Help!!!!! (Again)

aturco

Put the 6# butt on @ 7:30 am...have not been able to get the egg over 200 degrees. Anyone out there have any suggestions? 

It seems to be stablized at 200, I have the damper at the bottom open about 3-4 inches and the daisy wheel open so the ovals are all showing. I would expect w/ those settings the egg would be roaring. No such luck at least per the dome thermo. The meat itself looks dry. 

Anyone have any suggestions? Pull it and put it in the oven?

thanks

a

nolan8v

Can you take pictures of the top and bottom openings?

Also, is our thermometer calibrated properly?

Ktim

The answer to your problem seems obvious to me. I think it is your lump, I have tried three bags of cowboy lump and had trouble with every cook with it. I have never had a problem with any other kind of lump. And make sure you have enough to in the firebox. Good luck!

tksmoke

There are a couple problems possible - first you say you have the daisy wheel open so all the ovals are showing.  Open the entire top so that it is a half to 3/4 inch at the widest spot.  If you still have any fire going, it should get up to temp within a half hour.  Just for kicks, you could completely remove the top, and it will come up much faster.  The second thing is your lump.  You have had so much trouble, why do you keep using the same possibly bad batch of lump.  Get ye to Home Depot or Wal*Mart and pick up some Royal Oak.  If opening the top vent doesn't do it, that will be your only option to get your cook on.  Please don't try again with the lump that has failed on every attempt.

If opening the top vent doesn't work, take the grid and the plate setter out (carefully).  Take a picture of the fire box so we can see how your lump is arranged and lit.  Then we can give you good information, not based on speculation.  Others have mentioned that you need to make sure the holes in the fire grate aren't filled with ash and small pieces of lump, and that the area behind the lower vent has had all the ash cleaned out to allow air flow...

Camben

I find it easier yo bring temps up instead of bringing them down. I fill it with lump almost to the plate setter. I use a propane torch to lit it and have the bottom vent open completely with the lid open. Within 10-15 minutes it's going really good. After about 20 minutes I close the lid with the daisy wheel half open and close bottom vent down to half way open. I adjust from there with small increments as I found the large to respond very quickly by adjusting the daisy wheel. You will drive yourself crazy if you keep making adjustments. Once things stabilized I can run with bottom vent open maybe an inch and the daisy with 1/2 the small vents open for 225-260 degrees. I'm thinking if you let it settle out you'll be fine. Good luck!

BigWader

Lots of great answers here already but I'll add to it anyway -

First I would ditch the Cowboy lump - I've never used it but hear way too many bad reviews to trust it on low and slow.  I think high ash content is clogging your vents - nobody mentioned a wiggle rod and this might help out more than opening vents to bring the fire back.

Second - catch the temp on the way up.  I use starter cubes for low and slow instead of my looftlighter.  As soon as they are going well in a couple spots and with the vents wide open I get the indirect piece (plate setter) in and close the egg.

It will smoke white smoke like crazy for a bit but when I see it clearing a bit, or before I'll put the daisy on and close the top vents down first and that usually starts to climb the thermo up to the target zone.

Third - Plan for lots of time before you are ready to put your meat on.  As my temps go over 200/225 I'm moving my vents close to where they need to be for a 250-275' cook.  It might take 45 minto 60 min or more but I usually climb slowly into that zone and sit there.

Four - when ready to get the meat on I move quickly and put my smoking chips or chunks into the hot spot of the coals and put the meat on...close the lid and don't touch the vents.  Wait an hour or more. I worry that too much air with the lid open will light more lump, cause an artificial rise in temp that I will want to close vents to prevent and then underfeed the fire and start chasing the temp.

If you slowly come back to temp and stay there you are pretty much golden.

One other thing.  I gave up on the BGE charcoal plate after dropping fire on a couple low and slows.  I used a wiggle rod periodically after that to make sure ash was clearing out of the vents.  Now I have a High-Que grate - I dump without sorting and don't have a problem.

thailandjohn

After rereading all the suggestions again, I sure am glad I use a Stoker.....

llrickman

If you have Ozark Oak available where you are give it a shot Best lump ive ever used myself and like everyone said  dont over think it  give it time to adjust

nolan8v

Ignore my post above. It was meant for another forum that I was trying to respond to.

My apologies.