add "common sense" and the many friends on the forum

    mr toad
    See no Evil - Hear no Evil - Speak no Evil
                        Smoke no Evil

    BGE - Mini, Small, Medium, Large
  • Yes, common sense is always a good idea. I think the BGE has such a cult following that it can be a little intimidating. As a former gas grill user, the BGE does take more time and patience but the product is sooo much better. I have not used my BGE for any "low and slow" cooking but I am looking forward to it.

    Tonight, I think I will try some pizza on the BGE. :cheer:
  • tjl5709
    tjl5709 Posts: 76
    tmuenster wrote:
    Yes, common sense is always a good idea. I think the BGE has such a cult following that it can be a little intimidating. As a former gas grill user, the BGE does take more time and patience but the product is sooo much better. I have not used my BGE for any "low and slow" cooking but I am looking forward to it.

    Tonight, I think I will try some pizza on the BGE. :cheer:

    Don't give up. I kept my gasser around for 2 years on the back porch thinking I would use for "quick" cooks after work. It sat there collecting dust, being used for storage. Never used it again. Finely wheeled it out to the curb.

    To get used to low/slow, grab some baby back ribs and try the car wash mike method.
  • Yes, I have my old Broilmaster sitting next to the BGE. The cover has not been off the Broilmaster for awhile now.

    Thanks for the rib info. I will try it out.
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Just remember that you sure don't need any special devises to slow cook. It's actually best if you learn to do it without any gadgets first. That way YOU have the skills and knowledge needed. Truth be told, I'm not sure I'll ever spend the $ on a guru or the like. It just has never been needed.
  • If you want a Guru or Stoker buy it. I love my Stoker. I know how to maintain temp without it (anyone can do it on a Egg), but the Stoker makes my life easier.

    Oh my buddy bought a Stoker before buying his Egg. He has always used it for low n slows. I see no reason why he should of waited to buy it and I have heard the arguments from some on here about it. It just makes zero sense to me and one of the reasons people should get a lot of opinions before forming their own.

    The Stoker and Guru are well worth the money IMO.