No leaks or cracks, but temp rises

bhedges1987

So I have zero leaks, and zero cracks on my new large egg.  However my temp slowly rises.  This didn't happen on my medium.  

1 cube in middle.  Light.  Let go for 10 min.  Make a little tepee over the flame, let go for 10 min. Put plate setter in. Close lid.  Keep vents open until it comes to about 150-175.  Open bottom vent about 1/4" and barley open top vent.  It will stabilize around 235 dome, but after about 4 hours it starts to slowly rise and ending up at about 295-300 at about the 7 hour mark.

I can light, let go for 10 min, and put everything in and close vents to where I want them, but it ends up taking about 1.5 hours to come to desired temp.

Suggestions?  I usually don't care and let the temp rise and everything always comes out fantastic.  Tomorrow night however, I have all the time in the world.  I just want to do it at 225 all night until it's done.

Thanks

tonyled

that sounds about right for my large with a 1/4" opening.  for 225ish i have to leave the opening at about 1/8" or so, just barely open

i suspect with the larger opening and higher volume charcoal you will need to make minute adjustments on the large vs the medium to compensate

just my .02

johnnyp

As your fire migrates through your lump, the "center" of your fire will change locations.  If the "center" of your fire has migrated toward the front of your firebox, hotter air will be pulled across the dome thermometer.  

im curious if after another couple of hours if it would naturally drop and resstabilze as your fire migrates away from the front of the firebox?  

Personally, to guard against this, I position a leg of my platesetter directly under the dome thermometer to limit the direct heat traveling directly towards the thermometer stem. 

rmr62

My experience is that each egg has its own little sweet spot too.  I have trouble getting my large to go at 225 but it does great in the 250-270 range.  If I do a low and slow now, I usually shoot for about 250 for my own set up

bhedges1987

johnnyp said:

As your fire migrates through your lump, the "center" of your fire will change locations.  If the "center" of your fire has migrated toward the front of your firebox, hotter air will be pulled across the dome thermometer.  

im curious if after another couple of hours if it would naturally drop and resstabilze as your fire migrates away from the front of the firebox?  

Personally, to guard against this, I position a leg of my platesetter directly under the dome thermometer to limit the direct heat traveling directly towards the thermometer stem. 

I thought about that, but always heard to put a leg at the back of the egg because it gets hotter there ?

dougcrann

Both our Large and XL have to have the bottom open about 1/8", max. DW needs to have the tears just about closed otherwise they climb til just about 400*. I was curious about while back. I loaded the XL to the plate setter with Lazzari Mesquite . Lit it, let it come up to about 200* and set the vents. It ran at 225* for over 2 complete days...

johnnyp

bhedges1987 said:

I thought about that, but always heard to put a leg at the back of the egg because it gets hotter there ?

Different schools of thought.  I know people who do it both ways.  I'm not sure if one is more right than the other.  Just sharing what I do and the reasoning for doing it.

dougcrann

bhedges1987 said:

johnnyp said:

As your fire migrates through your lump, the "center" of your fire will change locations.  If the "center" of your fire has migrated toward the front of your firebox, hotter air will be pulled across the dome thermometer.  

im curious if after another couple of hours if it would naturally drop and resstabilze as your fire migrates away from the front of the firebox?  

Personally, to guard against this, I position a leg of my platesetter directly under the dome thermometer to limit the direct heat traveling directly towards the thermometer stem. 

I thought about that, but always heard to put a leg at the back of the egg because it gets hotter there ?

I have experimented with leg placement in our XL....doesn't seem to make a bit of difference....same thing with that "light it in the middle" myth.....our XL burns the same no matter where you light it.....although when I did the lighting experiment I was using either our FlameBoss or Auber controller...