getting egg up to 700 degrees

atlaturne

I just got my a large BGE.My first attempt cooking tonight was to cook a steak with a recipe I got here,calling for temp of 700 degrees,sear 3 minutes on each side,then shut down vents,cook a little longer,etc.;.I tried to follow directions,left both vents wide open-my egg seemed to peak out @600-650,never could get 700 degrees.Any hints,more charcoal,or what?Thanks

Celtic Wolf

Fire box full to the fire ring. Light in 3 or 4 places and leabe the DFMT off..

skihorn

Most people on here recommend breaking in your gasket with the first few cooks staying below 400. May or may not matter.

That said, while you can probably get it up to 700 or higher by loading it up with lump and taking the daisy wheel off, I have found 650 is my target steak temp. Does a real nice sear.

Freddie
League City, TX

Pork Butt Mike

Just a little bit of advice, if it's a new Egg I do not recommend bringing your Egg up to high temps for 2 to 3 weeks. This could damage your gasket if it has not already. Just my opinion and trying to help you out.

BigGreenDawg

I did exactly as Celtic recommended late this evening and commented to my wife that it was the first time I have ever reached the 700* mark actually a little over it. I had been leaving the dome up which I now realize doesn't draft as much as with it closed and nothing on top :evil: I got a little singed when turning the steaks although avoiding flashback. I don't know if you are aware of flashback yet but when you get the egg up to these high temps you have to burp the lid a few times before fully opening it to avoid losing some arm, hand and sometimes facial hair :woohoo:

Grandpas Grub

.

You can get flashbacks at lower temperatures too.

GG

Desert Oasis Woman

even from the bottom vent :ohmy:

Grandpas Grub

.

There have been some gasket adhesive issues. If the adhesive is going to fail it very well may fail at lower temperatures.

As a precaution many say cook at lower temperatures for a while before going hot. It's thought to be a 'cure thing/theory', which I don't think rings quite true but it is better to be safe than sorry.

. Calibrate your dome thermometer. There was a little slip of paper that came (or should have come) with the egg that explains the procedure. If you can't find it we can help.

. Align the fire box opening with the lower vent.

. The formula is simple phyxics. Fuel + Air = Heat. Most of the time the air is the problem. Make sure the air holes in the fire grate and fire box are clear.

There is no reason why you can't get a great sear at lower temperatures.

If your lump looks orange lava looking is about 1,200°. Get your meat closer to the lava looking lump. Use a Spider or load your lump higher in the egg, or remove the fire ring to get the grid closer to the lump.

There is no reason to go nuclear to a great seared piece of meat.

GG

Grandpas Grub

Question or statement?

Get the opening in the fire box as centered as you can with the bottom vent in the egg.

GG

Desert Oasis Woman

it is!
but sometimes when trying to stop the rise of temp, smoke, and occasionally a flame, will shoot out of the bottom vent :unsure:

Grandpas Grub

When this happens are you regulating the dome temperature more with the DFMT rather than with the lower vent.

When you get flashback out the bottom bent either the DFMT is closed down too much and there is a lot of smoke in the egg and the easiest path for or to fresh oxygen is that lower vent.

The lower vent flash back doesn't happen often but it does happen.

Open the upper vent to get the draft moving up through the egg then close the bottom vent more to regulate the dome temperature.

Kent

Desert Oasis Woman

thanks, usually happens when I shut both at the same time by about 50% or more...will try to be more patient and work the bottom first

Grandpas Grub

Try closing the bottom first or even opening the top waiting 10 to 15 seconds then closing the bottom.

GG

Unknown

lloov yoh