Getting my large egg to 500 or 600 and keeping it there

camerondds71

I bought an egg c 6 months ago, and I am managing the slow cooks fairly well.  However, the cooks where I need to get the temperature to 500or 600 degrees have been a disaster.  When I get close to the temperature, I try and close the vents to where I think the settings should be, but the egg then invariably goes far too high, or back down to too low a temperature.  I've still never managed to stabilise a temperature at either 500 or 600 degrees.  Does anyone know where I might be going wrong?  Or is anyone able give me an approximate setting for the daisy wheel and air vent?  I have cremated too many steaks for this to be fun anymore!!  Many thanks.

poster

daisy needs to be completely off for that range, actually basically for anything over 350 you don't need it

gdenby

I'm assuming you are searing steaks. Actually, that can be done w. a dome temp thats far lower. I've done them at 350 dome, but the steaks were on a grill sitting on the fire box maybe an inch from the coals.

But most often, I just let it rip. Bottom wide open, daisy off, and wait till the dome therm is starting to speed upward of 450. Typically, I hit 650 about 2 minutes later. The I burp the top, open the dome, toss on the steaks at the extended grill level, and let sit 30 sec/1/2" thickness. Open, flip, repeat. when I've done quite a few steaks, I've had times where the dome temp drops to 450 - 500, but the steaks still sear fine if give about 30 sec. more per side.

poster

Also if your burning steaks your just leaving them on too long. Some guys even through them right on top of the coals. I'm guessing its a large? top off and bottom vent about 1-1/4" open should be close. Everytime you open the lid in this range though, you will see huge temperature fluctuations as you will get flames rolling around as air gets in. Be careful of the flash back

Jupiter Jim

This is how I do it, start the fire with both top &. bottom wide open, when within 50 degrees of target temp start closing top vent and see what the change has done in 15 minutes, then open or close as needed. The key for me is waiting to see what the temp does and not over adjusting. I'm confused about cremating steaks! sounds like you are cooking them to time and not temp, I can cook a steak at 700 and not cremate it, but I do steaks at 450 ish. When I do steaks on my Mini I leave both vents wide open and it's 500 + . Take a day that you have time and just load up the egg with lump and work on temp control without cooking food, and you make notes as to vent settings for different temps, if you get the egg to hot it's very hard to get the temp back down so you need to catch it on the rise and stop it. hope this helps.

camerondds71

Thanks all so far.  So far I have only tried steaks at the higher temperatures,   but the kids want me to do pizzas, so I need to get the constant temperature.

Hans61

In my xl I let the fire get going and once the temp hits 600 or so I ramp down the daisy wheel to half or a little less than half open and the bottom is also about half open temp stabilizes close to 550 - in the dome. The more heat soaked your egg is the less air it needs and the more stable it will be. I use this setting for steaks and pizzas -

practice stabilizing temp without food if you are getting frustrated. 

jtcBoynton

I would suggest practicing without any food on the egg.  This will take off the pressure and give you time to learn how to regulate the temp.  Well worth the expense of one load of lump.  500-600º temps are easiest to maintain if the daisy wheel is off the egg. After lighting and having the fire get established, set the bottom vent to about 1/2". Let the temp stabilize and note what it is.  Then open the vent up a bit and watch the response of the temp.  Keep making small adjustments and note how the egg responds giving it time to stabilize at each setting. You will find that you can keep stable temps up into the 700º range (higher than that is possible, but your thermometer will be out of range so stay below its max).

THEBuckeye

camerondds71 said:

Thanks all so far.  So far I have only tried steaks at the higher temperatures,   but the kids want me to do pizzas, so I need to get the constant temperature.

Remember, the Egg is also an oven. You can cook pizza at 450-500. 

chadpsualum

On my large, I get to 600F for pizza by leaving off the daisy wheel and moving the bottom vent (screen only) over about the width of the section before you get to the screen.  Fine adjustments may need to be made.  I usually don't move the bottom vent until the temps get to ~500F.