Stabilizing a low temp 220?

Unknown

I am a relatively new owner of a large BGE.[p]I find I have trouble stabilizing a low temp.[p]When I use a parifin lighter stick the temp rises to about 300 degrees.[p]If I nearly close the vents, the temp stabilizes at around 300 degrees but does not drop to the target of 220.[p]I sense that if I completely close the vents, the fire will go out. Is completely closing the vents the way to drop the temp?[p]How long does it take an experienced user to stabilize a low temp?[p]Thank you for your help.[p]KL

stike

KL,
When I am doing a lo-and-slo, the temp usually rises past the 220 target simply during the ignition. There's a lot of flame (or some, anyway).[p]I usually give the egg an hour or so to stabilize, and for me to be sure i've got my settings straight.[p]Funny thing is we all brag how it takes 20 minutes to hit 800, but we never acknowledge the dirty little secret that it takes an hour to hit 220! har har.[p]KL, what I do is start a small fire, let it burn (flames will get it past 300 quickly, but then I set the top and vent for my 220 settings, and let it come down over about an hours time, max.

Kelly Keefe

KL,
I use parafin inpregnated firesticks to start my Large. My oberservation is that the temp will get up to around 225-250°, but then drop as the starter burns out. It can go as low as 100° at that point. The temp will then slowly climb back up. The secret is to adjust your bottom and top vents as the temp comes back up to within 50° of your target temp.[p]If you drop me an email I'll send along some advice Spin gave me several years ago when I first got my Egg.[p]Kelly Keefe
Jefferson City, MO

Unknown

stike,[p]Yeah, I am a newbie too. I just got my egg a week or so ago. I just did my first low and slo for ribs this weekend. I basically do the same procedure that Stike mentioned... start fire (I use a MAPP torch) close the dome with bottom vent wide open and damper off until the egg reaches about 300 deg. Then close the bottom vent to about a credit cards width and put the daisy wheel on slide closed with petals about 1/2 way open. I maintined 225 to 250 for 6 hours or so this way.[p]I was quite amazed how close to closing the bottom vent needed to be to maintain the low temps... at times I thought I was snubbing the fire out... but alas that was not the case..... ribs were damn good too![p][p]

The Naked Whiz

KL,
Are you starting the fire from the top? If you place a starter cube in the top of the lump, the flames from the cube will heat the air in the dome and send the temp up to around 300 degrees. As soon as the starter cube burns out, though, the temp will drop back down, possibly below 200. [p]As long as you don't let the fire grow and the temperature to rise to 300 degrees, and as long as you don't leave it long enough for the ceramic to heat up, you should be able to lower the temperature pretty easily by closing the vents down some and slowing down the fire. [p]Finally, if you are using a plate setter or firebrick for your indirect cook, you should find that when you add the cold ceramic and the cold meat, this will further aid in reducing the temperature and you will have to open the vents up some to get the fire going hot enough to heat up all that mass you just added. [p]You can read about my fire building for my first low and slow cook at the link below. I had the egg up to 450 by accident, but by the time I set up everything in the egg for the cook, the temp had dropped to 150 in a few minutes and I then allowed the temp to rise and shut down the vents some as the temperature approached my target. It is only hard to lower the temperature of the egg once the ceramic has heated up hotter than where you want to be.[p]Good luck!
TNW
[ul][li]Pulled Pork and low and slow....[/ul]