Hard times with slow cooks...

UPinSMOKE

I am obviously doing something wrong and I need the help of the general wisdom that resides here on the forum.

I have a medium egg, been cooking on it for 4.5 years and have been extremely happy with it. Lately, I've been having problems with longer, low temp cooks. My short, high temp runs like T-Rex'ing a steak are golden...but if I want heat for a long time at temps below 300, I am flummoxed.

I've tried two methods so far and neither has been satisfactory.

#1-using an electric starter, I fire up the lump, allow it to completely get 'involved' (as like doing a T-Rex cook); then I choke down the vents and wait 30 or so minutes to allow the temps to fall below 300, then start cooking. The main problem with that is after 3 hours or so, my lump is gone, no matter how much I put in.

Method #2- using the electric starter again, I get a nice 'pile' of lump going (down in the center of the pile) but not all of it is burning, I then start the cooking around 250-300- but in an hour or so, the lump goes out and I have to relight.

The amounts of lump used for my attempts at long cooks are nearly near the top of the fire ring, making sure all the ash from previous cooks is cleaned out and all the ventilation holes are open.

Can someone diagnose what I am doing wrong? In fact right now, a slow cook on some ribs is now sitting on the kitchen counter after only 1:15 minutes and I am relighting the lump as we speak. These ribs may not come out well, but hopefully my next batch will with some expertise from here.

Thanks in advance!!!

Pat

Firetruck

Was the lump exposed to moisture or did you change brands? Kinda hard to say. Something don't sound right though.

Maybe calibrate the thermo

Cory430

Try lighting just the top layer of lump. That way your fire burns downward. Since this is not the direction that the fire "wants" to burn, it will move slower.

Still doesn't sound right though, I don't think that I could burn up a full load of lump in 1:15 if I tried.

Cory430

ps - throw your ribs into the oven at 250° till you get your egg up and going again.

UPinSMOKE

I didn't burn up this load in 1:15...it just went out :-) Sorry for that confusion.

In answer to the others, the lump is dry and new and my thermometer was calibrated a few weeks ago.

Thanks for the answers so far... but do I need to get the whole pile of lump burning and glowing BEFORE I reduce the heat or can I proceed once there is a good portion of it going so I don't have such high temps to bring the egg down through?

And next time out, I'll try to start the lump in the middle....I've never tried that before.

TIA!!!

Pat

It's now burning steady at 290, the hickory chunks just lit off and it smells great...hopefully the 30 minutes in the oven won't be noticed by the SO when she gets home!

Cory430

Here is my method for using an electric starter for slow cooks:

1. Place starter on top of lump and cover with a just a few pieces of lump and plug in.

2. Remove the starter after 5-7 minutes or so and close egg with DMFT off and bottom vent wide open until the egg gets to about 200°

3. Set vents to what should stabilize my egg at 250° and then let it stay there 30-45 minutes with my indirect piece (I use a pizza stone).

4. Throw in my wood chunks and meat. Very little of the lump will actually be lit at this time.

If you are lighting most of your lump in the beginning, I imagine that is what is eating up all of your fuel.

Good luck

Gandolf

I think Cory430 has it right. Don't burn a bunch of lump in the beginning. Follow his steps and I think you'll be fine.

UPinSMOKE

Cory, thank you (and the others too). I'll give your method a try tomorrow evening. I appreciate the input from all here!

Cheers!!! :cheer:

Pat

Grandpas Grub

 
At times my Medium can be a real pain in the butt.

My fire box and fire ring are too small, my assumption, for the medium egg. If I slide the fire ring to the back of the egg I have a good 2 to 2.5 inch gap between the egg wall and outside of the fire ring.

From a lot of testing and recording burn times and times to heat up I found that he lump was drawing the oxygen into the bottom vent up and around the outside of fire box and fire ring, over the top of the fire ring and down into the lump from the top.

The only time I can get my medium to burn properly or light properly is if I do something to make sure the oxygen travels through the lower vent into the fire box and up the fire grate.

With out some of the 'tricks' I have experienced very long start ups, low temperature levels and burn outs.

I would suggest you buy or build a Wiggle Rod (go down to about the middle of the page) and use it when you feel the egg is not burning well. If you want to know more about the 'tricks' let me know and I will elaborate.

For lower temperature cooks light more towards the top of the lump and for hot cooks light the lump down into the lump.

I have never used an electric starter, however, if you are lighting a wide area of lump you are likely to have a hotter temperature. I usually light the lump in 3 to 4 places for a longer cook.

GG

UPinSMOKE

GG:

Thank you very much for sharing your ideas. And yes, please elaborate on your 'tricks', not only for myself but for the rest of the Eggers who may be reading this topic.

Even though the coals went out on me yesterday, (my fault, not the lumps'),I was able to 'rescue' the ribs, get it restarted, and although I had to cook at 40-50 degrees higher than I wished to, the ribs still came out moist and "fall off the bone", finger licking good!

This forum is my most favorite on the net. You can get help with problems, you can find some absolutely delicious recipes, people share their ideas and tricks of the trade, all the while without making judgments, snide remarks and the like that you may run into on almost any other forum out there. A great forum.

Pat

UPinSMOKE

GG:

Thank you very much for sharing your ideas. And yes, please elaborate on your 'tricks', not only for myself but for the rest of the Eggers who may be reading this topic.

Even though the coals went out on me yesterday, (my fault, not the lumps'),I was able to 'rescue' the ribs, get it restarted, and although I had to cook at 40-50 degrees higher than I wished to, the ribs still came out moist and "fall off the bone", finger licking good!

This forum is my most favorite on the net. You can get help with problems, you can find some absolutely delicious recipes, people share their ideas and tricks of the trade, all the while without making judgments, snide remarks and the like that you may run into on almost any other forum out there. A great forum.

Pat

Gandolf

I am really surprised that the Mothership hasn't taken care of that for you yet. Clearly your Medium suffered some kind of manufacturing defect to have that much of a mismatch. I continue to believe that BGE misses some terrific customer service opportunities here. You are someone whose opinion is valued on this site, and rightfully so. Potential buyers often come here for advice. They see form a respected Egger that some products have to be packed with foil or have a downspout shoved somewhere to perform properly. That would make me a little concerned if I were "in the market." I believe your situation is very rare. BGE is a great company with great customer service, but wouldn't it be "over the top" if they responded to the rare issue here? It's WAY to early to try to stand on this soap box much longer, sorry folks.

Grandpas Grub

 
I will be one of the first in line to praise BGE's service.

However, in this one case... my opinion it is lacking.

This medium had several problems which resulted in the dome and base needing to be replaced.

At first I was told the entire egg was going to be replaced. That decision got changed and first the dome got replaced and later on the base was replaced.

The fire box and fire ring were redesigned and recast but I was told because my egg 'worked' the replacement would not be covered under warranty. I was told I could buy the new fire box and new fire ring. Talking with my dealer they wouldn't guarantee I would get the 'new' design and I would have to keep whatever was sent to them.

I decided not to take the chance of having two crappy fire boxes and two crappy fire rings.

I don't use the medium much any more.

GG