Egg Temperature After Lighting

Joebobf16

This is my third cookout with the Egg and have had a great experience thus far but have started off a bit slow with the heat of the fire.  I use the Egg lump charcoal filled to just below top of the firebox as well as the firestarter cubes to light the fire.  However, after 10 minutes the temperature in the egg is only 280 and steady.  I have both the bottom vent and daisy vent for ventilation but the temperature won't go up.  Any ideas?

NPHuskerFL

Airflow. I'm probably a bit fanatical but, after every cook I shop vacuum out the fire box etc, and every 3rd or so cook I remove all the ceramics and shop vacuum everything out. If you can't control airflow you have no chance of controlling temperature.

Joebobf16

I have cleaned out the firebox after each cook, raked the coals and ensured the vent holes are clear.  The only thing I can think of is that maybe I filled the firebox with too much charcoal?  What is your technique to fill with charcoal?  How high should I fill with charcoal?  What temperature should I see after how long after lighting?

Little Steven

Firestarter cubes suck. I clean mine about every 20th cook if it needs it. Get a map torch

CP92

When are you shutting your dome? Let your fire get established before you close your dome. In lieu of that, I've resorted to blowing on my coals to get them moving.

Loosemoose

Little Steven said:

Firestarter cubes suck. I clean mine about every 20th cook if it needs it. Get a map torch

This!

Greeno55

I've had my egg almost two years, and it came with a free box of fire starter cubes. I quickly upgraded to the electric one and it worked well, but since going with this, I haven't used either for quite some time. I also have a small propane torch when I'm starting for a low and slow. Also, I agree with @CP92. Make sure you have a good fire going before you close the lid.

Mattman3969

If your dome is closed 10mins after lighting the cubes you are closing it way to soon and the only reason you are reading 280 is just from the intial heat burst from the cubes. Take 1 cube and cut it into 4 pieces, place them at 3-6-9-12 and light, cover them with smaller pieces of lump, go inside and have a beer, give it 15-20mins and once you have glowing embers shut your dome and leave vents wide open. Start shutting your vents when your within 100* of target temp and fine tune once you are within 50*.

loveTheEgg

try a loof lighter...best method IMO

Tjcoley

I've noticed an interesting thing lately.  Doing a number of 350 - 500 degree cooks.  Lighting from the bottom vent with oil soaked paper towels.  After about 5 -10 minutes, paper towels are burned up, and the coals are smoking a lot.  Close the lid, and continue to get a lot of bad smoke and temp goes to about 250 or so.  After another 5 - 10 minutes, still lots of smoke and temp stuck at 250.  Burp the Egg to a big flashback, close the lid and temp goes up to 400 degrees over the next 15 - 30 seconds, and bad smoke goes away . Start shutting down the vents and I'm ready to cook when stabilized.  Has happened the last 4 times I lit the Egg.

morgaj1

Tjcoley said:

I've noticed an interesting thing lately.  Doing a number of 350 - 500 degree cooks.  Lighting from the bottom vent with oil soaked paper towels.  After about 5 -10 minutes, paper towels are burned up, and the coals are smoking a lot.  Close the lid, and continue to get a lot of bad smoke and temp goes to about 250 or so.  After another 5 - 10 minutes, still lots of smoke and temp stuck at 250.  Burp the Egg to a big flashback, close the lid and temp goes up to 400 degrees over the next 15 - 30 seconds, and bad smoke goes away . Start shutting down the vents and I'm ready to cook when stabilized.  Has happened the last 4 times I lit the Egg.

You are closing the lid too soon.  The big flashback is your clue that you are starving the fire.

Tjcoley

morgaj1 said:

You are closing the lid too soon.  The big flashback is your clue that you are starving the fire.

Probably right, but it's a cool way to get rid of all the VOC's in one shot.  Takes about the same amount of time, and now that it is dark at dinner time, I love seeing the flashback in the dark.  Just have to be prepared for it.