Butt and Chuck Roast on - Temperature Control still baffling to me at times how to keep below 300???

DoofusOfTheDay

Had the Egg setup up to do low and slow for Butt and Chuck Roast.  Put the butt on earlier than the Chuck as it needs a little more time.  I still continue to struggle to keep the Egg below the 300 mark.  I fill up my redneck coffee can chimney starter with coal and a couple of pieces of newspaper on the bottom, it gets nice and going and dump it.  I leave it in the egg to get going and it gets hot enough it starts some of the coal below it it's sitting on.  Coal is up pretty close to the bottom of the fire ring.  I immediately close the lower vent to like maybe 1/8 to 1/4 inch.  I am using the stainless steel top hat and have it like at 1/4 inch-ish.  Still egg climbs to around 320 dome temp.  

Am I starting with too many hot coals?  Too much coal in the firebox?  

I guess it's not too terribly hot as the difference in grate temp and dome temp is close to 40 degrees difference when I checked once.  Or something like that.

Scottborasjr

I'm assuming you have calibrated your dome thermometer already.  I would guess you are just starting with too many hot coals.  When doing a low and slow cook I try and start the initial burn with lump no larger then a baseball to softball size if that makes sense. 

DoofusOfTheDay

Scottborasjr said:

I'm assuming you have calibrated your dome thermometer already.  I would guess you are just starting with too many hot coals.  When doing a low and slow cook I try and start the initial burn with lump no larger then a baseball to softball size if that makes sense. 

yeah calibrated.  Okay I am starting with at least double or triple what you recommend.  I suspected that might be the issue.  Is there any strategy or recommendation when doing low and slow to put all the hot coals say to one side, vs. right in the middle?

Scottborasjr

I typically use either fire starters, a oil soaked paper towel, or a torch and always light in the middle. So I  really have no experience using a chimney starter.   I think most that light off of center go  either forward or backward as opposed to one side or the other.  I also think that each egg is somewhat unique in it's lighting properties depending on how well the dome is aligned, what condition the gasket is in, how well the bottom vent is sealed, etc. 

SMITTYtheSMOKER

You've started the fire too big to start with. IMO  Cut down the "can" time to allow the fire to grow slower and allow you to throttle it down in the zone you want to cook in.  A gasket failure can also be a culprit here, have you checked your seal?

DoofusOfTheDay

Seal is good, yeah I think am just starting with way too much hot coals.  

DoofusOfTheDay

Well Butt and Chuck are done.  Huh, Butt and Chuck, could be a comedy team or country duo.  Anyhoo, getting a little better at trusting when it's done by feel and not so much temperature.  If it feels like poking into butter, pull it, and FTC.  Wife due home in about an hour with my youngest who's practicing for High School State Dive meet coming up this week.