great time at e2-k

char buddy

The E2-k fest was awesome. I'm a first timer and the crew, the food, the weather, the eggs, the band and the eggsters were all better than advertised. I'm now thinking about going to Atlanta this fall.[p]Many thanks to Cat, Mr. Toad, Nature Boy, Teslamania, Bambi, Spin, Mrs. Spin and lots of others for advice, help and great food. [p]I just tried out my new egg. I got it lit and up to 400 for hamburgers without any problems. I misjudged how long to cook each side and how to flip them four times rather than twice. I like them medium rare but these came out well done, but super juicy. I heard that the egg is forgiving, but this was ridiculous. I'm hooked and planning my next cook already. Chicken.[p]

Smokey

char buddy,[p]Glad to hear your new friend make it home safe and sound! Keep the stories comming! As for the burgers, many people do'em like steaks (high temps).[p]Keep cookin'[p]Smokey

char buddy

Smokey,[p]Thanks for the tip. We'll go high temp next time. Tonight it's fish at 350. Whaaaaats UUUUppp!

Spin

char buddy,[p]Hamburgers and steak are a higher temp cook that are done by timing the cook rather than cooking to an internal temp. A little experimentation with the times and temp is required. The higher the cooking temp, the shorter the cooking time. The learning curve is short and quite rewarding . I suggest flipping once. Each time you flip the meat, you lose some of the juice.[p]It was a pleasure to me you. Welcome to the forum and family.[p]Spin

Cat

char buddy,[p]You'll be a pro by Eggtoberfest...where we all expect you to offer a seminar on the nuances of heat transfer & airflow control. ;-}[p]I really enjoyed meeting you & am pleased that you're enjoying the new toy.[p]Cathy[p]

char buddy

Spin,[p]What's the deal on low (220 - 250)? Tongiht just to fool around I tried to get it to 250 and keep it there. I got a good hot fire right away, but even after I closed the bottom vent and just keep the daisy wheel slots a little open, the fire stayed at 300. (I've already checked the dome thermometer and I plan on getting a polder.)

char buddy

Cat,[p]Hey Cat, those ribs were worth the whole trip. Next time I'll save room for the meatloaf.

Spin

char buddy,[p]The trick is not to get the Egg too hot and then have to let it cool down. It is much easier to control the rising temp than to wait for the Egg to cool down while attempting to maintain a (very) small fire. Cooking at 220F is a burning lump about the size of your fist.[p]Start a single small fire (fire starters are nice for this) in the top center of the lump. Leave both vents wide open until about 50F below the desired cooking temperature. Then close the bottom to 1/8" and close the top to just a crack. Wait a bit for the temp to regulate, closing the vents a bit more if it reaches the cooking temp. Small adjustments (opening) in either vent will allow more air in/out and increase the temp. The top vent is a finer control than the bottom.[p]Spin

Nature Boy

char buddy,
Spin has in down pat. One way to think of it is to think about the size of your fire. A small fire stays small, and remains small, if you regulate the air to it. A great example was shown by Cat, when she cooked her babybacks at the fest with no top cap, yet she had no problem maintaining 250. She regulated the air while the fire was still small. [p]Once the actual fire spreads out to cover a large area, it will result in higher temps, even with the same vent settings. The key to a low slow fire, is to keep it small by reducing your vent settings early on, and cruising slowly to your target. While you wait for your target temp to be achieved, that is a great time to pour smoke to your meat.[p]NB

Teslamania

char buddy,[p]Glad you got that thing home in one piece. What are you going to try next?