Controlling Temp

SmokyArkie

I am new to the Big Green Egg and have a recurring problem. I start my charcoal and let it burn for about 20 minutes with the lid open. By then it is glowing red and has little smoke. Then I close the lid and try to adjust the temp to 270 or so. Once it is at 270 and holds steady for about 15 minutes I put on my food (Pork Butt). Once again I watch the gauge for about 15 minutes and the temp remains constant. During this time I have the bottom damper open about and inch and the top damper louvres all open about a quarter of an inch. Within an hour the fire will go out, usually while I am gone. I return to find the temp around 100 and the meat wasted.

I am using the right charcoal and the ash area is clear.

Suggestions??

Cruezn

Are you filling the lump charcoal to the top of the firebox? At any rate, it sounds to me like your lump is cutting off airflow (the holes in the firebox). I've recently tried (from others suggestions) to start with a clean firebox, and put large sections of lump in the middle. Then fill in the rest with the medium size lump. I've been able to get 20 plus hours at 240 degrees this way on my pork butts. It sounds to me like your smaller pieces are plugging the holes in the firebox. Make sure they are clear.

Cruezn

I'm fairly new here as well, so I'm not sure how to post a link, but if you search the forum for firebuilding, you'll find a wealth of info that you can use.

AZRP

By leaving the lid open for 20 minutes you are establishing a fire with its oxygen source from on top. Try lighting and closing the lid with nothing on top and the bottom vent all the way open. As your temp starts to reach your temp of say 250 close down the bottom vent say halfway. When the temp comes back up to 250, close it down some more. You will finally end up with the bottom vent open only about 1/16" at least on every large Egg I've cooked on. Put your daisy on top with the large hole closed and the small holes all the way open. You are controlling the temp with the bottom vent. -RP

Grandpas Grub

 
More information would be very helpful. Egg size, amount of lump, what you are using to light and how you light the lump.

Heat = oxygen + fuel.

When loading your lump make sure you do not have the holes in the fire grate or fire box blocked.

There are many ways to do the following and everyone has their own version. This works well.

Load you lump to the top of the firebox or higher. I load almost to the top of the fire ring.

I will assume you are using starting cubes to light the lump. Use 3 or 4 cubes (I used to use 2 and broke them in half) in 4 or 5 places on the top of the egg. 3, 6, 9 12 o'clock and center.

Make sure the cubes are fully lit and burning and place them down in the lump about 1/2 to 1 inch. Don't smother the cubes, they too need oxygen to burn.

After 4 or 5 minutes I close the dome. With starter cubes the dome thermometer will climb quickly and then the temperature will drop to somewhere around 200° and then begin to climb once again.

On the second climb is where I begin to adjust my vent settings. For 250° or so cook temperature I close the lower vent to about 1/4 inch about the thickness of a quarter. When the thermometer is 20° or so below the desired temperature I close down the DFMT. Slider closed and petals open the thickness of a flat toothpick.

From there I fine tune the temperature as needed.

Once you get your egg to temperature if you put food in the egg, open the dome, add smoke chips, peek at your cook your temperature will change - don't play with the vent settings, the egg will get back to that original temperature on it's own.

Make sure you calibrate your dome thermometer.

This link will give you some starting points Visual Guide to Vent Settings

Helpful Tips and Pointers

GG

thailandjohn

You will get lots of good info on this forum.

Here is my way of loading my Egg for a long cook

http://www.imagesbyjohnvance.com/Barbeque/Starting-Fire-for-the-EGG/10355415_qx6b3#716595218_oRCNv

SmokyArkie

I will check to see if their are small pieces of charcoal plugging the air holes as you suggest.Thank you.

SmokyArkie

Several other people have pointed me in the same direction about small charcoal plugging the fireholes. Thanks for sharing your experience.

SmokyArkie

Thank you for the specific instructions especially how the temperature will rise, fall and then equalize. I will use your suggestions tonight.

SmokyArkie

That sounds reasonable. I may need to be more careful about getting the fire started low near the bottom airdraft.

Thank you

Cruezn

If you are wanting to cook low and slow, make sure your fire is started on top of the lump, so it will burn down. If you start your fire towards the bottom, it will be harder to keep your temp down.

AZRP

I light the lump on top with a torch in about 4 places then close the dome so the oxygen source will be established with the chimney effect through the bottom. -RP

SmokyArkie

Thanks for the tips.

I have been looking at some of the pictures posted on the forum and realize that my fire grate (Large Green Egg) is smaller than those pictured and has about 1/3 less air draft holes. I realize that some of the pictures may be from an extra large Green Egg but it does make me wonder if this may be an issue I may have to work around by using less charcoal than the manual reccomends.