Newbie - BBQ Ribs at 220 with BGE Conveggtor

Bergsteiger

Still new.  Today I BBQd ribs with Conveggtor at 220F.  Had bottom vent art 1/4, and top just barely open. Fire went down twice to 75F during the 5 hour period.  What am I doing wrong?  Please help.

Thanks.

Mattman3969

Sounds like the fire was not stabilized. You should let the egg run at desired temps with no adjustments for 45mins-1hr.  

It is also almost impossible to run that low without a controller.  Most eggs will gladly settle in at 250-275 with no problems. This won’t hurt the meat either.  A lot of folks here cook babyback ribs at 325-350.  Ribs in 90 mins are pretty awesome. 

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.

@Mattman3969 likely summed it up.  BTW- if you haven't done so, check the calibration of your dome thermo. 

johnnyp

Welcome. 

Photo Egg

All the above posts will get you on track.
But also check your dome temp gauge with boiling water test.
If your gauge is off and reading a little high, holding 220 is even harder.

jak7028

Good advice above, especially on the stabilizing temps.  I have a large and it is really hard to get it to settle in below 250F.

One thing to add is airflow.  If I am doing a long, low temp cook.  I take the internal bottom parts of the egg out, get all the ash out and make sure no holes are plugged as a put the parts back in.  Then try yo stack the charcoal with bigger pieces.  This will help with airflow.  Using old charcoal or just dumping the bag in leaves a lot of small pieces that block your airflow.  I only use then for hotter cooks when the fire is roaring anyway.

milesvdustin

You should try turbo ribs, much easier temp control 

Legume

Switch to Rockwood, guarantee against going out at low temps.

Or, just use less charcoal, don’t fill the firebox.

If it dropped to 75 twice, then clearly you’re not providing proper beverage-facilitated oversight which would allow you to catch a dropping temp at maybe 175.  Get a comfy chair, sidekick cooler, rockwood, use less lump and cook at 275+, you’ll end up too drunk after five hours anyway.

Bergsteiger

Mattman3969 said:

Sounds like the fire was not stabilized. You should let the egg run at desired temps with no adjustments for 45mins-1hr.  

It is also almost impossible to run that low without a controller.  Most eggs will gladly settle in at 250-275 with no problems. This won’t hurt the meat either.  A lot of folks here cook babyback ribs at 325-350.  Ribs in 90 mins are pretty awesome. 

So, leave the lid open for 45-60 minutes, then close?

Bergsteiger

jak7028 said:

Good advice above, especially on the stabilizing temps.  I have a large and it is really hard to get it to settle in below 250F.

One thing to add is airflow.  If I am doing a long, low temp cook.  I take the internal bottom parts of the egg out, get all the ash out and make sure no holes are plugged as a put the parts back in.  Then try yo stack the charcoal with bigger pieces.  This will help with airflow.  Using old charcoal or just dumping the bag in leaves a lot of small pieces that block your airflow.  I only use then for hotter cooks when the fire is roaring anyway.

Thanks.  I did add charcoal to the existing.  Now, removed it all and doing what you mentioned.  Tomorrow, am doing to pork butt.  Hope I have no problems with that.  

PBandJ

Bergsteiger said

So, leave the lid open for 45-60 minutes, then close?

DO NOT leave the lid open for 45 minutes. You will have an inferno. Do a search for temperature control or vent settings.

milesvdustin

I light with the Weber little white wax cubes. I light, then the lid is open maybe 15 mins. Then closed, and try to dial in temp. It takes a bit 

Theophan

I agree with comments above, but I want to say this more forcefully:  220° is too low -- THAT's the problem.  Period.  All of the other things people suggested are good points and save them, but if you aren't running an electronic, fan-driven controller (some people like them, many people don't feel they've ever needed one), that's just too low.

Different types of cookers have different requirements and work best at different temps.  If you're using a stick burner, where you have a small but active, burning wood fire in one compartment, feeding heat and smoke to a different compartment where the food is, then 220° is a fine temp.  But in a Big Green Egg, the fire and the food is all in the same compartment!  Trying to keep a temp that low with charcoal in the same compartment as the food forces the fire to be a tiny, smoldering weak fire, that has a high risk of going out.

In my experience, and many others, here, say the same, BGEs just work better at 250°-275° (or above).  They burn better, the temp stabilizes better, the smoke if you're using wood chunks or chips is better, everything's better.  220° is just too low.

I urge you to try the same thing again at 250°-275°.  The suggestions above on "turbo" are also worth considering, but just be aware that's a different thing.  A BGE will do a great job of smoking at 250°-275° for a low-and-slow smoke.  But many people also like "turbo" smoking at 350° or even higher.  You might want to try it each way.  The one thing NOT to do, in my opinion, is ever again cook in a BGE at 220°or 225° or anything below 250°.

Yno

Before I bought my Flame Boss 300 I had not problem keeping 225 in my XL. Never did an overnighter, but with a few minor adjustments I could do long cooks at 225.

TideEggHead

Turbo ribs FTW! I too used to cook butts and ribs at 225, then I tried turbo! I still will cook butts at lower temps sometimes but 250 is usually as low as I go. No controller here. A Kick Ash Basket helps with air flow too, I really like mine! Great advice above, good luck brother.

Bergsteiger

Thanks everyone.

logchief

If you haven't done it yet try a dry run and work at adjusting temps.  For a low and slow get a small amount going (4-5" around) and shut the lid with the daisy wheel off and open the bottom wide open and watch your temp.  As soon as it gets up to 250-275 start dialing both down so it hold temp.  It takes some practice but it's worth it.

Ridgehunter

Use a kick ash basket,I have one in both my medium and large egg and it gives you better air flowver easy to regulate,less adjustments needed.

ScottyG

Co-sign on the kick ash basket. Got one for my XL and it has made a huge difference 

jak7028

Yno said:

Before I bought my Flame Boss 300 I had not problem keeping 225 in my XL. Never did an overnighter, but with a few minor adjustments I could do long cooks at 225.

I have noticed cooking with friends, it is much easier to maintain 225F on an XL versus a Large.