Is there really that much of a difference between the XL and the L when it comes to temps?

PNWFoodie

So, while I'm nowhere near an expert, I can usually get my XL to temp and then that thing rocks steady. I go over to my parents (L) and I either let the fire burn out or overshoot temp by a long shot. What am I doing wrong? Are they really so different?

Scottborasjr

While I've never had a Egg cook exactly the same as another, a big thing is how much ash has collected between the bottom of the firebox and the Egg itself. If you take the innards out you will be surprised how much is in there. It made my Medium's grid off by nearly 3/4 of an inch after I looked at it. 

NPHuskerFL

My guess is your just used to your egg and not accustomed to your folks egg.  My MM reacts differently than that of my Large. Use your parents enough and I'm certain you wouldn't think twice about it. Yes they're both eggs but, they are different in airflow and thermal mass. 

Legume

I've never cooked on a L, only on my XL, but there have been several threads here on upgrading their fire grates to get better airflow and the consensus seems to be that the XL stock grate performs really well and doesn't need to be upgraded but the L does.  Soooo, maybe that's a clue.  Also agree with what Husker said re thermal mass - the L probably swings more quickly, maybe try smaller adjustments?

UrbanForestTurnings

I just have the xl for now. Easy to control temp and cook in it. In the same boat or ship with the above . Bring the large home and play with both. Let me know how it works out. And please do it fast before I build a home for my egg

Lit

I cooked on both for several years and they are almost identical as far as controls and the temps you get. On both if you get your fire going and open the bottom vent fully and just leave the holes open fully on the top they will both settle in right around 350. I have cooked at multiple fests and used several friends larges and XL and have never had any issue moving back and forth between them. As long as the large is cleaned out it will come to temp just as fast as the XL.

PNWFoodie

Lit said:

I cooked on both for several years and they are almost identical as far as controls and the temps you get. On both if you get your fire going and open the bottom vent fully and just leave the holes open fully on the top they will both settle in right around 350. I have cooked at multiple fests and used several friends larges and XL and have never had any issue moving back and forth between them. As long as the large is cleaned out it will come to temp just as fast as the XL.

Really? If I went wide open in both my bottom vent and my top, I'd be WELL above 350...I'd be nuclear! I spatchcock a chicken at 400 with the bottom open maybe (maybe) an inch and my SS cap at a quarter of an inch. Weird, huh? 

Lit

Not the top wide open just the little spinner holes wide open on the factory top. I never switched to the stainless cap so not really familiar. I have cooked on eggs with them though and that threw me way off. I was not a fan of the stainless top but that's just cause I had years of experience with the factory one first.

PNWFoodie

I live in Washington...they call it the evergreen state, but I think that's because everything here grows moss on it. Too much rain for the daisy wheel.

DoubleEgger

I find that it's harder for me to control the temp on my medium as opposed to my XL. I had a hard time keeping my medium below 275 with the bottom vent open a dime's thickness and the smokeware cap open about the same. 

grege345

DoubleEgger said:

I find that it's harder for me to control the temp on my medium as opposed to my XL. I had a hard time keeping my medium below 275 with the bottom vent open a dime's thickness and the smokeware cap open about the same. 

Did you overshoot your temp initially? @DoubleEgger

DoubleEgger

Only to 350 or so. The temp in my medium rises slowly at first until about 200 and then it takes off like scalded dog. It's way more fickle than the XL in my opinion. 

Hungry Joe

I have two large eggs, one was before they changed the molds, how ever many years ago and the other a couple years newer, right after they changed the molds. They both cook different and always have. The newer one needs to be tempered down more and will get away faster. All the gaskets are good and I have used the turbo grate on both from day one.

I have to add that the newer one has a firebox with the slit cut in it where the older one does not. That could be the difference, who knows?

theyolksonyou

PNWFoodie said:

Lit said:

I cooked on both for several years and they are almost identical as far as controls and the temps you get. On both if you get your fire going and open the bottom vent fully and just leave the holes open fully on the top they will both settle in right around 350. I have cooked at multiple fests and used several friends larges and XL and have never had any issue moving back and forth between them. As long as the large is cleaned out it will come to temp just as fast as the XL.

Really? If I went wide open in both my bottom vent and my top, I'd be WELL above 350...I'd be nuclear! I spatchcock a chicken at 400 with the bottom open maybe (maybe) an inch and my SS cap at a quarter of an inch. Weird, huh? 

That's close to what my large does. 

Jeepster47

Lit said:

... I never switched to the stainless cap so not really familiar. I have cooked on eggs with them though and that threw me way off. I was not a fan of the stainless top but that's just cause I had years of experience with the factory one first.

@Lit ... pulled out my Ugly Daisy and did some measurements.  Since it's a casting, the measurements are subject to change based on the mold.  Looks like the petal holes were designed as a 3/4" by 1/2" eclipse ... that's about 0.3 square inches per hole ... with five petal holes, the petal-open position yields a 1.50 sq inch opening.

The Software cap has three one inch high slots.  So, if you open the Software cap until the openings are 1/2" wide, it's approximately the same as a daisy wheel with the petals fully open.

If the daisy wheel cap could be fully opened, the open area would be 8.6 sq inches.  Opening the daisy wheel cap fully is not possible because of the casting stop, so the effective opening is a little less than that.  Open up the Smokeware cap fully and the total open area is approximately 8.2 sq inches.  Thus, a fully open daisy wheel cap and a fully open Smokeware cap are approximately equal.

Thanks for nudging me to make this comparison ... now I can translate daisy wheel language.

As an aside, what is your transition temperature where you remove the daisy wheel (on a large egg) to gain a higher temp? 

Eggerty

@DoubleEgger I believe this would go back to the difference in thermal mass. Since there is much less on the medium the temp would move quicker and seem much more unstable. The XL has a lot more mass and will be slower in the heating process as it relates to the amount of heat given off by the lump. I don't have a MBGE but I wonder if you shut it down at the 200 mark, would it be more apt to settle at 250 or below. 

nolaegghead

The variables between two sized eggs are the same but different - internal volume, mass, heat load, etc.  Larger systems are more stable by definition, but comparing the millimeters of vent opening on two different sized eggs is an apple and oranges comparison. 

It all boils down to fuel and air make heat, and there's a heat load that needs to be met.  Exceed that and it gets hotter, and vice versa.  A larger mass in the cook and larger egg makes it a slower moving system.

Lit

@jeepster47 I have had both large and XL over 700 with the bottom fully open and daisy fully open. I usually just use the bottom vent now though and take the daisy wheel off if I am going to cook over 350.

Jeepster47

@Lit ... thanks.  I've been able to get to 500 degrees with the Smokeware cap fully open, but have to work at it.  I've started taking it off when going over 400 degrees lately.

OT ... tried to post a new discussion with the comparison numbers ... yep, the forum ate it.  Tried a second post ... yep, ate that one too. 

SMITTYtheSMOKER

We cook on both XL & L and we treat them both the same and get much the same results out of each size. We do clean each of ash before each cook, they may be different with impaired airflow.

stlcharcoal

The problem with the XL is the shallow firebox.  It gets hot spots since the lower grate is so big.  You'll notice the rear half burns a lot hotter than the front half when grilling.  When smoking low and slow, it's easy to get a burn going on one side of the box and into a corner.  It's not like the large and medium that keep the fire centered with a taller, skinnier firebox.  I still can't understand how the XL is shorter than a large.  It doesn't make sense unless they were trying to save on weight.