15 inch egg. Unable to hot

henapple

Light the top...

BRush00

With your platesetter in there, you're seriously limiting the amount of airflow through the egg...  The egg shouldstill get hot enough to cook a steak indirectly, however you're going to have to be very patient.

A better option in my opinion, would be to remove the platesetter, and cook the steak directly over the fire - it will be much easier to get the egg up to temp this way. 

You can avoid 'charring' your steak if you prefer a couple of ways, either by raising your grid level up to the felt line (you can buy some aftermarket goodies to accomplish this, or just use some fire-bricks propped on the fire-ring, with the grate on top of them), or simply cooking the steak at a bit lower of a temp - 350 might be a good place to start trying - and watching them closely to avoid any charring.

Good luck.

BRush00

Oh - and try lighting your egg from the top of the coals - your fire could be having trouble burning "up" into your stack of coals.  I have nothing to support this, except for the fact that everyone i've seen, lights from the top.

Give it a try and see if that helps too. 

ChillyWillis

Definitely light from the top. My guess is that's your problem right there. 

luckyboy

push come shove you could go to metal fabrication shop and get piece of expanded metal cut and adapted so air won`t get blocked by small bits of coal, but the beer and patron is the best way to go.

Jellyworm

Nolaegghead is correct!  This solves your problem.  I had the same issue on my and my son's large! These grates are great.

http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Charcoal-Grate-Upgrade-Medium/dp/B0063911HI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1426653244&sr=8-2&keywords=high+que+grate

DaveRichardson

grab a couple of firebricks and put them on the fire ring to raise the grid up a couple of inches.  I'll try to find a picture......

Wait, go check out "The Naked Whiz" website, he's got firebrick layout designs for raising the grid level.....

DaveRichardson

Here's one.....

Moraine

Yes.  That was the trick.  Temp gauge was perfect.   When we removed the plate setter then the temp went up.   Also added more coal. I will have to raise the grate.  No charred steak!   I might try to raise the plate setter to allow more air circulation.  I still used the house fan to increase air flow.  We have cooked on the lower temp but the steaks were insipid looking    The egg will cook on!

nolaegghead

That's the spirit!  It's really easy when you start figuring it out.  Just takes time.

IT WILL BE ABLE TO HOT!!!!

ibanda

If you want to get to 600 you need to take the daisy wheel top off.

clifkincaid

No need for the house fan though. I have a medium egg also. I use a charcoal lighter. 
I put the lighter all the way down to the grate. Put all the used lump by around it "it starts faster" then load up to the fire ring. I leave it plugged in till the flames start coming out through the new lump for a bit. 1 beer or 2 if I'm thirsty. Then I remove the starter. Close the lid, bottom vents wide open"screen shut" DW on or off. Fully open if on. The egg will do the rest. You can put your plate setter on at this time or wait till 300 or so then put on. Remember to burp yourself and the egg. Happy cooking.

Nanook

+1 on light from the top

Shiff

Moraine said:

Yes.  That was the trick.  Temp gauge was perfect.   When we removed the plate setter then the temp went up.   Also added more coal. I will have to raise the grate.  No charred steak!   I might try to raise the plate setter to allow more air circulation.  I still used the house fan to increase air flow.  We have cooked on the lower temp but the steaks were insipid looking    The egg will cook on!

Glad you're solving your heat problem.  If you cook with a plate setter in the BGE, you are using indirect heat and will be roasting the steak. If that is what you are trying to accomplish, then raising the plate setter might be the right thing to do.  Most people want to grill their steaks and use direct heat with no plate setter.