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First Egg Cook Under My Belt

TonyA
TonyA Posts: 583
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum
I decided on St. Louis cut ribs for my first cook.  I think overall they came out very good.  I do have some questions. 

There's no mystique  to what I did, I filled the firebox with lump, lit it with 2 of the little lighters, wrapped my plate setter in foil, oiled my grill grate, closed the lid with full open vents and went in to prep my meat. With the ribs washed, membrane off and trimmed, I oil my ribs lightly then add rub.  I had soaked some wood chips.  I added the chips, the plate setter, the rack, the ribs and a grate thermometer...

The grate temp immediately dropped to 135.  I pretty much had to run the thing flat out for almost an hour before I got to about 270 deg which was in fact my desired cooking temperature today. Once I adjusted the vents (about a thumb's with open on the bottom and half open on the daisy wheel), my temperature only varied about 15 degrees for the duration of the cook.  

They went on at 12:45 and were off by 5:15. I then rested them for 20 minutes wrapped in foil.  They came out very good.  The meat was tender, bit clean and pulled clean from the bone.I would not hesitate to do a higher heat cook again.  

I don't want to warm the place setter in the oven and i'm not terribly crazy about reaching in and pulling it out then putting it back .. although I suppose it can be done without too much trouble.  Any suggestions there are welcome. 

Comments

  • Duganboy
    Duganboy Posts: 1,118
    I haven't experienced that big of a temperature drop when adding the ribs, but bottom line the ribs were good and 4.5 hours is in the norm.

    I wouldn't make any major changes.
  • LizzieSamps
    LizzieSamps Posts: 894
    Tony, I have had that happen to me. I set out to get the egg going, then the food is ready, put the PS in then bam, the temp drops. I have figured out that if the fire is not really going well and when I put on the PS that it is inhibiting airflow which causes the lower temp. I have had to learn patience, wait until the fire is going nicely and that the egg has stabilized before putting in the PS. Wait a little bit again and then put the food on. I know it sounds like more time, but I like to not have to fiddle constantly. Remember as the veterans say, Enjoy the Journey!
  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583
    That makes sense Lizzie, I am coming from a drum and am in the habit of making very soft fires.
  • calracefan
    calracefan Posts: 606
    Temp is most probably dropping so far due to a big "chunk" of cold ceramic being placed in the egg.Light the fire, let it get established ,add placesetter, let egg stabilize at the temp you want, add your food, sit back and enjoy !
    Ova B.
    Fulton MO
  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
    Temp is most probably dropping so far due to a big "chunk" of cold ceramic being placed in the egg.Light the fire, let it get established ,add placesetter, let egg stabilize at the temp you want, add your food, sit back and enjoy !
    +1
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    Temp is most probably dropping so far due to a big "chunk" of cold ceramic being placed in the egg.Light the fire, let it get established ,add placesetter, let egg stabilize at the temp you want, add your food, sit back and enjoy !
    +1
    +2.  Once I get about a softball sized fire volume going (dome open along with wide-open lower vent) for low&slows, I load the platesetter, drip pan and grate shut dome and adjust vents to about where it should stabilize 250-280*F on the dome thermo.  Let everything come up to temperature and get stabilized then add whatever I'm cooking.  Temp will initially drop but will come back to where it was before the hunk of meat was added.  Then...enjoy the journey:)
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • TonyA
    TonyA Posts: 583

    Are you all using either chunks or a whole lot more chips then?

  • tyenic1
    tyenic1 Posts: 150

    It depends what I am smoking, but most of the time I do 3-5 big chunks of hickory or mesquite and along with that I will throw 3 handfuls of cherry or apple chips on as well. Not sure if that's the thing to do, but seems to work for me.

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    I use chips (since I have quite an inventory) and spread liberally throughout the lump load.  I figure "where there's fire there's smoke".  I equate about a good handful of chips to a chunk.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.