Using the egg more like a Weber

KYJeff

Hi All. I absolutely love my egg and have had it for years. This may seem like a new guy question. Do you ever let the charcoal burn down with the lid open, so all the charcoal is lit but the egg isn’t 1000 degrees?  I get it’d be cheaper to just get a Weber with the cost of blowing through charcoal like that.  I ended up with that situation after searing some steaks and made some of the best chicken wings I’ve ever grilled. It was nice having even temp across the lit coals and no flare ups. Just curious if anyone does this. Thank you for your thoughts. 

Jeff

cookingdude555

It’s really easy to use the 2XL & XL like a kettle because of their shape. It allows you to use a chimney of charcoal that is spread out, or even put the coals to one side. You didn’t say, but I assume you are talking a large egg. If that’s the case you can go really raised grid and get the food away from the coals, but keep it direct. I like this method too. I don’t cook lid up on my kettles either. But that’s just me. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

all the time. I never shut my dome until I'm ready to heat up the cermaics

lousubcap

If you want a hot fire across the lump bed, get it going in 3-4 spots quite well then keep the dome open and shut the lower vent.  The fire induced air-flow will take you there.  A common approach to a BGE paella fire/cook.  (Not original-TNW's web site for paella was my initial source.)  FWIW-

littlerascal56

I have a 26” Weber, and a good load of briquettes gets it to 350+ temp.  Nothing like my XL, but Kingsford is cheap and it does the job grilling burgers, brats, and hot dogs (and steaks).  I do a lot of cooks when both the Weber and the XL are running full.

Theophan

I just about never open my Eggs unless I'm putting something in or taking something out.  Leaving the lid open for a while and then closing it forces two different temp adjustment periods, one with the lid open to get the fire to spread, and then another one when you close it so the Egg can equilibrate closed.  Seems like an unnecessary delay to me, and yeah, like the OP said, you're wasting a lot of charcoal.

If I'm grilling steaks or anything else that wants the fire spread out over the surface, I just light it in a bunch of places with my torch, sometimes 5 or 6 or more -- doesn't take long at all with the torch.  It'd take a long time to spread out if I just lit it in once place, or even two, like I used to do with starter cubes.

RRP

I'm not sure I really understand your issue, but I'll be willing to go out on the limb with my admission...when I want a great, wide bed of coals in short order I use a squirt bottle of cheap 91% rubbing alcohol. 

bgebrent

lousubcap said:

If you want a hot fire across the lump bed, get it going in 3-4 spots quite well then keep the dome open and shut the lower vent.  The fire induced air-flow will take you there.  A common approach to a BGE paella fire/cook.  (Not original-TNW's web site for paella was my initial source.)  FWIW-

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KYJeff

Thanks everyone,  it’s an xl egg. I wasn’t really having an issue have an issue to speak of.  I have always started the fire in one spot and taken an hour to bring the egg up to temp. Was looking for some different techniques to avoid flames when having the lid open. I cook a lot of food at once for 30 + people. Some great advice here. Thanks!

Foghorn

The answer to your question is "yes".  I occasionally don't fully load my XL egg - or just cook on leftover lump - so that I have a pretty hot grilling surface with the heat well below the grate providing pretty even temps.  Usually for burgers.  But I don't usually do it by burning down a full load of lump.  I do it by just having less lump and lighting in in multiple spots.