Dome Temp on a cold day

SpokaneMan

I did my first "longer" (longer than a steak) cold day cook with the turkey yesterday and I noticed something strange. I was having a lot of trouble keeping the dome temp up to 325. In the summer, I would just open up the top or bottom a bit and correct the problem. Yesterday, when I opened the top, it got cooler. The solution turned out to be closing the top to just a crack and leaving the bottom wide open.[p]Has anyone noticed this happening? Can anyone explain it? I didn't think a 25 degree outside temp would really affect the inside all that much after the fire had been going for 3 hours.

AZRP

SpokaneMan,
My theory on controlling temps is that only one of the two controlling devices is doing the job, whichever one has the smallest opening. My guess is that your bottom door had a smaller area open than the daisy and by opening it up more it just let heat escape without bringing in more air for the fire. -RP

Nessmuk

SpokaneMan,
I cooked a 14/lb. turkey with a patio temp of 20-25...no wind. I set the daisey wheel fully open. The input air duct was approx 1/8 inch.[p]These settings maintained a temp of 225-250[p]The dome temp read 100 degrees higher than grid. The polder in the breast supplied the readings. I also lay a horizontal thermometer on the grid as a check.[p]The benefit of the bge is that the cermaic mass causes it to cook by "surround heat", whereas metal cooker cool off quickly in the area above the products. Some cookers cover the metal cookers with a blanket to increase the dome/chamber temp above the product.[p]