High Temps

Earnest T Bass

I am having trouble getting high temps in my Large BGE. I cleaned all the ash and old lump out and still can't get much higher than 450 after 20 minutes. I want to get the thing up to 750/800. I am using Real Flavor lump. Where should I set the vents. I have tried the daisy wheel in numerous settings with the bottom vent wide open. Do I have pack a ton of lump in it and get it all lit with the mapp? Any ideas are appreciated.

Pakak

If you want hi temps, open everything wide open ... top and bottom. I don't even put the daisy wheel on, but leave it completely off.

Smokey

Earnest T Bass,[p]Sound simple, but make sure the opening in the fire ring is lined up with the bottom vent.

mad max beyond eggdome

Earnest T Bass,
like the other two guys said. . and i alwasy start with a full load of fresh lump (almost level with the bottom of the fire ring). . .i use bge or royal oak, and never have trouble pegging the temp guage needle past the highest mark within about 15 - 20 minutes. . .i don't think choice of starters makes any difference. . .i use mapp, but that is just to get the lump to light quickly to start with. . .i don't think it has anything to do with achieving maximum temps. . .[p]

Mac in NC

Earnest T Bass,
Make sure you have enough lump in the Egg to cover the firebox holes. Take a look at the lump within and rearrange the largest lump on the bottom. Put the smaller pieces on top. Follow the directions in the two previous posts and you will have absolutely no problems getting that puppy up to 800+ degrees. Just remember to start shutting down the lower vent as the temp. hits the 800 mark. Mac

Unknown

Smokey , good thought, actually I don't think it is perfectly lined up. thanks[p]

Basselope

First loose the daisy wheel if you want to go much above 400. Next is the OE ceramic fire grate. It just does not have enough holes in it. The BGE casst iron fire grate has way more holes which mean more oxygen for the fire. Changing out to either the BGE cast iron unit or a homemade one will improve the air flow, and make hot fires easy.
I have the BGE cast iron fire grate and it is at least 100% improvement over the ceramic unit. Fires light faster, and get hotter quicker.
$.02

JSlot

Sorry to disagree with you, Mr. B, but the charcoal grate should not be an issue. While the cast iron grate is a vast improvement, I am still using the ceramic grate in my first large Egg and I have no problem getting temps of 750°-1000°. One thing that may impede some air flow with either grate, is if the hole in the firebox is not exactly aligned with the draft door opening.[p]Jim

fishlessman

Earnest T Bass,
try filling the fire box slightly above the holes, lighting in three places, leave the draft door completely opn, daisy off the egg. leave for five minutes, then add an additional amount of charcoal on top,about 1 to 2 inches. this will burn into the lava fire that you are looking for. i only light the fire on top when doing low and slow

stike

Earnest T Bass,
lose the daisy wheel, take it off completely.
I can't get above 650 with it

Gfw

Earnest T Bass, check out the link - it contains previous post from this board from a few years ago - times change, good techniques don't.

[ul][li]Fires[/ul]

Gfw

<p />JSlot, I agree with you - I used the ceramic version until I switched to a floor drain - both work well and I have never had a problem with reaching temps of 900-1000+ degrees. Still use the original floor drain :~}

[ul][li]Trivet / Fire Grate[/ul]

Basselope

Gfw,
I have to ask, if there is no difference in performance why did you change from the ceramic to the floor drain?[p]The ceramic grate has 13 holes, and 6 slots around the edge (Yes I pulled my old one out of the cabinet and counted) If say four of those holes/slots get plugged by small pieces of lump (something I has happen to me) then you have lost approx 20% of your available oxygen supply. This is going to limit the size of the fire you can create.
Looking at the catalog (cause my grate is still about 400 degrees) the picture shows it as having 33 holes. If the same four pieces of lump are blocking the holes, I have lost, what, about 12% of my oxygen?
If you are trying to build a hot hot fire, the more oxygen you can supply the hotter the fire will burn and quicker it will get there.
I never said you can't get to mega temps with the ceramic grate, what I was trying to get across was that is easier with the cast iron unit.
I can tell you from experience, that when you change from the ceramic design to the cast iron, the fire does get going quicker. Since I am using the same lump, the difference must be the amout of oxygen I am supplying.

Gfw

<p />basselope, only changed because the ceramic grate broke in multiple pieces - twice - I was looking for a stronger alternative.

Unknown

After doing all the suggestions listed by the members, check your thermometer--and your fire. My first time for a high temperature cook, my thermometer was reading a mere 300-degrees after a half hour with all vents wide open.
Opened the BGE to take a look at the fire. With a WHOOSH flames jumped out and burned the hair off my arms. It was like looking into the doorway to hell. Seems as though the thermometer had started around again: it was 1,300-degrees, not 300. Careful!