Visual Guide to Vent Settings

EggerDan

Thanks for the great info for this newbie. The discussion helps to confirm the cause and effect in my mind.

I'm expecting my first XL egg next week.

What will be the birth date, arrival or first cook?

WADoug

GG, I always appreciate your contributions. These pictures are very helpful. I've read the post thus far. I like strike's thinking about this matter too. I wonder about the "hot air rises" effect on this. I don't really know this kind of science, but if hot air rises, then if you open the "roof" more wouldn't that encourage more draft from the bottom? It makes some sense to me that there is a relationship between the bottom and top openings and that you might ultimately control the temp by one or the other. I guess like strike is saying, the temp is controlled by the airflow. To me a wide open bottom, but small open top, restricts the airflow...small open bottom and wide open top encourages airflow. It seems it would be possible to get to the same temp by keeping top or bottom opened completely (or some specific setting) but manipulating only the other.

Grandpas Grub

 
stike's has some good thoughts above.

The air flow is the physics of the lump burning. The amount of air flow can be controlled by either or both the lower vent & the daisy.

I do think in my pictures the temperature was more controlled by the daisy than the lower vent.

I am going to take some more pictures with the lower vent only opened 1/16" to 1/8". One thing we didn't discuss was the lump level, it is pretty low in the fire box. I am now wondering if that level required more of an open lower vent.

I am going to do 3 or 4 cooks this weekend so I will be able to play with some different lump levels and vent settings.

I don't want this to be too involved as it is intended to give someone new some general vent settings. They will quickly learn what works best for themselves.

GG

Grandpas Grub

 
Congratulations Daniel on your first egg and welcome to the forum.

You are in for a lot of good eating and fun cooking. I haven't had the opportunity to cook on an XL.

I haven't followed it too closely, but there are different models of the XL, so read up on those differences so you will know what you are getting when yous arrives.

GG

Jeffersonian

I think stike is right about balancing not being very important for temperatures as you can get to a target by using one or the other vent adjustment, but I think the effect on the Egg as regards heat (and possibly humidity) loss is important. That translates into lump consumption.

Ripnem

Heat rises. So I'm not sure if any air would get down the open top hole. Until the air outside is warmer than the air inside the egg. No?

Grandpas Grub

 
stike talked about balancing/equalizing the top & bottom vents as a discussion. It wouldn't be practical at all. In the pictures the bottom vent is really pretty far open for those temperatures. It very well could have been the daisy was doing more of the temperature control rather than the lower vent.

I would think at any given temperature, the lump consumption wouldn't be any different if the temperature was being controlled by the bottom or top vent only.

Ambient temperature would have some affect on lump consumption but I am not sure if would be measurable (or worth trying to measure).

GG

Bacchus

GG, I am of the opinion that atmospheric conditons play a large factor in the overall vent setting / temp equation. Wind, outside air temp, sunshine, etc.

What are your thoughts?

Grandpas Grub

GG, I am of the opinion that atmospheric conditons play a large factor in the overall vent setting / temp equation. Wind, outside air temp, sunshine, etc.

What are your thoughts?
 
My large vent settings don't really change all that much from dead of winter -15° to this time of year 112°.

A strong wind will cause me to chase temperatures a bit. I have pretty low humidity, 38% or so is pretty high out here.

I use a rain cap on the egg when it rains and the settings don't seem to change much.

Snow, I don't worry about at all, no vent settings difference.

I have noticed a little difference in settings when using small pieces of lump as apposed to large pieces of lump. Also, a little different vent settings depending on where the lump is loaded to.

Even with all that I don't see much change in the vent settings from one situation to another.

GG

proudpappa

Chicken cooked, standing up, with a drip pan w/o the plate setter came out with too much smoke flavor. Any suggestions?

Bacchus

Gotcha, my experience has been a little different. Direct sunlight in the summer months particualrly it seems. As soon as the sun goes past my roofline, casting shadow on the egg...i get a temp drop about 20 deg.

BigGreenDawg

G.Grub, I was very curious when I first saw a similar post you made for the newbies awhile back and was overjoyed by how easy it was to regulate the temps by using the bottom vent as the "one in control". I have been to the point of doing like Flashback Bob by keeping the lower vent MUCH more closed than I used to (back when I tried to balance the bottom and top) as he and you do I keep the lower more closed and use the Daisy to adjust temp until 400 when I take it off completely. It has defintely made eggin' much easier and will be a great learning tool for any newbies that are paying attention. I like Bacchus notice a difference with atmospheric conditions as well-usually when it is hot and humid and the air outside is still it takes longer for the lump to get "right" than when it is low humidity or a nice breeze but nothing extreme.

Thanks again for all you do, it would seem like common sense to many more experienced eggers but this kind of info is invaluable to those of us still going up the learning curve. I used to have to fiddle with both vents during an entire cook trying to keep the temp right but no more of that now, just minor adjustments

And if I want more smoke I add hardwood chunks-if not just use lump only-the vents don't come into that equation for me.

Grandpas Grub

 
I really haven't paid much attention to the vent settings with different ambient conditions. My settings are pretty much the same year around.

I never try to balance the top & bottom vent settings, that only leads to chasing temperatures.

Course adjustment with the lower vent settings and fine with the dome.

Kent

Grandpas Grub

 
Interesting, I haven't noticed having to change the vents from direct sun to an evening cook. I haven't paid much attention tough either.

At about 4pm yesterday, non cooking, my dome thermometers were close to 130° I think it was about 97° ambient.

I will pay attention more and see if I am getting much of a temperature change when the sun goes down.

Kent

UPinSMOKE

GG:

Even though I am entering my fifth year as an egger, I ran across this topic while searching something else and I felt like it needed to be 'bumped' to bring it out in view again. I bet there are countless new eggers here and some more experienced ones like me that do not use your technique now but will from here on out! :-)

I've always just balanced the top and the bottom vents, opening each up roughly the same amount and have had pretty good luck with it so far..I don't chase the temps much. But your technique looks even easier so I'll give it a go with a Memorial Day Weekend brisket that just came home from the butchers' with me a few minutes ago. ;-) I'll marinate it today and toss it on the grill tomorrow!

Thanks, GG...that was a great post and your pictures were worth more than a thousand words!!!

Pat

....and my thanks to all veterans of all the services who have allowed all of us to enjoy what we most likely take for granted, every day. I thank you all!

ekuapa

Great visual guide... Specially for those (like me) who are visual. I was looking for something like this a while ago.