Unable to achieve temperature in excess of 550 degrees

Unknown

Recently, I have been unable to convince my Egg to get much above 550 degrees. As we all know, a great seared steak requires 600-650 degrees. To give some backgroun, I have a large big green egg that I use only big green egg charcoal on. My ash area at the bottom is not full and I have fairly recently calibrated my egg thermometer.[p]However recently, with both top and bottom vents wide open for 30+ minutes (from initial charcoal starting) I have been unable to get my Egg in excess of 550 degrees. [p]Any thoughts, suggestions or recommendaitons would be greatly appreciated.[p]CF

badbruce

Hi Cliff,
The ash collection area & the bottom of the my Egg does not need to be full to restrict air flow. If it's a small amount of ash you can push it to the rear of the Egg with the ash tool otherwise rake it out. Also try giving the charcoal a good stir.
HTH
bruce

Mark Backer

Cliff,[p]I don't know how long you've had you Egg, but the recipe for heat is almost always the same. air + fuel. So, the question is are you short air or fuel, and I'm guessing air. I would fill the firebox with lump, light a couple of spots and leave the lid up for 30 minutes and see what happens. [p]Before that though, you might want to clean out what's in the firebox and below the grate, and if your fire box is intact, take it out and scoop out what's spilled thru the vent holes. If it's been a few months (or years) you may just not be getting enough air to the fire. [p]HTH

Martini Mark in PTC

Cliff,
If you have the time, remove all the interior pieces of your egg & give it a good cleaning. Sometimes it will pack up underneath where you can't reach it with the ash tool. If ceramic, make sure your grate is still intact. Mine broke & crumbled during one cook & just about clogged the entire process. I replaced it with a cast iron version that actually has more holes & I think allows for more air movement through the egg. Fill with charcoal - if you're down to the last few clumps in the bag, don't toss in the dust, it can choke the fire too. Add enough to take the level just close to the top of the fire ring, if you're doing a hot sear. Too little combined with a clogged egg can result in lower temps. Also, if you ever get the chance, switch to the Wicked Good Charcoal. You won't need as much as you do now & because it is denser, it gets much hotter. Good luck!

RRP

Cliff, you've been given excellent advice from others already, but I know with my large there is little likelihood I could reach 550 to 600 within 30 minutes. Give it more time unless you are lighting the lump in several spots. Another sure fire trick to blast temps is to light your BGE from under the grate - yup, I said under. Toss a Weber cube into the center through the bottom vent and the up draft will light the coals which in turn will feed the fire more and more. May sound unconventional but it works for me.

StumpBaby

Mark Backer,[p]Mark...Mark..Mark...you're missing one element of the equation.[p]Heat equals air + fuel of all things FIRE![p]
Seesh..imgine the poor guy standin there..all loaded up with fuel..and all air vents wide open..and yet...nothing is heating up. [p]How are you going to seel all that lump with recipes like this ?[p]If you'de like..I can send you some matches..they makem rite up the street here..and they come with thier own scratch pads to get them to work. Oh yeah....since they don't come with instructions..I can type some up for you and put them in the bex when I ship them to you..so you can give them to folks along with your fixed recipe for heatr..and know that the lump will light appropriately[p]Let me know.[p]Oh yeah..and to the guy whos egg is not gettin up to temp. Remove everything..all the guts..and clean that puppy out. The same thing just happened to me with my small. There was so much ash under there blocking up all them little holes..man it wasn't rite..looked kinda like a hundred dusty ol hemmeroids cloggin up a big ol ceramic sphincter...least that's what I thought when I seen it..but I did just watch somethin interestin on the discover channel just before that..so I mighta had my head in some wrong frama mine or somethin from watchin that...Anyway I cleaned out that dust clogged ceramic sphincter of mine and it sure worked much better after that.[p]Oh..I might as well post a joke here while I'm at it... I heard Beulah tellin her stuffed bear this the other day..but somehow it deosn't seem right when I say it. [p]
I'm gonna blow this town
and boy will my lips be sore[p]StumpBaby

tach18k

Cliff,>>>>However recently, with both top and bottom vents wide open<<<<[p]A key point here, is the "top vent" do you have the daisey wheel on or off when starting?
The bottom vent should be wide open and nothing on the top hole.
The second point is, have you ever got to 700+ degrees?
And the last is has the lump been in a damp location where it might have picked up some moisture, which will cause a long start and low temps

FlaBQ

From your description, it sounds like this may not be the problem, but make sure the cutaway vent in your firebox is aligned directly with the bottom draft door so that air flow at the bottom is unimpeded and can go straight up through your burning lump.
Good luck!

The Naked Whiz

RRP,
Whoa! Are you using some kind of slow charcoal? With something like Royal Oak/BGE/Real Flavor, I can be to 700 in 10 minutes.
TNW

Mark Backer

The Naked Whiz,[p]Me too. Heck, with the egg cleaned out and the lid up, I can get wicked good to nuclear in about 20 to 30 minutes.

RRP

The Naked Whiz,
Royal Oak
1 Weber cube in center only slightly buried
vent wide open
dome down
no daisey[p]Same way as I've always done it.

Trouble

The Naked Whiz,
Wow, I'd love to get there that fast. I use three starter cubes in a triangle, full load, new lump. It's at least 20 minutes before it really takes off. Once it does, though, one best not walk away because it goes from 350 to 900 in just a few (5?) minutes.[p]Trouble

RRP

You know the more I think about it there has to be other issues. Just take my small for instance. I'm one of the lucky ones who can bury the needle, yet it's not unusal for other people to report they can't. I think the highest I've ever had my large has been to nearly 800, but the issue here was time. You say you hit 700 in 10 minutes - I'm still under 200 at 10 minutes. So there must be something that is slightly different - CAUZ not all eggs are created equal. Same thing pertains to gaskets - some edges fit so well no gasket is needed. Others are so wavy to make a sailor boy sick!

fishlessman

RRP,
i replaced the lower section of my egg last fall, and the replacement is much slower than the origional. what ive noticed is that the lower damper on the new bottom is way to the left on the mounting bolts. it doesnt permit the door to open as much as the older bottom i had. what used to take 1 beer for temps to get up, now takes 2. not much of an inconvenience

stike

Cliff,
...i think that's the problem

HolySmokes

StumpBaby,
I've said it before, and you're proving it nicely, Stump, you are
one sick puppy! I say it with all the love that implies, get help![p]If this thing has a sphincter, it'd have to be at the top, considerin' the 'air'flow...
c'mon, you're the scientist here, I've seen your work.
HS

Unknown

Cliff,
If you want to get to a high temp quick, fill the box with lump, I use Royal Oak. Pull back the center of the lump making sure the air holes are open on the grate and the sides of the firebox.Start the fire in the center of the grate, I like to use green gell in the pack. Put some of the green gell around the other lump. As soon as you get the gell lit, stack some nice pieces like you were making a camp fire in the center of the lump. Open the bottom all the way, NO daisy on top and with this setup, I have to close the vent within 12 to 15 minutes to keep it from going Nuclear ( 800 plus ).[p]Jerry