some newbie advice wanted

jpwilkin

Two basic questions we'd like to answer on our way to a purchase:
(1) How long does it take to get a bigger egg up to 700deg?
(2) Is it realistic to plan to (a) get it up to a high temp for pizza and then (b) damp it down to a low temp and have a slow-cooked meat the next night?

Firestarter21

A) You can reach temps of 700+ in about 15 minutes
Typically a high temp cook like a pizza is going to be around 500, you could easily to a low temp cook the next day. You could do a low temp cook the same night if with a couple hours in between.

The Naked Whiz

You might need to add more charcoal once you are done with the high temp cook in order to have the low and slow portion of the cook last long enough. Charcoal goes fast at 500-600 degrees doing pizza.

stike

fresh lump, lots of air, and depending on the starting method, you can be at 700+ in fifteen minutes.

with propane starter wands, it might even be ten.

rermber that even a gas grill is supposed to be allowed 10 minutes to get up to high cook temp.

my brother told a story yesterday about taking my small egg to a football game. we pulled in next to a bunch of dudes with a big ducane gasser. unloading at the same time, i turned to my brother and said "we'll be eating before they will".

fresh lump, lit the egg (i use one or two paper napkins drizzled with a minimum amount of veggie or olive oil, just enough to make the paper translucent).

they pushed the button on their gasser.

fifteen minutes later, i tossed on the strip steaks at about 700. 90 second a side, with about three minutes a side at lower roasting temps, and we were eating. they were still flopping their steaks all around, with the grill flaring and flaming up like crazy.

good times... good times hahaha

East Cobb Eggy

The EGG will not take an entire day to get down to a low temp cook.

The TRex steak method gets the EGG up to 700 degrees and shutting down the vents to get the EGG down to 400 degrees in 20 mins.

Although it would take a little longer to get down to a low temp cook, it won't take a day, maybe a couple of hours.

Greg

East Cobb Eggy

Stike,

Very cool story.

Greg

Old Salt

If you're on your way to a purchase when you have it don't forget to go low for a couple of cooks before trying to get 700°. Check with the knowledge members on this forum.

Semolina Pilchard

Like they've said, you can be at 700 in as little as 15 minutes, back down to 250 or so in a couple of hours.

With a new egg, do at least a few cooks no hotter than 400 so your gasket can seat well. Think of your gasket like a bumper sticker. Put a sticker on your car today and tomorrow try to peel it off. It will come off easily. Leave it on your car a while with the sun heating it up, making the adhesive a little gooey, then cooling down, lather, rinse, repeat several times, that baby is on for good.

Do yourself a favor, go to nakewhiz.com and drink it all in. A wealth of info on ceramic cookers and a whole lot more. Make sure to read how to avoid flashbacks.

stike

was funny that my brother remembered it. he was telling the story yesterday to a neighborhood guy (my neighborhood). they were standing at the egg, after having some of our ribs. my brother (who isn't really a foodie at heart) was selling the egg to my neighbor. hahaha

one of the tail-gating guys came over and said "dude. what IS that thing? that thing is awesome!" they'd watched us cook steaks, cook brownies (indirect), light cigars, etc.

was a good day for the egg.