Temperature Control - or lack thereof

DoofusOfTheDay

Temperature Control on my BGE continues to be an issue for me.  Mainly, I can't maintain a lower constant temp.  Today, wanted to try a Dr. BBQ Flat Brisket recipe.  It calls for 235 indirect cooking.  I had a little Royal Oak left and some Rockwood I mixed together a little lower than top of fire ring.  Was lazy and used one of those little starter cubes.  After it got going good, adjusted the lower vent and stainless steel top hat both about 1/8" open.  I put the PS on with a drip pan and grate on top.  Let it sit for probably 30 minutes, and it stabilized nicely at just about 235, more like 230.  Put meat on and all was fine for about 90 minutes, then all of the sudden it starts getting hotter, and goes up to about 300.  It has gotten a few degrees cooler in last 10 minutes, 190, but still, not the 235 I was shooting for.  I seem to have this issue all the time trying to maintain lower temps.  Maybe I should break down and get one of those computers with the damper control and doo-dads.

lousubcap

Wish I had the magic bullet-right now I'm working to get from 220 to 250*F; bottom open around 1 1/2" and DFMT very open.  LBGE and with a brand new lump load (Rockwood) after a total clean out.  Not supposed to behave like this-but I obviously have an air-flow issue as that is the temp driver once you have good lump lit.  Oh well, there are worse things to address.  

So, bottom line-your definition of "going good" may be the guilt party.  If I'm going low&slow I let around a soft-ball sized quantity of lump get going (bottom vent full open and dome open as well) then shut the dome and adjust the vents to let it come up to temp (didn't work today 

>- )

HDumptyEsq

I never use the bottom vent to adjust the temperature. It stays open all the way, all the time. I just use the wheel at the top. All good so far.

Stog

i'm having trouble getting my temp down...cleaned it out good and lit good hot fire (600), then started bringing it down...have both top and bottom completely closed and steady @ 350...any suggestions?

DoofusOfTheDay

HDumptyEsq said:

I never use the bottom vent to adjust the temperature. It stays open all the way, all the time. I just use the wheel at the top. All good so far.

Interesting, maybe I'll shut the lower vent and see what happens.

NPHuskerFL

IMHO it's easier to maintain 250℉ ish over 225℉-235℉ with no Stoker, Guru or CyberQ. With my Stoker I just get the pit fire established and dial it in and it maintains real low no issue. Without I found I can settle in at 250℉ ish with lower vent 1/4" open and SS Smokeware just open a gnats ass. After using the Stoker I'm hooked.

danv23

I concur. Temp isn't easy.  I fired up my XL at approx 1:45 and just got it stabilized at 375 (that's an hour to you and me).  The key is patience, but when mine runs thin I grab my DigiQ.  All I can say, is get one.  If you have 2 eggs like me, get 2 DigiQ's, like me.  I will stabalize if I'm out there drinking beer, like now, but if I have to leave the house or bla bla bla, I hook up the pit controller.

I ain't the brightest guy, but trust me on the above.

TennesseeDave

@Stog‌ if you want to cook at a lower temp you new to slow it down Ion the way up. It's really hard to cool it down 300 degrees without putting it out. It wastes a lot of time and lump too.

henapple

@Stog‌...the ceramic retains heat...big time. If you want 350 start small and ease the temp up. Coming down from 600 is a biatch.

@DoofusOfTheDay‌ ...I've had that problem while some don't. Doing ribs today and the digiq has held 220 with no problems. I've egged 2 years and still have a temp control weakness.

GaryLange

You may be making to big a move on the vents. Small adjustments should be made when controlling the low and slow cook. Once I get the meat on I watch it pretty close and make small adjustments in the Daisy Wheel at top until it is fully stabilized. It may vary some but once fully into a long cook it stays at the temp I want for the entire time.

Stog

makes sense...guess just wait it out?

Ktim

catch the temp on the way up, then make adjustments.

Carolina Q

For low and slow cooks, eggs seem to prefer 250° dome. I have read quite a few posts about difficulties below that. However, 235° isn't THAT much lower.

I have one of those damper control doo-dads now, but before I got one, I would light the lump in 2-3 places, add the platesetter and rid, leave the dome open for 5 mins or so, close the dome and leave the bottom vent wide open and the DFMT off. You have to pay attention doing it this way or you could wind up at 700° quickly.

Anyway, watch the temp rise and when it gets within 25-30° of your target, Add the DFMT with petals only open about the width of a toothpick. About the same for the bottom vent. That should virtually stop the temp rise. Adjust as needed to let the temp come up to target.

When it gets there, leave it for 30 minutes or so. Check on it often. If you are still tweaking at that point, it's still not stabilized. If you put food on now, you'll be chasing temps all day. Or worse... all NIGHT! 

Little Steven

DoofusOfTheDay said:

Temperature Control on my BGE continues to be an issue for me.  Mainly, I can't maintain a lower constant temp.  Today, wanted to try a Dr. BBQ Flat Brisket recipe.  It calls for 235 indirect cooking.  I had a little Royal Oak left and some Rockwood I mixed together a little lower than top of fire ring.  Was lazy and used one of those little starter cubes.  After it got going good, adjusted the lower vent and stainless steel top hat both about 1/8" open.  I put the PS on with a drip pan and grate on top.  Let it sit for probably 30 minutes, and it stabilized nicely at just about 235, more like 230.  Put meat on and all was fine for about 90 minutes, then all of the sudden it starts getting hotter, and goes up to about 300.  It has gotten a few degrees cooler in last 10 minutes, 190, but still, not the 235 I was shooting for.  I seem to have this issue all the time trying to maintain lower temps.  Maybe I should break down and get one of those computers with the damper control and doo-dads.

Your gaskets all good? I don't have any trouble with 220* overnight but as others have said 250* is pretty darn close. I push the spark screen back into the lower vent slider and have it open the width of a credit card. Top just a sliver of the teardrops on the daisy.

SoCal_Griller

I find that for low and slow, it really helps if you sneak up on the temp slowly.  I'll light one cube and as stated before, let a softball size of lump catch then I throw in my setup and close the lid.  After that I control the temp rise to 250 and no more, it may take an hour or so, but for a low and slow whats one more hour?  The temp may creep up to 275 but then I just make a (small) adjustment to try and bring her down to 250 +/- 20.

My last cook I had an airflow problem, so left the vents open a little wider than normal.  It was a pork tenderloin so a fairly quick cook anyways.

gdenby

The Dr. BBQ brisket recipes I've read call for a dome of 250F. Below 250F dome, the temp can be hard to maintain. Below 200, best be a wizard. My guess is that you didn't let the 'setter heat up enough. It can take a long time for that big hunk of ceramic to soak up enough heat that it doesn't return the heat to the cooking chamber. Once its hot, it'll be releasing heat around 600F. The 1st recommendation is that you should not fuss to much about the temps. +/- 25F in either direction will only shorten or lengthen the cooking time, not the quality if you make a time compensation. 2nd. If you have a way to raise the grill and just put a pan underneath the food, that pan will not get as hot as a 'setter, and it won't hold the heat. The vent settings will build or lessen the dome temp faster, and make over or undershoot less likely. Unless you are trying to "hot smoke" something, BBQ should be done at least at 225F. Anything lower, and the cooking time approaches infinity. 350F is the top end for the BBQ I know about.

DoofusOfTheDay

Recipe I am following - http://www.biggreenegg.com/features/dr-bbq-coffee-brisket/

DoofusOfTheDay

Man can't get it lower than 300, now I am wondering if it was because as I recall there were a lot of little pieces left over in the Royal Oak bag that I used, so maybe those little pieces are just burning quick and hot?

DoofusOfTheDay

That makes sense as I dumped the Royal Oak pieces in, then just a little of the good Rockwood big pieces on top, and as I said temp was fine for the first 90 minutes, then it shot up and won't get cooler, so the fire probably made it's way down to those little pieces?

danv23

DoofusOfTheDay said:

Man can't get it lower than 300, now I am wondering if it was because as I recall there were a lot of little pieces left over in the Royal Oak bag that I used, so maybe those little pieces are just burning quick and hot?

I have yet to have the DigiQ care about the size of the coals over the past 5 years.  I tell it the temp, and there it stays.  Good luck, pop a cool one, and take 'er easy.  It will come out fine.

Durangler

FWIW … I always hand select & place lump. Large chunks go in first, followed by medium pieces & then the smaller pieces w/ previously burned stuff to fill in the gaps.
I've never had a major issue controlling lower temps between 225 & 250. Airflow is key. Tiny pieces at the bottom of the grate restrict airflow.

Ladeback69

I believe anywhere between 225 and 275 is a good temp for low & slow, but 250 is the sweet spot I think. Ive done over night cook, got egg stabilized at 230 and it went up to 262 in a 8 hour period. That's not to bad. I don't have a temp controler and can't afford one right now. I agree that you have to catch it on the way up and be patient.

Little Steven

DoofusOfTheDay said:

That makes sense as I dumped the Royal Oak pieces in, then just a little of the good Rockwood big pieces on top, and as I said temp was fine for the first 90 minutes, then it shot up and won't get cooler, so the fire probably made it's way down to those little pieces?

It doesn't matter what size pieces you have. Heat is air and fuel. No air no heat. Choking back the air won't allow anything to burn fast.

Carolina Q

Durangler said:

FWIW … I always hand select & place lump. 

I did that once. 4-5 years ago.

Decided if I had to do that, I'd never use the egg. Just stir the old lump, dump new in if needed and light. Use a wiggle rod or a high-que grate. Works just fine.

DoofusOfTheDay

Little Steven said:

DoofusOfTheDay said:

That makes sense as I dumped the Royal Oak pieces in, then just a little of the good Rockwood big pieces on top, and as I said temp was fine for the first 90 minutes, then it shot up and won't get cooler, so the fire probably made it's way down to those little pieces?

It doesn't matter what size pieces you have. Heat is air and fuel. No air no heat. Choking back the air won't allow anything to burn fast.

Well pooh, then I am confounded by this thing called a Big Green Egg.  Oh well, headed to the fridge, that will help.  

stlcharcoal

My large BGE is pegged at 225 for the last 4 hrs........but I have a temp controller driving it.  I could tune the BGE myself like the old days without the help of electronics, but I don't want to worry about it.

gdenby

Don't worry about the dome temp so much. Its a 1 point sample, and only a general indicator. Pay attention to the food. A few years ago, I crammed a pig head into one of my mediums. The dome never read higher than 210. But the fat that rendered into the drip pan was sizzling, and eventually the hole between the eyes started bubbling water. It was just about perfect, but by the dome therm, I probably needed another 7 hours.

grege345

Party q is inexpensive, foolproof and it works.

Fred19Flintstone

Listen to Little Steven. He's kinda a big deal around here.

henapple

Fred19Flintstone said:

Listen to Little Steven. He's kinda a big deal around here.

He said "credit card width". Didn't know he had one since he stuck me with the bill.

Fred19Flintstone

henapple said:

Fred19Flintstone said:

Listen to Little Steven. He's kinda a big deal around here.

He said "credit card width". Didn't know he had one since he stuck me with the bill.

HA HA! Let me guess: You woke up and your pants were gone and so was Steve!