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New Egger and I am having problems

M.S.B.
M.S.B. Posts: 8
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
keeping the charcoal lit for long periods of time when cooking around 225 degrees. Any suggestions. I am keeping the bottom vent cracked about an inch. Please offer advice.
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Comments

  • deepsouth
    deepsouth Posts: 1,796
    do you have the top cracked a bit as well? (sorry if that sounds like a silly question.)
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    using a "handful of lump"?

    fill the firebox to the top, and you should be fine.

    sometimes fires go out if the chunks are way too big, and the fire can't move around from piece to piece because the gaps are too large.

    other than that, it's about airflow, if you are open top and bottom, any amount, then the fire is not going out due to too little air. maybe ash...

    but i'm guessing that the handful of lump idea is at fault. (not your fault)
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
    I think that trying to keep dome temp that low may put out your fire.

    Walt
  • The most common problem with new eggers is not starting with enough fuel,fill at least the firebox and if you want 18-20 hrs. fill to mid point of the fire ring.Be careful loading your lump so that you don't have any big voids and you won't have any problems.The instructions that come with the new egg say to fill to just above the holes in the firebox and that is mis leading fo long cooks.
    Good luck
    Jim
  • M.S.B.
    M.S.B. Posts: 8
    Ok if i fill the firebox to the top, after I light the charcoal is it better to let it get to higher temperatures and than bring it down(which can take a while) or shut it down when I get to the temp I wnat. I have been doing the latter and the coals have been going out. After about 2 hours.
  • M.S.B.
    M.S.B. Posts: 8
    Thanks, not putting enough fuel in is one problem apparently.
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Adjust your vents as you appraoch your target temp. Don't over shoot them come back down.

    250* dome temp is much easier to maintain than 225 and the food will be every bit as good.
  • M.S.B.
    M.S.B. Posts: 8
    inch on the bottom vent, with the top slightly cracked.
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Don't let the fire go way up. If you do go up to about 500, and immediately shut down, the temp will decline fairly quickly. However, if you let it sit at 500 for 10 - 15 minutes, not only will you burn a fair amount of lump, but even if the vents are all but completely shut down, the ceramic will hold the temperature around 500 for maybe 20 minutes.

    If you begin to shut the vents down when the dome is at 200, you should be able to control the fire so that you can ease in to just about any temperature below 400. With a full fire box, and a dome of 250, even the fastest burning lump I've used is good for 12 hours. At 500 - 550, maybe an hour.
  • Stanley
    Stanley Posts: 623
    Make sure your fire grate and the holes in the firebox are clear of ash (bent coathanger). Might try lighting in two spots toward the rear of the firebox. As suggested, 250° is a much easier temp to maintain (manually) than 225°

    Don't overshoot your target temp by much - a little is OK, but start adjusting as you approach the target. 1" sounds way big for the draft door for your low target temp (which is what makes me think you have air flow problems down there). I was at less than 1/4" for my 350° cook yesterday.
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    MSB

    The bottom vent should be open less than 1/8" while maintaining that temperature. The daisy open maybe 1/4. This will vary with type of lump, the amount of ash buildup and the arrangement of the lump in the firebox.
    The opening in the firebox should be aligned with the bottom vent and the holes (in the firebox) should not be blocked by coals.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • Cecil
    Cecil Posts: 771
    I think Fidel and I are saying the same thing, shoot for 250 dome temp, with my egg; after fire is stable bottom vent is barely open.

    Walt
  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    What size egg? They all behave a little differently.

    On my large 250 would be about 1/8" top and bottom. On the medium it is about 1/3" bottom.

    Don't set your vents like that until the fire is breathing and going fairly well. And please make sure your smoke clears and your fire stabilizes for 20-30 minutes before adding your meat.
  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
    couple of questions ...
    what brand lump are you using.. ???
    and how long have you had your egg????
    are you a lump dumper or stacker ??
    bill
  • M.S.B.
    M.S.B. Posts: 8
    I have a large, and will do on waiting about 20-30 minutes. Thanks for all the advice.
  • M.S.B.
    M.S.B. Posts: 8
    I have been using the green egg charcoal, I am a "dumper". Willing to change tough. I have had my egg for about a month copoked on it about 4 or 5 times.

    Also just bought a bag of Cowboys lump, do not know if that is good or bad.
  • Big'un
    Big'un Posts: 5,909
    The biggest reason for not maintaining a temp is air flow. If you stack your lump, you'll mostly eliminate this trouble. When you say you can't maintain the temp is it higher or lower. You may want to make a wiggle stick. Get a coat hanger and put a 90 degree bend in the end about 4 inches high. You use this by sticking it in the ash box cleanout and up thru the grate and wiggling to improve airflow at the bottom grate. Be careful, once you move the pieces of lump that are "clogging" the bottom intake, the temp will jump fast. So watch for it and restabilize your temp. Remember, you haven't stabilized your temp until it stays about the same for a half hour. HTH. Welcome to the cult!!Haha.
  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
    dumping is ok, i do it sometimes... i do take it out of the bag by hand and place it by hand being careful that the air holes in the frire box do not get blocked.. i assume you have cleaned out the ash??? when you drag the ash out of the bottom some of it builds up in the opening to the raceway that surrounds the base of the firebox...make sure this is not blocked...
    every so often this raceway needs to be cleaned either vaccuumed or take egg apart.
    let me know if i confused you .. and i will find pics.
    bill
  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
    Not going to add anything new just tie it all up. Make sure you have plenty of lump like below or maby a touch more but this will do it.
    NEW08010-3.jpg

    I can smoke cheese at 100 degrees with slooooow rise during the winter but 250 degrees is alot easer to hold till you get used to the Egg, and as Fidel said you'll never tell in the finnal product. Establish the temp before you add the meat. Temp will drop but will rebound. May have to give it just alittle more vent after meat but not much. Good luck!
  • If you're a new Egger, then you probably haven't created enough ash yet to be a problem. Feel free to load up on lump- you can keep using it/add to it until it runs out. In between cooks, stir the lump with the ash tool to allow the ash to fall thru the grate below. Ash building up on your lump will also inhibit airflow.

    On my large, 250 means I have the bottom open only about 1/8" at the widest point and the petals of the daisy are less than 1/2 open-sometimes only cracked.

    Adjust your vents on the way up, usually when you get within 50 deg of your target.
  • Buckethead
    Buckethead Posts: 285
    Hey M.S.B.
    It's a learning experience. I agree with Stike, fill'er up..... Firebox that is, and play with the fire. Find out what happens with the top and bottom wide open, then half way then work your vents to learn how to adjust and control your temp. That's the only way you will learn what your capabilities are and how exact you can be with those temps. Best of luck, but you gotta practice.
    Doug
  • Eggtucky
    Eggtucky Posts: 2,746
    either what stike said or you're only lighting in one place..I usually light in 3 spots for low n slow..that way if there is a lump size problem..one of the other 2 lights will usually do the trick ;)
  • I started having a problem with the fire going out after a few cooks. It turned out that in cleaning it the first time I had accidently turned the firebox so that the opening was not lined up with the door where you clean out your ashes. Once I lined that back up, it got proper air flow and problem was solved.
  • loving my new egg but still learning. as a follow-up, a few of you said not to overshoot your temp too much when firing up your egg. I have also read that you want to get the fire burning good and get to the "good smoke" before you adjust your vents . How do you balance these 2 things? On a long and slow cook with a target temp of 250, you will hit that pretty quickly. You bascially have to fire up and close the vents to an 1/8 inch before letting it burn for 15 minutes....
  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
    Try this link. It should clear up any confusion we might have caused. This link explains the fire building process for a low and slow process.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/elder.htm


    This one should help for general fire building needs, and how to maintain different temps. Once link opens click on step #4

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm
  • markieb
    markieb Posts: 4
    Make sure the fire is burning at a good rate then shut the dome. Let your temp climb to within 20 degrees of your target temp. before you adjust the airflow. Also be sure that the lump is not damp.
  • M.S.B.
    M.S.B. Posts: 8
    I have an electric lighter I generally just light the center like it says for 10-12 minutes.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    if you're hitting 250 right away, either it's the temp of the flames from the start-up stuff (which should be ignored), or you don't have the platesetter or other indirect set-up in there yet. with the platesetter in, it'll take a few minutes to hit 250

    i light the egg, put in the platesetter, and shut the vents for 250. it doesn't get to 250 any faster with the vents wide open, and with the vents shut in advance, i never really overshoot. you might overshoot by 25/50 degrees, but that's it. there is no such thing as a "good fire" established by running all out and then dialing it back. in fact, to choke back a hotter fire requires shutting the vents much more than necessary. your temp will drop, and eventually you will undershoot, and be too low, or need to open vents. you'll ping pong all over the place.

    when you are low and slow, open and close vents only by about 25% of however open (or closed) they are.

    you at 300? don't slam it shut, just close the vents by 25% or so. wait a few minutes and see if it tends downward.

    i let the CHARCOAL (not wood smoke) smell burn off when starting. charcoal burns inefficiently until it gets going, and will give of chemically sooty smoke. anything burning inefficiently will. efficiently burning charcoal burns at 1200 or so. when you light it, it is NOT burning at 1200, but ramping up, and that's why it gives off unpleasant smoke. after it starts burning cleanly, the coal is at 1200. if your thermo reads 250, it just means you have only a little 1200-degree charcoal burning. light a candle. no smoke, because it's burning cleanly. blow out the candle, and that glowing ember will produce tons of crappy smoke. it's still burning, just burning poorly.

    the charcoal takes a little time to burn cleanly. after that, the smoke smells fine. i don't go by time or by color of smoke. if it smells good, it is good.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante