What an ordeal...woes on the BGE.

TxAggie · October 2010

So I am having a little party tonight and did some pork shoulders (13 lbs) for PP sandwiches.

****Plate setter woes****
One week ago I broke my plate setter by dropping the grate on it. It broke in 1 big piece so I figured JB Weld would fix it right up. Glued / clamped it up (3 days to set) and it looked like it was going to be OK. After last nights cook I went to take it out of the egg and it broke along the same JB Weld spot. Looks like 14 hrs made it a little brittle and it broke. :(

****Cooking woes****
I started the fire with the DigiQ and set it to 250 with the clip down the daisy wheel (pedals closed except enough for wire) attached to the dome thermometer clip.
Walked away and came back 1 hr later and had it beeping HIGH at 325. I had not put in the pork yet and thought to put it in and that will help drop the temperature a bit. Long story short, I fought the temp till 4 a.m. and it was still running hot. I figured it would just end up finishing a bit earlier and it did - around noon. My gasket is pretty fried so do you think that is why I had troubles like that with the temps?

Also, how many of you have had any luck JB Welding a piece more than once? If it is gone for good I will buy a new one and use the old one as feet I think when i use my pizza stone?

All in all the pork looks great and is sitting in a hot ice chest waiting to be pulled. :(

Little Steven · October 2010

TxAggie

The upper chute is the hottest part of the egg. Better to clip your pit probe to the thermo or the grid itself. I'll often double check my thermometer with a thermapen through the daisy and it is around 50* higher at a thermometer temp of 250*

Steve

Fidel · October 2010

Was the fan damper fully open? A lot of times that 10cfm fan will push a lot more air than you need.

And you should never put your food on the grid until your temps are stabilized. Wait the temps out or you'll find yourself chasing them for the duration - as you did this cook. The gasket is not likely the cause of your temperature spike.

Spring Chicken · October 2010

I realize that some Eggheads have successfully repaired broken plate-setters and even busted Eggs, but it has always been my opinion that some things just can't be repaired to the point where you trust them completely and without reservation.

I would cut / grind away the unusable parts and shape them into spacers or perhaps an indirect cooking tool. Then purchase a new one. You will probably sleep better.

Spring "Whether The Grid Strikes The Setter Or The Setter Strikes The Grid, It's Always Worse For The Setter" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

WessB · October 2010

I don't add my fan at all until I'm within 50° of where I want the guru to be...think blast furnace here, by letting it blow right from the time you light the coals...you almost gaurantee it will overshoot your setpoint and have a huge load of burning lump....

Lit · October 2010

I just recently got my Cyber Q but learned quickly if I use it to get the egg going then I set it way below where I want the temp to be and bring it up slowly. I had a hard time keeping the temp correct when I used the cast iron vent on top. I put the ceramic damper on when I did a brisket overnight and woke up and the temperature was exactly where I set it.

Grandpas Grub · October 2010

Haven't looked at the JB weld for a long time but as I recall the temperature rating is 450° (or so).

JB Weld is an epoxy so clamping it for 3 days probably isn't necessary, on the other hand it doesn't hurt either.

If your q2 blower vent slider was full open that is probably why you were fighting temperature. Close it down to 1/3 or 1/4. The available free air passing through the blower, when not running, can cause the temperature to overshoot. If the slider is full open it can overshoot a lot.

If you have large air gaps in your gasket, visible gaps, then maybe, just maybe that might affect the overshoot.

Many folks don't even use a gasket. The gasket on my large is so worn it almost isn't there and my q2 will hold temperature like a rock. Also when the blower is operating there is all kinds of smoke leaking out of the gasket area.

Overall, check the opening of the slider on the blower. It would be interested to hear how far it was open during your cook.

GG

TxAggie · October 2010

It was 3/4 of the way open so that might have been the issue. Looks like I will shell out the $50 for a new plate setter and look at using the old one for something else.

Next time I will not be adding the fan until after getting it to 250 in the dome. Then clip the probe to the grate and not the dome thermometer and set the Q to 225 with blower barely open.

WessB · October 2010

Sounds like the makings for success...and you can run the probe wires right in at the gasket..no need to bring em through the top vent..

Grandpas Grub · October 2010

WessB has a great suggestion for routing the probe wires.

I really had problems with the q2 until I learned to close the blower slider WAY down. The Stoker blower has a gravity 'flapper' that closes off the free air from passing through the fan into the egg.

Depending on what is used to light the egg will determine when I put the q2 or Stoker on the egg.

If using starting cubes, oil/paper towel or alcohol I will wait until the first burn off is complete then add the q2/Stoker. If using weed burner, MAPP or electric starter I will add just after lighting and before the dome reaches target.

GG

Gator Bait · October 2010

Hi Tx

JB Weld is good stuff but as GG mentioned only rated for 500º continuous and 600º intermittent. Perfect for repairing the radiator on my '93 Honda Civic but iffy on the egg. I have not tried Resbond™ 907GF Adhesive & Sealant yet. I contacted the company through their web site a few weeks ago for more information and have never heard back from them. The first of the week I am going to have to send them some hate mail and try and stir them up. The Resbond is rated from -300°F to 2300°F. Just about right for some of our northern egger's.

I have a DigiQII but have not used it in a while because of a bad probe but when I do use it I am most often doing a low and slow. I will light the egg in one place in the center with a MAPP torch and put my plate setter and everything else in right on top. This way everything is heating up at the same time. Next I will clip the pit probe to my grate and let the blower on the DigiQ control the air flow. I always leave my DFMT completely closed, the egg is not air tight and plenty of air will escape, the blower will do all the work. I have never had a problem starting the egg this way and have never had it over shoot. The DigiQ will bring it right to the set temperature and hold it steady as a rock.

With my DigiQ temporally down with a bad probe I have been brave and running all summer with out it. I have been finding thee egg much easier to control than I had expected. With a glance at Vent Settings, a Visual Guide by Grandpas Grub it is easy to get into the right ball park. GG's guide is found in GG's FAQ - Tips & Helpful Information, a great source of information if you have not seen it yet. For an over nighter I want my DigiQ back! I would sleep a lot better. :cheer:

Good luck,

kricks · November 2010

Looks like you can get it here. Will be curious how it works if you go that far.
http://www.superlogics.com/adhesives/epoxies/tc-adh-resbond-907gf-5/259-1499.htm

What an ordeal...woes on the BGE.

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