How do you get even heat when cooking lots of food at once? Also, lid open or closed?

elef3u

When I cook a lot of food at once, say, 15 burgers at a time on my XXL, the edges are much cooler than the center where the coals are lit so I'm constantly moving the burgers around so the middle ones don't burn before the outer ones cook. Do you all spread your coals around? Any other ideas?

Also, related, because with so many burgers going at once and having to flip burgers often, it's hard to cook with the dome closed, so the temps get out of control real quick with the dome open. Any ideas for this? Less charcoal? 

lkapigian

I save grilling for the santa maria, that being said I would not close the dome and I would cook direct even lit coal bed throughout ......

fishlessman

get the egg to temp, open dome, close the lower vent so its barely open to control air flow stopping temps from taking off.  i dont like using the egg for lots of burgers, i use the gasser for that. lots of burgers in the egg and things get too smokey with all that grease

lousubcap

@fishlessman described it.  Get the fire going in several spots as usual. Then roll with the dome open and lower vent shut.  This will direct the air flow across the bed of lump which will then become fully engaged.  Fairly even temps across the cooking grid for your burgers etc.  

Langner91

For a crowd, I cook burgers in "shifts".  I limit the number I cook at once, stagger them, and when that lid gets opened, I get to flippin' like my life (and arm hair) depend on it.

Also, each burger gets flipped exactly once.  If you don't like medium, wait a few minutes, some well-done ones are coming as soon as I finish this beer!

4TheGrillOfIt

Cooking that many burgers at one time is pretty challenging.  I believe my strategy would be to get the Egg preheated to 450 or 500 with the lid closed and heat soaked (lid extremely hot).  After opening the lid (burping of course), shut down the bottom vent and do your work.  Then open the vent once the lid is closed again and keep on cooking. Repeat.  This will provide a pretty consistent temperature and cook pretty evenly.  It will also keep the fire from getting out of control as long as you keep it in that 450 to 500 range.

Ike

One of the few advantages of a circular grid is that you can use your grill gabbers to rotate it every few minutes to insure that everything gets pretty much the same fire at the end of the cook.  For burgers I cook at 350 direct on a raised grid, lid closed rotating grate 90* every 5 mins or so, remembering that red juice means rare, clear juice means med rare, no juice means might be too late before the first flip.  Up to your preference of doneness to decide when to flip,  Second side will sear quicker than the second.

littlerascal56

Never liked cooking burgers on my eggs, for issues you posted.  Much better option for a lot of burgers, brats, or hot dogs for a crowd = Weber Ranch Kettle.  Lots of grill space and easy clean-up!
2 loads of briquettes in the chimney, and some smoking wood…and you will be the hero of the outdoor party!

tcampbell

littlerascal56 said:

Never liked cooking burgers on my eggs, for issues you posted.  Much better option for a lot of burgers, brats, or hot dogs for a crowd = Weber Ranch Kettle.  Lots of grill space and easy clean-up!
2 loads of briquettes in the chimney, and some smoking wood…and you will be the hero of the outdoor party!

Nice lawn. Where you live? 

Grogu

Just thinking out loud, would using a chimney or two and then spreading out the already well lit coals get you to a broad even burn quicker than spot lighting and waiting for spread?