low temps

glenn

I am a BGE newbie and I read about smokin ribs and stuff at 200 deg dome temp , How pray tell do you keep the fire going with the tems that low, Seems like mine goes out at around 220 and I cant keep anything stable under 250.
I have checked the gasket and fit and everything looks fine. Mabe there is a secret on the approach that I havent figured out

Carl T

Glenn,[p]I don't know of many that do low & slows at 200 dome. Keeping dome temp that low is difficult. Most of us use a dome temp of 250 for indirect cooks which gives a grate temp around 220-230. 250 dome is MUCH easier to maintain.[p]Carl T

SouthJerseyGrEGG

Glenn,[p]Looks like you are doing what I did as a newbie.....
Are you lighting your lump and throwing the meat on as
soon as your dome thermometer reaches the target temperature? It's ok to let the lump burn longer, let it reach 400 F. or even higher for a few minutes. Then close the bottom vent so that only tip of your pinky finger fits through. On top leave just a small opening on the daisy wheel. The temp will creep down, but your lump will be well lit and it should stay lit from that point on. [p]Close the bottom vent a little more if you need to get closer to 200F or 250F. You might end up with an opening large enough to fit only a credit cart through![p]With a little practice you will get the temp to hold steady.

Unknown

Glenn,
I have no problem with low temp and it sounds like SOUTH JERSEY has hit the nail on the head. Just a little crack in the bottom and a daisy wheel bearly open and it should go all night.

Wise One

Glenn, believe it or not, you can leave the bottom vent wide open if you control the top vent well. A couple of weeks ago I tested a device called the "Pit Minder". It's a temperature controlled valve that fits under your daisy wheel to control the temperature by opening or closing the top vent. I left the bottom vent wide open (I was testing. I decided to give it a real test) and with the Pit Minder on the top vent set for 220 degrees (it can be set for temperatures in 20 degree increments from 180 to 240 I believe). It held consistently at 220 all night with the bottom vent WIDE OPEN. Now while I don't recommend that you leave your bottom vent open, I will encourage you to not agonize over exactly how open it is. Get your fire going (I do not recommend letting it get up to 400) but you can let it get going to 250 to 300 and then close the bottom vent down to 1/4". (Like someone said: Enough to get your pinky in.) Then start closing down the top vent more and more until you start homing in your desire temperature. After a while it will start fluctuating around your desired temp. When the temp gets higher the oxygen will be be used up and it will start to cool down. As it cools slightly more oxygen will be availabel and it should rise back up. You may expect to see 5 degree swings during your cook or if you're lucky you'll see no swing whatsoever. Keep at it and you'll learn exactly how low a temperature you can maintain all night.

fishlessman

Wise One,during the fall, winter, spring i have no problems with a low temp fire but in the summer when the temp raises to 90, i have had a fire or two go out. the colder days in new england probably have more oxygen content in the air. opening the lower vent more and controlling the upper vent sounds like a good idea to try. is the pit minder you tried for sale or are they just being tested

JerseyD

Carl T,
Forgive me if I am wrong, but isn't a dome temp reading usually lower than the grate temp? I have never actually measured the grate temp to compare to the dome thermometer. Maybe I will try tonight.[/b]

Wise One

fishlessman, it's sold by the same folks that do the electronic BBQ Guru. Take a look. You might also want to consider Mickey T's rings. His have gotten good reviews as well.

[ul][li]BBQ Guru[/ul]

1044

Jersey D, As you know, heat rises. Dome temps will be higher than at the grill.

Banker John

Glenn,
Welcome to our family. We look forward to hearing your success and failure stories. We all have them![p]For cooking at the low temps described by many, I have found that just a bare crack in the bottom vent, about the width of a credit card, is about perfect. For the top vent, The slide is closed and the daisy is half open. On my medium, this equates to right at 205 degrees.[p]To get to this temp, I light from the top with MAPP gas in one spot, a little closer to the front from dead center. I set the vents immediately and do not let the egg raise to temp then shut down. This method does take a little longer to get the egg to temp, but I have found there is less chance of over shooting the adjustments and the resulting temperatures. In the beginning I had a terrible time finding the right vent settings for a specific temp. Now, I just set the vents, light and go do something else in preparation of the cook

Unknown

Glenn,[p]Hi, Glenn,[p]Check before you light the lump to see that the air vents in the firebox aren't blocked. As lump is reused, it gets smaller and some of the pieces are just the right size to block the air coming in.
I'm pretty sure that this might be one reason some people have trouble with the fire going out entirely...they start out ok but, the burning charcoal falls in front of the holes. I like to sort of make a pile in the center...might not be perfect for heat distribution but, I haven't noticed any problems and it helps keep air flowing.[p]Ric