Newbie Temp/Stabilization Question

bjeans

My husband and I got a large BGE 11 days ago; I've done 6 baby-step cooks. Tonight's was stuffed zucchini, BBQBuddha's recipe, and was amazing, to his credit, not mine. It's silly to attach photos since he's also a food photographer, and I have an old Windows Nokia phone and know zip about photography, but y'all keep saying it doesn't count without photos so my carpy ones are attached. 

The question: I was at 400 (recipe temp) for about 10 minutes, put the zucchini on the grid over the plate setter and closed the dome. The temperature dropped, but then climbed close to 450 in a few minutes. After a few adjustments, got it back to 400ish. Was the climb due to oxygen feeding the fire (and it may have dropped back down if I had left it alone?), or was it more likely the temperature hadn't fully stabilized and I need to wait longer before putting food on? 

I start the fire with a square of BGE's fire starter and a few larger pieces of BGE lump tenting over/on it, but most lump underneath. The dome is open for a few minutes, then closed with bottom vent wide open, top off for a while. When it gets 50-25 degrees to target, I shut things down some, and as a newbie, probably do more opening/closing than is needed, but fewer with each cook. (Mantra: don't chase the temperature.)

Here's the recipe: http://thebbqbuddha.com/big-green-egg-stuffed-zucchini/ BTW, I halved the recipe and thought the amount of sun-dried tomatoes, kalamatas and pine nuts seemed low so upped them. I used mild chicken sausage, surprisingly excellent. 

And thank you all for your encyclopedic knowledge. I had a looong list of questions, but since I wasn't approved to post for six days, searching and weighing different opinions was beyond useful. 

I'm mostly retired and my husband isn't, so I'm the main egger and he'll catch up on weekends, happy for me to do the research.

Beth

ETA that the temp dropped below 400 after opening the dome, but then went higher.

Before pic. 

bjeans

And after. .

vb4677

Sounds similar to what I do - may want to shut it down a tad earlier next time and see if that helps.  Also, maybe let it run a little longer at temp... could help from exciting the coals so much.  Lastly, I try to be as quick (and as few!) as possible when I open up so as to avoid those spikes.
Good luck!

Theophan

First, WELCOME, and congratulations on your Egg -- I'm sure you are going to be having a ball!

Second, a few possibilities I can think of (others perhaps can do better -- there are many here much more expert than I) on the temperature rise:

1. 10 minutes isn't super long to have the temperature stable.  It's possible that the temperature wasn't actually stable, yet, but would have continued to climb whether you had opened the Egg or not.  It might be worth while keeping it at the right temp a little longer just to be sure that it really is stable.
2. If, by chance, you had the bottom vent wide open and were damping down the flow mostly with the top vent, then opening the Egg certainly would cause a massive burst of air now racing into the bottom vent now that there are no "brakes" from the top vent.  If you had the top vent completely open/off (as many would, for a 400° cook), then this isn't the problem.
3. If you had the dome open very long, that certainly would "fan the flames."  If you just opened it briefly to put the zucchini on, that shouldn't have made a huge difference in the temp.

Others may come up with more, and better, thoughts.

Again, welcome!

StillH2OEgger

I think you're being modest. The food (and photos) look great! Welcome aboard.

bjeans

Thank you, @vb4677, makes complete sense. 

We've never done much grilling, other than occasional simple stuff on a Weber gas grill, but squirrels chewed the wires. We bought another and talked to a metal shop about building something to protect the grill. Then I remembered the BGE. The dealer picked up the Weber and dropped off the BGE. And of course we've spent way more than we would have paid the metal shop - but are having a lot more fun.

SciAggie

First, welcome! It sounds like your assessment is reasonable. I was actually thinking today about things I've learned since I started egging. Keep in mind the thermometer is reading the ambient temperature inside the dome at the place it is mounted. The ceramics take a while to saturate with heat - that can explain some temp fluctuations. Yes, opening the lid adds oxygen and will slowly cause temps to rise if you're opening and closing frequently. I cooked a dish tonight that required opening the lid frequently. I planned for temperatures to rise so I actually started my cook at a slightly lower temp to compensate. Experience will be your best teacher for controlling temps. Just remember the egg is driven by airflow. If it is getting too hot, close the vent openings. I'm still amazed at how small the openings are at times. To many noobs "it just doesn't seem right" Great cook. Keep posting. 

jtcBoynton

or was it more likely the temperature hadn't fully stabilized and I need to wait longer before putting food on? 

This.  It takes a while for ceramic to warm up to 400º.

gdenby

You did fine.

It took me maybe six months not to chase the temp. It was completely silly. Note that most kitchen stoves fluctuate way more than the Egg. I found a chart someone had made showing that their oven was bobbing up and down 100 degrees every 10 minutes. And its good to have a pizza stone in an oven, preheated for 20 minutes, because in the short time it takes to put the pizza in, the oven heat will drop maybe 200 degrees. Gas grills are pretty much the same, and metal grills w. briquettes aren't much better. They radiate too much heat and leak too much air.

So the Egg in almost all cases is much steadier, unless its going nuclear, in which case you can be sure its just getting hot at an exponential rate.

YukonRon

Welcome to the forum, the images you shared are far better than any I have posted.
From your post, it seems like you have a good grip on the functioning of the BGE. Just give it more time for temp stabilization and you should be good.
The folks that offered insight thus far are among the best we have in the forum. You will not go wrong with their guidance.
Great group of people here, mostly.
Just one word of warning though.....the least expensive aspect, regarding the ownership of the Big Green Egg, is the initial purchase.
It is everthing you spend afterwards that gets you. They do not call it the "Big Green" Egg, for nothing
It is worth every penny.
Have fun, contribute often. You are an egg head now.

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.  All good info above-a key to the BGE is patience, especially with the initial stabilization.  In addition to the temp make sure you have good clean "smoke" exiting the top.  
One other offering, if running low&slow don't chase temperature (make sure your dome thermo is calibrated).  Most BGE's have a sweet spot in the 240-260*F range.  Let it settle in and +/- 15*F on a L&S cook is just fine.  FWIW-

bjeans

Thanks all, SO much. It's a little nerve wracking jumping in and you all made me feel welcome. (Be afraid.) Working backwards... 

@YukonRon Ha! We were just saying that by not spending $450 dollars to nicely squirrel-proof the Weber, we probably spent $2,000, including an Egg nest, platesetter, waterproof Challenger cabinet (not egg table), PS Woo, Smokeware cap (not that it's on) since my husband broke the ceramic one, cover, small table for next to the BGE, chair for temp watching, DizzyPig rubs and class, etc. You are outstanding enablers, as is the egg.

@gdenby interesting about oven stabilization or lack thereof, and makes me feel better that it took you half a year to not chase. Because of this forum, "don't chase the temperature" was implanted in my head, but easier said than done initially.

@jtcBoynton thanks for the succinct answer. Given the short time the dome was open that's how I was leaning. I had just remembered a post by a caterer who was flipping tons of veggies and how heat jumped up. 

@SciAggie dome vs. ceramic temp is a "duh" I should have thought of after a week of forum post immersion. But reading isn't experience. And thanks for the kind welcome.  

@StillH2OEgger thank you! It took several mental tries before hitting "post comment."  

@Theophan while #1 was the aha key, your second point solidified why opening the dome would remove the brakes if the top was mostly shut down. 

After an empty egg cook, hotdogs, scallops/zucchini and stuffed zucchini, time to get real with chicken thighs and a Dizzy rub (Pineapple Head? Tsunami Spin? Raging River? BBQ sauce at the end? Will read chicken posts.) Have basting brush; need mop. 

buzd504

When you open the dome, the temp always drops because the heated air that is keeping the temp up leaves the egg.  It returns quickly once you close it, because the air heats quickly.  Especially if you are direct and temp on the dial is affected by direct radiant heat.

You will experience a short temp spike after opening the dome because of the infusion of oxygen, but it should stabilize fairly quickly.

Further, there is minimal difference between cooking at 400 and 450.  The gradients of temperature inside the egg are going to vary by at least that much, so don't worry about it.

blind99

Don't worry, your anxiety is totally normal and will go away with time.  Way to jump in with some delicious cooks!  Eventually you'll figure out where the egg stabilizes with a few different vent settings. And if you don't get too hung up on nailing a precise setting on the dome thermometer you'll be even more relaxed. 

Sometime when youll be around the house all day plan for pulled pork. It's a great way to learn some temp control on a long cook and it comes out awesome. 

Welcome aboard!

bjeans

lousubcap said:

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.  All good info above-a key to the BGE is patience, especially with the initial stabilization.  In addition to the temp make sure you have good clean "smoke" exiting the top.  
One other offering, if running low&slow don't chase temperature (make sure your dome thermo is calibrated).  Most BGE's have a sweet spot in the 240-260*F range.  Let it settle in and +/- 15*F on a L&S cook is just fine.  FWIW-

bjeans quoting you: I can't get outside the quote box. Tapping above/below doesn't work. iPad/Safari issue? I'd been meaning to calibrate the thermometer, though food seems to be cooked right, and focus on the patience thing. Not my strong suit. (Sarcastic husband: "Really?!?") I can't wait to do a l&s cook so good to know about the sweet spot. 

bjeans

No more quoting for now - haven't had that happen on other forums, but other odd iPad-ish things are happening too so it could be that. 

@blind99 and @buzd504 some of what you guys are telling me may seem obvious (air heats quickly - as opposed to ceramic), but you have no idea how helpful it is for a newbie to be reminded, read it and be able to apply it. Almost ready for a quiz. As to temp gradients, in the first few cooks 5 degrees difference had me on my feet on alert. I will chill. Some. 

And so want a l&s cook. Dreaming of brisket too, and nice to know about the sweet spot - will let it be what it wants to be. 

fishlessman

good looking meal. dont sweat the temps, i went over a year with no gages and did not notice a difference

SciAggie

While we're throwing out advice - get a thermapen. It changed the way I cook. If there is a single device that had a significant influence on my outdoor cooking it is an instant read thermometer.
Is the chicken done? IT 140 - nope. Oh, it's browning too fast - move it to a cooler spot on the grill. I used to overcook chicken because I wanted to be sure it was done. The thermapen takes the guesswork away. Thank me later. 

bjeans

@fishlessman, telling me not to sweat anything would be like telling a car to run without an engine, but I hear you, and am settling down. Some. Wait. No gauges? I'm supposed to have gauges? 

@SciAggie, going to Dizzy Pig was partly to get a Thermapen, but forgot, due to the distraction of the rub tasting station. In fact, thanks to forum advice, Thermapen sent out an email today for unboxed Classics. But I'm kind of leaning toward their rainproof, backlit model since lighting isn't good. I'm considering the light that attaches to the egg handle, though that's not rainproof or fireproof. 

JohnnyTarheel

Welcome!!  Great advice from all... there is a learning curve but you will be quick to overcome these as you try different things. Enjoy the ride and continue to share your cooking results...!

bjeans

Thank you @JohnnyTarheel. Chicken next. Your signature reminds me I should build mine. We're thinking about a Kick Ash Basket, though someone was trying to talk me out of it. Also thinking about a mini... this is a addiction for which there is no treatment?

SciAggie

@bjeans I have a kick ash basket for both my eggs. I love them because they simplify cleanup. Buy a metal ash bucket and shake ash into it. Add lump and cook. 
(Getting all this advice because I'm sitting in a the lounge of a Toyota dealership waiting on a repair)

bjeans

@SciAggie that's just what I was thinking of doing. When you shake ash into the can, does it fly out/make a cloud? I was thinking maybe not if the can is deep enough. Going to a spot where it wouldn't matter isn't really feasible. Hope the repair is minor. Toyotas last forever. 

SciAggie

There is some dust/mess. It's not bad - certainly cleaner than without the KAB. I have something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Behrens-6110-10-Gallon-Locking-Lid/dp/B000AS3OW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501687165&sr=8-1&keywords=galvanized+can+with+lid
Check dimensions - this link is just for illustration. 
We love Toyotas. This is a minor warranty fix on an electric window. 

bjeans

Oh, great - so the 10-gallon fits the Ash Kicker basket?

My first Toyota a million years ago was a used, old Corona that a trusty gas station owner found for me. Then I had a first year Tercel, then a Tercel 4x4. My husband had a Prius to use I-66 HOV lanes - the first year they looked like real cars - and now has a hybrid Camry. I'm not in a Toyota now but am a big fan. 

SciAggie

@bjeans I'm not positive about fit. If I was home I would measure my can. Sorry. 

bjeans

No problem - Dimensions are on Amazon and the KA Basket site. Or we'd just use a metal can like we have now, not a huge one.