Hints for getting my Egg hot ???

Abter

After getting my medium Egg in December, it took me a while to figure out how to get it performing well for low-and-slow between 225 and 250 F (as read by the stock thermometer in the dome).  Through a lot of reading here at the Forum, and a fair number of experiments (aka smokes), I can reliably do that now.

I am still having problems getting it hot enough for other types of BBQing.  I can't even get it to 350 well, and it doesn't hold once there.  I wanted to do a couple of steaks for Memorial Day dinner for my wife and I, and could never break the 400 barrier (with dome lowered but bottom vent wide open and the daisy wheel off the top) before opening the lid and putting the steaks on.  I hate to say it, but my gasser does better than that.  After opening the dome, the resulting slow grilled steaks were not what I had in mind.  I have already dealt with under-cooked roasted chicken, and the idea of ever doing a pizza seems impossible.

Here are my facts:
Medium BGE
fresh Royal Oak Charcoal
quantity: filled to top of fire box (meaning up to the bottom of the ring)
Old ashes: cleaned out from the bottom
Holes in firebox clear, as well as all holes in the stock fire plate on the bottom
Plate Stacker removed; grill directly on top of the ring
After coals fully going (no longer smoking), redistributing them so burning lump is across the entire top of the lump bed.

Help?  Any suggestions???

dougcrann

When was the last time you calibrated the thermometer. Looks,like you are doing everything "right"

Abter

calibrated it a few months ago when I was figuring out low-and-slow.  Using the boiling water it was right on, and matched my thermopen reading of the water.

NonaScott

I normally don't spread coals until I get to the temp I'm looking for. As long as the opening in the fire box is aligned with the lower vent everything else looks good.

gdenby

One thing that can prevent high heat is mounds of ash under the holes in the fire box. Typically, I need to remove the ring and firebox, and clear the stuff out in the bottom shell at least once a year, or I can't get temps any higher than maybe 425.

FWIW, if you remove the fire ring, and put the grill on the fire box, at that distance any glowing lump will be pumping out enough IR  comparable to an 1800F flame.

SmokeyPitt

Try adding more lump-fill it up 1/2 way up the fire ring or even higher.  

Leave the daisy wheel off completely (not just open).  <edit>- I reread your comment that you are doing this already. 

I find that if I try to move the burning lump around it often hurts more than it helps.  You might try lighting in multiple places to start, or just let it spread naturally.  

DieselkW

I don't have a medium, but what you are describing is a classic air flow problem.

If you leave the vent all the way open, and take the daisy wheel off completely, would your fire last longer than 4 hours?

If your answer to this question is "yes" then take everything out. Everything. Get out your shop vac, or borrow one, but do not (I mean it) do not use your home vacuum cleaner.

Clean it really well with the shop vac - make sure all your holes in the fire bowl are clear. Something is obstructing air flow, I'd bet my egg life on it.

shtgunal3

I agree with @DieselkW fully.

After you clean it out good leave the daisy off as mentioned above. Leave the bottom vent wide open. Light the egg and leave the dome open for 10-15 minutes or longer. Shut the dome and you should be able to get as hot as you want. 

And FWIW.... I've never "redistributed coals".

Darby_Crenshaw

fill it higher, lose the daisy wheel, don't redistribute the lump.  there's a reason it burns in the middle.  you are taking it from where the fire wants to be to where it doesn't (lower air flow).

if you want a bed of coals across the top, you can grill with the lid open and bottom vent shut, like when set up for paella.  but usually if you have a good fire going a well, you well get a lot of lump burning anyway.

just don't dig it from the cauldron and toss it to the edges at the top.  not as much airflow there.  and fire is where the air is

Abter

I really appreciate these tips.  Nothing like coming to the right place to help me fine tune my life-with-egg.

CurtisMaximus

Get a KickAsh Basket and make sure ash from prior cooks is cleaned out. When I'm cooking steaks for chops I fill the fire box about half way and light using two fire starter squares, lid open and bottom vent wide open. Usually in 10-15 minutes after the starter squares have done their job I close the lid with daisy wheel off. 20-25 minutes after lighting I get 450-500 on the dome thermometer.

The only time this didn't work was when I emptied my only bag of lump and there were no big pieces, just smaller ones that slowed the airflow.

Serious talk about the KickAsh Basket, best purchase I've made for my BGE.

UPCamper

Three things that are important to get it hot. Make sure it's cleaned out (remove the fire bowl and get behind it occasionally), make sure it's full of lump, and get a better bottom grate.  I had trouble as well and it always took it a while to get up to temp but I bought the fish bones grate from Smokeware.com and that thing made a tremendous difference allowing more airflow and therefore a hotter pit.  The stock grate always got clogged with small pieces of charcoal. 

NonaScott

I guess I should be amazed that mine hits 600 to700 degrees every time. All I Do is dump the charcoal from the bag until the firebox is half full. Stick in a starter cube and light it it. 20 to 30 minutes later 600 degrees. I have none of the stuff above and I scraped out the bottom of the egg 3 times in 6 months. You really don't need anything except what came with the egg.

UPCamper

NonaScott said:

I guess I should be amazed that mine hits 600 to700 degrees every time. All I Do is dump the charcoal from the bag until the firebox is half full. Stick in a starter cube and light it it. 20 to 30 minutes later 600 degrees. I have none of the stuff above and I scraped out the bottom of the egg 3 times in 6 months. You really don't need anything except what came with the egg.

I love anonymous argumentative people like you on the forums.  Never said it couldn't be done, but the OP asked for tips.  Lighten up a little master chef!

I bet you can start a fire with two sticks as well can't you?

NonaScott

Actually I can with a little string. The point is people don't need to make a chore out of building a fire and you certainly don't need to buy a bunch of crap to make a fire over 250 degrees. All this get out the shop vac, stack your lump this way, fill your egg up to the brim with charcoal, buy this buy that is total BS. If you want to buy all that stuff feel free to do so. It is your money or just go join the Boy Scouts for a little while.

DieselkW

@NonaScott - There is certainly more than one way to clean a Big Green Egg.
I suggested the shop vac because it's how I maintain my egg. When I've got the bottom clean as can be, I know that I will get consistent results with the same vent opening.

Now, do I NEED to use a shop vac to clean my Egg? Of course not, but it's how I do it, and so when someone asks for help/opinions it's my suggestion that they do likewise.

Good advice for this forum: "Take what you like and leave the rest."

BYS1981

I would bet you have a mound of ash at the bottom blocking air, remove the guts and get the ash out with a string, shop vac, or chinese fingertrap, up to you,  lol.

NonaScott

I totally agree. I just hate to see people think they have to spend a bunch of money or make a chore out of building a fire. Most of the time people are just shutting down the airflow before the fire is lit. In the case of the OP I think he was just spreading his coals too soon. Darby Crenshaw is right but I do a lot of direct grilling especially with chicken because I like the way the skin comes out better and I try to minimize the hot spots. I do spread my coals but not until the fire is mature.

bgeaddikt

$3 stoker at Wal-Mart got me up to 900 degrees yesterday

buzd504

BYS1981 said:

I would bet you have a mound of ash at the bottom blocking air, remove the guts and get the ash out with a string, shop vac, or chinese fingertrap, up to you,  lol.

lol how do you get the ash out with a string?

Hub

Anytime your egg isn't hot enough it is almost always an air flow issue.  As others have stated, remove the inner contents of the egg and completely clean the ash.  You will be surprised at how much ash is hiding behind the inner contents.  Then, grab a ten dollar hair dryer.  You put the hair dryer to your open flame for a few minutes and you will have a sparking inferno.  I don't think it's possible NOT to get to 600-700 when assaulting the flames with a hair dryer.

AVEngineer

When I want higher temp cooks I usually light in 2 places and one is always opposite the lower vent. For the longest time I had the opposite issue, I could not hold any temp below 250. As others have stated leaving the daisy wheel off works best so you control flow with the lower vent only. 

cheeaa

Not sure how you're lighting but just light a chimney full of lump and dump it in when it's all burning. It will be impossible to not hit at least 500. 

DoubleEgger

The fire triangle says it all...